Do I have any control over the grammar of my novel?
English grammar is generally pretty black and white, but there are a few areas under debate. For instance, should a series of three have one or two commas? For example:
The coach was black, dusty, and large.
OR
The coach was black, dusty and large.
What happens if I write a novel using the first example, but the publisher/editor 'corrects' it to the second example? Do I have any say in the matter?
Note: I realize this is a hotly debated topic for some people, so please refrain from debating which example is correct. That is not the question.
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After spending ten years as a micro publisher, allow me to state the following:
1) Non-fiction should be written using "book English," meaning it should be as clean, clear, grammatically, syntactically, and lexically correct as possible because the purpose of the book is principally to convey information. Clarity is king.
2) When it comes to fiction, should you have a publisher that insists their way is correct and won't talk to you about it, find another publisher. Fiction is more about emotion than it is conveyance of information.
An excellent example (though non-English) is the Finnish book Tuntematon Sotilas (The Unknown Soldier). Written Finnish is a notoriously grammar-heavy language, but the spoken language has dialects just like English. The author (Väinö Linna) chose to "write" the dialects. Finnish is phonetic, so it wasn't hard to write the dialects --- but it's painful to read! That, of course, was part of the point. The author wanted his dialog to be culturally accurate, which meant breaking nearly every rule in one of the most grammatically structured languages on Earth.
Tell your publisher that you're willing to work with their editors to make a superior book --- and then do so (please!). Take advantage of their expertise and remember they have a lot of experience building marketable books. But contractually reserve the final decision to yourself. If they won't do this for a work of fiction, find another publisher. Remember, they're a business, you're an artist, both needs must be met or the book will have a tough mountain to climb for success.
I have hung around with a number of writers of note and I was married to a NYT best-selling author. I can tell you that not a single on of them was concerned about the grammatical changes, unless, as August noted above, it is for a certain affectation. The grammar police (no doubt a fresh college grad) will be there to proof the manuscript and ensure continuity and clarity, which is a good thing. The grammatical changes are based on the accepted usage, as defined by the publishing house and if you argue with your editor over it, it just paints a picture of you as a neophyte at best or a difficult person at worst. If sales are lack-luster, this could be the thing that prevents your second book from being published.
Rest assured, there will be changes to your manuscript. The editor will make the most substantive changes. It pays to listen to the editor. They have many years of experience in the business and are there to help improve your writing. I would argue that many famous writer's work suffers because they are too successful to listen to their editors. Stephen King comes to mind as an example - Arguably his best works were written when he was younger and the editors held more sway.
I would think that one should use proper grammar, unless speaking about or speaking of or for ethnic groups, and attributing certain dialects or manner-of-speaking to diverse characters.
English grammar is anything but black and white. Everything is debatable, even the definition of "word".
Punctuation is not grammar. This is a punctuation question, not a grammar question.
Your publisher probably has a preferred style guide that they want their authors to use.
Everything is negotiable. Negotiations are all about who has the most clout. If you say, "Use the Oxford comma or I take this to Penguin," then if they say "Don't let the door hit you on the way out," you know who has the most clout in that relationship. Cormac McCarthy uses unorthodox punctuation. Cormac McCarthy has clout. Depending on the potential of your book, you may or may not have clout. Or they may just not care whether you use the Oxford comma or not.
Oxford comma FTW.
It also depends on if you're a stylist. The really great artists saw the rules, knew the rules, then broke the rules. Many writers ignore grammar, for the sake of the narrator, of dialect, of stream-of-consciousness. What matters more than which comma goes where is your heart, your story, your language, the power of your words. Now, I'm not sure what kind of book you're writing---you may very well would do good to pay attention to said rules---but just know the rules are not always heeded, and, sometimes, celebrated when broken.
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