Month: October 2021

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Things You Shouldn’t Say To A Person In Depression

October 14 , 2021 Samarpita Mukherjee Sharma
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Depression is serious. I cannot keep saying this enough, please please be kind and empathetic to the depressed if you know any. No one enjoys being depressed, it sucks big time. No one ‘wants’ to die, it takes a lot of effort to not kill yourself when your mind has held you captive. Imagine lying on the bed, wanting to get up and go ahead with your chores but your limbs don’t move. You are crying. You don’t know why, but you cannot stop. You want to stop crying, you don’t like what is happening to you. You want to dress up and go out with your partner. But you cannot. Your body is in control of your mind and you just cannot move. You just lie there crying for hours until someone comes and sees you in this condition. Only people sharing home with you will know of this, because when with other people you put on a mask of being the happiest person. No, no one should know you are depressed. The moment you are back home, all the energy drains off your body and the mind takes control again. You fall on the bed, crying.
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This is not an imaginary plot. This is for real. This does happen to people. There are other symptoms as well. The problem in our country at least is that the general idea of mental illness is very vague and people confuse depression with sadness. Not much is spoken about it. When a person is depressed, they are either left alone or given the worst possible advice. The idea of visiting a psychiatrist is not common – when ideally even those who are not depressed should visit one – there is so much stress these days, letting off a little steam is a good idea.

We All Are Different

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It’s okay if you are strong and don’t understand how it is to be depressed. You don’t have to. Just be there, give them support, talk to them – show them they are loved. Don’t let people end their lives just because they were lonely. Be kind. Don’t tell them to go out and meet people. Please. Talk to anyone who has fought depression or still is, and they will tell you how ridiculous and patronizing people can get. Tell me, if someone close to you is depressed, would you want them to get better or worse? I hope you’ll say better. Then why would you tell them things which will only make them feel worse? Rule A of being a care giver of a depressed person is to have empathy. Yes, they are forever sad. It might get on your nerves, but remember, they are not enjoying this. Believe me when I say this, being in a depressed state of mind is most horrible and nobody enjoys it. 
Talk about depression. Read about it. Speak to specialists and find out more. But come on, it could have happened to you and wouldn’t you have wanted your people to help you? Then why be so stern with others? I am no medical professional but I have seen the horrors of depression very closely. I can only advice. More than telling you what you should do, let me tell you what you shouldn’t. Don’t lose patience and or be unkind. Know that the person in depression knows how bad it is, you don’t need to tell them. Can you imagine being stuck inside a doll, alive, screaming to be let out but no one can hear you? Can you for a minute imagine how it feels to be able to see everything, be everywhere and not be heard? Let me tell you, it feels like a hand has reached inside your soul and ripped your heart off. Yes, that bad. Never for a second think that the person is doing this for attention or enjoying this. No one does. And you can help by NOT saying the following statements to them, ever.

Do Not Say

  • It’s all in your mind.
  • Well, who said life is fair?
  • Go out and meet people.
  • You should get a job.
  • Chin up!
  • Oh god, why do you whine so much?
  • You are a strong girl! Snap out of it!
  • You have everything, what are you depressed about?
  • There are people worse off than you are!
  • Take a nice, long bath!
  • Read happy books.
  • PMS?
  • It’s okay. This too shall pass.
  • You seem to like being this way.

Be empathetic. Don’t let anyone feel that they have nobody. Tell them you love them. Show them you love them. Your empathy can save a precious life. Be a life saver.

 

 

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7 Reasons Why Every Book Needs A Good Editor

October 5 , 2021 Samarpita Mukherjee Sharma
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Over the last few years, I have read a large number of books by present day Indian authors. This did two things: broke my firm belief that all of Indian literature is substandard and brought to light why most of these books aren’t fairing as they should, in the market.

“There Are Two Typos Of People In This World: Those Who Can Edit And Those Who Can’t”  ― Jarod Kintz

India has a huge number of under-rated authors who are really good story tellers. They are under-rated for reasons ranging from lack of publicity to poor language in the books. Let’s face it, if I am writing a book, I would want it to be an absolute hit amongst most readers, would I not? Then why not take the extra step to make it perfect?

Writing is no easy job. It drains you, it takes every ounce of your imagination, concentration and discipline. So if you are a published author, congratulate yourself. You did well!

Also Read: Brand Yourself As Authors Before Your Book Launch

A writer is a human, at the end of a day. A good story teller, albeit a human. And even for people who are very careful with their grammar and language, it can be difficult to spot all the errors, with all their focus on the plot and continuity. Happens. Like for instance, I am writing this post. I might not be able to notice some minor flaw which you might already have. And that’s not all that an editor helps an author with! Your editing package will include everything there is to make sure that your book goes out to the market as a complete, polished product – content wise.

Here are the reasons!

