September 28, 2018
This former A- list tween actress who was on a very very hit iconic tween show used to be an author. She wrote several self-published books. Her work was legendary within the company.
As background, when a manuscript was submitted, it went through an internal "Editorial Evaluation" where an in-house editor would give the manuscript an honest reading. Now, a long version of this is shared with the author to help the author shore up weak parts of the manuscript, and, dirty little secret, to sell the author additional editing and marketing services. (FYI, Self-Publishers NEVER make money on selling books to the public, it's the printing and marketing services that make them money.)
A brief overview of the EE would be placed in the internal iUniverse system under the author's name so that the production, editing, marketing and sales teams could access them to get an idea of what additional services they could sell to the author. These evaluations are not available to the author or to the public. These evaluations are either positive, neutral, or critical with the final write-off that the described book is for "friends and family only" which meant they weren’t worth the time to contact for services.
I probably read a couple thousand of these evaluations when I was there. None matched the greatness of the first evaluation of the former tween actress.
An internal e-mail made the rounds of her editorial evaluations.
This was the evaluation from the editor:
"This manuscript is horrendous. It is so awful, I am left wondering if the author was seriously trying to write a novel, or if this is a joke on her part to see if she will be able to get this published. For one, she makes up a lot of words, and many of the sentences don’t make a bit of sense. The punctuation is like nothing I’ve ever seen. It is apparent that the author has name recognition; however, publishing this manuscript would not only be an injustice to her fans, but it is my opinion that it would tarnish her reputation as a well-respected actress. I did my best to be tactful and provide the author with helpful information. Though my inclination was to X off every No column, I did manage to throw in a few Yes’s. However, these are very weak. I would have no objection if a decision is made to change them. It is my opinion that this manuscript would not currently benefit from any of the suggested services. Though, given the circumstances that the author is insistent this manuscript go to press, I would at the very least suggest a Content Edit and a Cover Copy Polish. This recommendation is more out of the desire to protect the IUniverse label than anything else."
This was the evaluation of her 2nd book:
"When the assignment instructions included the statement that "the author states that the comma use is a stylistic choice," I assumed (uh-oh) that it dealt with the serial comma. Hah! No ... it means the author uses a comma after EVERY word! Every, one, like, this.
We've already tried to dissuade the author from this style with her first book, so she should probably just move to publication."
Lark Voorhies
This former A- list tween actress who was on a very very hit iconic tween show used to be an author. She wrote several self-published books. Her work was legendary within the company.
As background, when a manuscript was submitted, it went through an internal "Editorial Evaluation" where an in-house editor would give the manuscript an honest reading. Now, a long version of this is shared with the author to help the author shore up weak parts of the manuscript, and, dirty little secret, to sell the author additional editing and marketing services. (FYI, Self-Publishers NEVER make money on selling books to the public, it's the printing and marketing services that make them money.)
A brief overview of the EE would be placed in the internal iUniverse system under the author's name so that the production, editing, marketing and sales teams could access them to get an idea of what additional services they could sell to the author. These evaluations are not available to the author or to the public. These evaluations are either positive, neutral, or critical with the final write-off that the described book is for "friends and family only" which meant they weren’t worth the time to contact for services.
I probably read a couple thousand of these evaluations when I was there. None matched the greatness of the first evaluation of the former tween actress.
An internal e-mail made the rounds of her editorial evaluations.
This was the evaluation from the editor:
"This manuscript is horrendous. It is so awful, I am left wondering if the author was seriously trying to write a novel, or if this is a joke on her part to see if she will be able to get this published. For one, she makes up a lot of words, and many of the sentences don’t make a bit of sense. The punctuation is like nothing I’ve ever seen. It is apparent that the author has name recognition; however, publishing this manuscript would not only be an injustice to her fans, but it is my opinion that it would tarnish her reputation as a well-respected actress. I did my best to be tactful and provide the author with helpful information. Though my inclination was to X off every No column, I did manage to throw in a few Yes’s. However, these are very weak. I would have no objection if a decision is made to change them. It is my opinion that this manuscript would not currently benefit from any of the suggested services. Though, given the circumstances that the author is insistent this manuscript go to press, I would at the very least suggest a Content Edit and a Cover Copy Polish. This recommendation is more out of the desire to protect the IUniverse label than anything else."
This was the evaluation of her 2nd book:
"When the assignment instructions included the statement that "the author states that the comma use is a stylistic choice," I assumed (uh-oh) that it dealt with the serial comma. Hah! No ... it means the author uses a comma after EVERY word! Every, one, like, this.
We've already tried to dissuade the author from this style with her first book, so she should probably just move to publication."
Lark Voorhies
Isn't she considered to be mentally unwell?
ReplyDeleteYeah, let's make fun of a woman with mental health issues. Come on, Entward.
ReplyDeleteThe Batshit is strong in this one.
ReplyDeleteDidn't Sean Penn publish some rambling incoherent atrocity? Seriously, vanity projects for celebs...
ReplyDelete"Sean Penn's Debut Novel -- Repellant and Stupid on So Many Levels" -- The Guardian
DeleteThe book is "Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff"
@Cheessgrater when Lark was first publishing these, her state of mind and mental health struggles were not known.
ReplyDeleteIf anything, this blind should read as a cautionary tale. The editors at this company took the path of syncophancy instead of reporting a possible case of mental illness. Lark could have gotten help sooner had her editors been vocal about their concerns.
Really feel for Lark. Something happened to her and its so obvious she has something going on. I think her mom tried to get her conserved few years back.
ReplyDeleteDNA happened to her.
Delete@SD Auntie, I've heard rumors Lark was abused during her relationship with Martin Lawrence. Don't know if the rumors have been substantiated, though.
DeleteLark WAS a child actress at a time when there weren't as many buffers in place to protect kids from serial predators in Hellywood, so it's anyone's guess as to what she could have been put through over the years. Such a tragedy.
Dustin said that he could tell something was wrong with her because she was deathly afraid of being touched. ML had his issues but he is not the cause of whatever she has
DeleteReally feel for Lark, and her family. Thing is, there’s not much you can do to dissuade a family member from pushing their wants when they’re on a mental break. My sibling has bipolar, and when he’s off his meds and high, it’s painful to be on social media - in his mind, he’s the greatest physicist since Newton, and frequently tries to publish his “dissertations”, which more often than not are articulate word salads.
ReplyDeleteIt shows the company has some integrity cause they could have probably milked her for everything she has
ReplyDelete@cheese You new here? The entire show business population has mental health issues.
ReplyDeleteI, think, her, books, are, beautiful.
ReplyDeleteGot handed a pamphlet from a libertarian politician some years ago who had the same obsession with commas. Immediate tell he would not make a good candidate-I mean, he was spewing his ideology to the public with no proofreader or editor? Questionable.
ReplyDeleteAs to LV, sad. Probably abused by someone just as vile as Jerkoff and J.
LOL, Unknown, she, clearly, has, a, talent, for, writing
ReplyDeleteSomething seems familiar here.
ReplyDelete