Hugo Negron's Blog - Posts Tagged "editing"
Erin Potter, Editor Extraordinaire interview!
By Urgsh's hairy elbows, I've been waiting for this one! Awhile back I posted an interview I did with my cover illustrator Lora Lee - well, here is the other arm to Forging of a Knight - my editor, Erin Potter. She's the one that reviews the text, formats the paragraphs, critiques, comments, edits, proofs, and otherwise helps me polish the stories to what they should be.
So take it away, Erin...!
Hi Erin, to start out, how about sharing some of your background with us?
I am a Canadian editor living in Vancouver, BC. I have been interested in writing since I was a kid, and at the age of 15, I had my own monthly column in my town's community newspaper. I was sure I'd pursue a journalism career after high school graduation, but instead I took Communications (Public Relations and Publishing) in college, and then later completed another program called Print Futures: Professional Writing.
It was during that time of study that I developed my interest in editing. I loved writing but I loved being 'behind the scenes' even more. I especially enjoyed the challenge of editing to fit a space in a document without it being obvious what had been changed. After working in corporate and non-profit communications for a decade [I produced more newsletters, brochures, and annual reports than I'd ever dreamed possible], I decided to leave my full-time career after I had my youngest child. I had ideas for starting a freelance business, but I hadn’t taken the step yet when, in early 2009, my editing business actually found me! A writer I'd met asked me to proof his work, and then his friend also asked about hiring me. The idea for my business was born.
Was it difficult setting up your own business?
Not really. I started researching potential editing opportunities in the relatively new world of online publishing. I got involved with an online writers' network and placed a little ad on the group's website and from that I received four editing clients. Those first clients turned into a few more, and through trial and error with each new project, I learned how to go through the one-on-one editing process, something I hadn’t done much before. I set up a website and posted the valuable testimonials I'd received, and my business grew.
What do you enjoy the most about your work? What do you enjoy the least?
By far, the best thing for me is 'meeting' the writers. I get excited with them about their books; I admire their perseverance in accomplishing their publishing goals, and even if the project itself is not a subject or genre in which I’d normally be interested, I find something fascinating and valuable from my relationship with each author and project. I also love the fact that I essentially get to read for a living, and I've been introduced to some extremely talented authors and fascinating stories I might not otherwise have sought out. Now I work almost exclusively with repeat clients. The editing process is so much more comfortable and positive for me -- and for the author, I suspect -- when we are familiar with each other's work and styles, etc. What do I enjoy the least? I don't enjoy being critical when I worry that I'll crush the author's confidence.
Give us a day in the life - what steps do you usually follow when taking on a new assignment?
I like to read through a new manuscript before I start editing, to gather my impressions from a reader's perspective. I go back to the beginning then and start the on-screen editing process using the track changes function in Word. When I was in school I learned how to do markup with pen to paper using the various editing marks, which can be so time consuming for the editor and author. I am so glad to be working in this time of online editing! After I've made my edits and comments on the manuscript, I review my work and run through the manuscript again until I'm confident I've given it my best attention. And I always work with a cup of chai tea nearby.
What are your goals moving forward?
I started out taking any and every editing project I could and that quickly burned me out. Then I focused on fiction projects only, and got burned out again by scheduling projects back to back for a couple of years without a suitable break in between. During this time, I did not pick up a single book for pleasure reading, and that signaled to me that something needed to change. I now accept projects primarily from regular clients (and sometimes referrals) and that allows me to work on the projects I'm interested in with the authors I admire, while also giving me balance so I can enjoy other interests. I hope to continue this way and I've been fortunate in that I have a lovely, talented group of prolific authors who choose to work with me regularly. I have also been preparing to take an exam for my accreditation from the Editors' Association of Canada and I have my eye on a few other editing and writing courses to keep my skills sharp.
Favorite music, movies, places to travel to?
I have a huge music collection but find myself listening mostly to songs of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Whenever I can, I enjoy watching comedies, thrillers, and documentaries, and have a special fondness for the original John Carpenter Halloween movies. I have traveled to Hawaii, Mexico, Cuba, and various places in the US, but have yet to do much traveling in my own country. Born in Saskatchewan, I have lived most of my life on the west coast of BC. One of my favorite places to visit here is Parksville, on Vancouver Island, for its amazing beaches and beautiful scenery.
What sort of skills do you think are essential for someone interested in getting into the field?
Good writers do not necessarily make good editors, but good editors must have solid writing skills. Beyond that, fiction editors need to be detail people, not just for typos and spelling mistakes but for continuity, consistency, logic, and a host of other issues. They need to be able to see a project as a whole but also get into the finer details of the pieces that put the project together such as character development, voice, pacing, etc. An editor should be well-read and adept with a variety of research tools, and should be able to give constructive feedback to help polish the project, being careful not to put their own voice in the proposed edits. An editor needs to love words!