  • An editor reads your draft as a reader would. So, along with editing and proofreading, you also get first hand reader review on how the plot is.
  • As someone who has experience in dealing with plots and giving the correct treatment to them, your editor can help you give the right direction to your plot, if you ever lose track.
  • It’s always good to have a second pair of eyes. And, mind!
  • It’s difficult (not impossible, but sure is difficult) to edit your own work. Your brain is tuned such that it will read whatever you wrote the first time, as correct.
  • You have a story to write. While writing, you are bound to move from past to present, active to passive, first person to third person in your narration. So, do you pause your writing and take care of all this, or do you write the story waiting to be told? You write the story. Let the specialist bring it all together.
  • Grammar. Most small publishers (at least in India) don’t care about editing and almost all authors who get their books published through these publishers, are handed the final product with very poor or no editing at all. Don’t depend on your publisher unless one of the big names has signed you or the website specifies editing. Even in the latter, know what standard of editing to expect and ensure that you get that. This is a risk you should not take.
  • An editor helps you keep your emotions away from your manuscript. If your favourite character needs to die for the sake of the plot and its readability, your editor will tell you so. If your favourite sequence is absolutely redundant in the plot, your editor will chew your brain until you delete it or re-write it altogether. Yes, we are a bunch of harsh taskmasters, but all for the sake of your wonderful book!
Also Read: The Ultimate Guide To Hiring A Beta Reader

A book is an author’s baby. Would you give your child a mediocre life while preparing her for the future? No, you will give her the best you can. Then why shape your book in a mediocre way and drop it in the market, totally unprepared? Invest in a good editor. Your book deserves only the best.

And don’t forget, mistakes cost money. A well-edited book would earn you lots more. There is an essential checklist you should have handy when selecting an editor for your manuscript, I shall write a post on that very soon!

If you are reading this post and have reached this part, it is a given that you know I am a professional manuscript editor. If you want your manuscript edited, evaluated, help with ideating or writing, or even a ghost writer – drop me an email to editor@samarpita.in and we can have a conversation. There is so much I want to share about writing, editing, and social media for authors – I have so many informative posts planned for the next few weeks – hope you find them helpful. If you do, or if there are things under these topics that you’d want me to write in detail about, leave me a message in the comment box and I promise I will create that content for you.

You can also hop over to author.to/Samarpita and check out my ebooks on how to write better and make a social media presence before your book hits the market. The books are FREE on Kindle Unlimited.

If you are looking for an excellent manuscript editor, someone to create content for your business, or an expert to help build your personal or professional brand on social media, then look no further and connect with me at editor@samarpita.in I can be followed on instagram at @samarpita and on twitter at @samarpitadotin.

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Things To Take Into Account When Hiring An Editor

October 3 , 2021 Samarpita Mukherjee Sharma
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If you’ve been following my blog or know me professionally, you know I am a full-time freelance editor-cum-writer since a good number of years now. I have been editing manuscripts as an independent editor and once in a while I come across authors wanting to hire services of an editor but without any clarity on how to select a right one. Recently, someone wanted me to send samples of my editing. Now this is not how you select an editor. A paragraph of edited copy can not and will not help you decide the correct editor for your manuscript. Reason?

Related: Reasons Why You Need A Professional Beta Reader For Your Manuscript
  • Editing a manuscript is an all-round experience. Someone who is good with grammar can do an excellent job with that one para/page/chapter you want as a sample, but there is no guarantee that they’d be able to tie all loose ends, check plot continuity and character definitions, and basically be a second mother to your manuscript. How good is your grammatically correct manuscript if it has loopholes and weak characters? Not much.
  • No editor worth their salt should be okay with sending fresh samples of editing. Think again, does the person not know how in-depth the process of editing actually is?
  • Lastly, editing is more than writing. Getting ‘an idea’ is not enough. You will need to be more knowledgeable about the editor you are about to select.
Related: Five Reasons Why Every Freelance Writer Should Have A Blog

So what can you do? Easy.

  • Ask for references. Speak to authors the editor has worked with and get their point of views. Your editor will be more than willing to divulge with one or two names. People who have paid for the services, will always tell you the truth. You can also buy one of those books and read to check, if you wish to be that stringent.
  • Ask the editor for the link to their own blog. Mine is this, for example. I write blogposts for two reasons – to spread information like in this post, and to create a database of my writings. This is for prospective clients to see my writing skills. I aslo have links to published articles from my journalism days and from recent times, uploaded in this website for even more clarity on how I write. How I write would be directly proportional to how I will edit.
  • Speak to your author friends. Make sure these authors are those who had hired an editor and their books were well-edited. The easiest thing to do is take reference from people you know and connect with an experience editor.

It really is very simple. Yet, extremely crucial.

Remember that good editing comes with a cost. A cheap service provider cannot be a good editor and if they are, they shouldn’t be selling their services for cheap. Every good thing comes with a price, so please be prepared.

If you have reached this post because you are looking to hire services of a writer or an editor, here is where you can know more about services I offer and a rough estimate of what it will cost you.

If you are looking for an excellent manuscript editor, someone to create content for your business, or an expert to help build your personal or professional brand on social media, then look no further and connect with me at editor@samarpita.in I can be followed on instagram at @samarpita and on twitterat @samarpitadotin.

 

Are you an author looking for a beta reader or a top editor to polish your manuscript? Look no further, and Hire The Best Editor For Your Manuscript!

Read my ebook WRITE. EDIT. PROMOTE. to learn the basics about becoming an author – from writing your own book, to editing your first draft, and to promoting your book yourself! You can also read my ebook How To Write A Story Effectively and learn some valuable lessons about how a story can go from average to extraordinary. This book is part 1 of the series.

In fiction, I have two short stories for children in an ebook called Bedtime Stories.

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