Was dem Lektorat auffällt

Hans Peter Roentgen, a professional editor, distills decades of manuscript feedback into a practical guide for writers preparing to query publishers or self-publish. Drawing on real submissions he has assessed, he walks through the recurring problems editors flag: filler words that dilute prose, pacing and tension that sag in the middle third, paragraph and line-break choices that confuse readers, and the perennial debate over prologues and flashbacks.

Rather than abstract rules, the book works through concrete before-and-after examples, showing how small structural fixes change a reader's experience of a scene. It also covers the exposé (the synopsis publishers request) and the different levels of editing an author can expect to pay for, making it as much a primer on the publishing process as a craft book.

Aimed at German-language fiction writers revising a finished draft, it reads as a checklist an editor would apply before ever reaching print.