Back at the coal face

I must remember that now I'm over 60, doing more than one SF convention in a month is probably more than my stamina can cope with. (Which is going to make this November really interesting as I'm about to say yes to two literary festivals/SF conventions in Spain, a week apart, in Barcelona and Madrid: more on this when it's confirmed). Anyway, now I'm over the Cymera SF Festival here in Edinburgh I'm getting my teeth into an edit letter. An edit letter is basically exactly what it sounds like: your editor (or in this case my literary agent, who just happens to also be an editor) goes over your manuscript with a fine-toothed comb and calls you on all your bullshit that needs fixing before it goes in front of anyone else. In this case, before it goes out to publishers (it's an edit letter from an agent): if from a publisher's editor, then before it can be released for production. I'm not going to discuss the contents of this letter with you, other than to note that you will get to read…