What can I do to fix the manuscript ?

Question

The Orginial Copy got away form me, through a long sequence of events. I was going to submit it but through reading it, I found a couple pages missing out of it.So, when I read it , it did not flow and was messed up. I am not a typist, so I had to pay 2 people for typing it {550.00 ] they botched it.I had to work 2 jobs, plus go to school plus do without to pay for the typing.Please don't suggest to sue I don't know where they are.Thanks

Answer 1

I suggest you rewrite those two pages. This is the easiest fix.

One advantage of typing your manuscript yourself is you can look at it with fresh eyes and revise as you go. Maybe that phrase doesn't sound as good now or maybe you left out a word you meant to have in there. You catch your mistakes and improve your work during the typing process.

The problem with paying others to do the work is you lose that revision step and you have to rely on their ability to actually do the work. Too many beginning writers get rooked this way.

Revision is a part of the writing process. No book is perfect the first time you write it and you might be wasting your time in submitting it if you haven't revised. I suggest you reread the manuscript while you are rewriting those two pages. You might also want to pick up a book called REVISION from Writers Digest Books. It'll guide you through the next step in being published.

Answer 2

I'm sorry to tell you this, but I think you just wasted $550. If you can't find the people, you're not going to be able to get the money back. The best thing you can do is try to remember what may have happened in those two missing pages and rewrite them as best as you can. I've had to do things like that before when my computer crashed and didn't save my document, and even though it's tedious and annoying, my second attempt has always turned out even better than the first one that got lost.
Also, I don't mean this in a mean way, but if you want to have a career as a writer, it is important that you learn how to type. Even if you just have to hunt and peck for letters on the computer keyboard, being ble to type is a must for any writer, not to mention an incredible time and money saver. That $550 you paid those people to type your manuscript (and type it badly, apparently) could have been enough to buy a whole new computer, or enroll in a typing course. I know you work 2 jobs and go to school, but it is definitely a skill you might want to learn, both for your writing and for other potential careers you may have down the road. You typed a question on Yahoo! Answers, so I'm assuming you know how to type well enough. It also means you have access to a computer. Try typing your next manuscript yourself. I think you will be much more pleased with how it turns out.