For anyone interested in having you work on their projects, what’s the best way for them to reach you:
I can be reached at shamrockediting@gmail.com. I plan to have my new website up in early 2016.
Thanks again, Erin!
So take it away, Erin...!
Hi Erin, to start out, how about sharing some of your background with us?
I am a Canadian editor living in Vancouver, BC. I have been interested in writing since I was a kid, and at the age of 15, I had my own monthly column in my town's community newspaper. I was sure I'd pursue a journalism career after high school graduation, but instead I took Communications (Public Relations and Publishing) in college, and then later completed another program called Print Futures: Professional Writing.
It was during that time of study that I developed my interest in editing. I loved writing but I loved being 'behind the scenes' even more. I especially enjoyed the challenge of editing to fit a space in a document without it being obvious what had been changed. After working in corporate and non-profit communications for a decade [I produced more newsletters, brochures, and annual reports than I'd ever dreamed possible], I decided to leave my full-time career after I had my youngest child. I had ideas for starting a freelance business, but I hadn’t taken the step yet when, in early 2009, my editing business actually found me! A writer I'd met asked me to proof his work, and then his friend also asked about hiring me. The idea for my business was born.
Was it difficult setting up your own business?
Not really. I started researching potential editing opportunities in the relatively new world of online publishing. I got involved with an online writers' network and placed a little ad on the group's website and from that I received four editing clients. Those first clients turned into a few more, and through trial and error with each new project, I learned how to go through the one-on-one editing process, something I hadn’t done much before. I set up a website and posted the valuable testimonials I'd received, and my business grew.
What do you enjoy the most about your work? What do you enjoy the least?
By far, the best thing for me is 'meeting' the writers. I get excited with them about their books; I admire their perseverance in accomplishing their publishing goals, and even if the project itself is not a subject or genre in which I’d normally be interested, I find something fascinating and valuable from my relationship with each author and project. I also love the fact that I essentially get to read for a living, and I've been introduced to some extremely talented authors and fascinating stories I might not otherwise have sought out. Now I work almost exclusively with repeat clients. The editing process is so much more comfortable and positive for me -- and for the author, I suspect -- when we are familiar with each other's work and styles, etc. What do I enjoy the least? I don't enjoy being critical when I worry that I'll crush the author's confidence.
Give us a day in the life - what steps do you usually follow when taking on a new assignment?
I like to read through a new manuscript before I start editing, to gather my impressions from a reader's perspective. I go back to the beginning then and start the on-screen editing process using the track changes function in Word. When I was in school I learned how to do markup with pen to paper using the various editing marks, which can be so time consuming for the editor and author. I am so glad to be working in this time of online editing! After I've made my edits and comments on the manuscript, I review my work and run through the manuscript again until I'm confident I've given it my best attention. And I always work with a cup of chai tea nearby.
What are your goals moving forward?
I started out taking any and every editing project I could and that quickly burned me out. Then I focused on fiction projects only, and got burned out again by scheduling projects back to back for a couple of years without a suitable break in between. During this time, I did not pick up a single book for pleasure reading, and that signaled to me that something needed to change. I now accept projects primarily from regular clients (and sometimes referrals) and that allows me to work on the projects I'm interested in with the authors I admire, while also giving me balance so I can enjoy other interests. I hope to continue this way and I've been fortunate in that I have a lovely, talented group of prolific authors who choose to work with me regularly. I have also been preparing to take an exam for my accreditation from the Editors' Association of Canada and I have my eye on a few other editing and writing courses to keep my skills sharp.
Favorite music, movies, places to travel to?
I have a huge music collection but find myself listening mostly to songs of the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Whenever I can, I enjoy watching comedies, thrillers, and documentaries, and have a special fondness for the original John Carpenter Halloween movies. I have traveled to Hawaii, Mexico, Cuba, and various places in the US, but have yet to do much traveling in my own country. Born in Saskatchewan, I have lived most of my life on the west coast of BC. One of my favorite places to visit here is Parksville, on Vancouver Island, for its amazing beaches and beautiful scenery.
What sort of skills do you think are essential for someone interested in getting into the field?
Good writers do not necessarily make good editors, but good editors must have solid writing skills. Beyond that, fiction editors need to be detail people, not just for typos and spelling mistakes but for continuity, consistency, logic, and a host of other issues. They need to be able to see a project as a whole but also get into the finer details of the pieces that put the project together such as character development, voice, pacing, etc. An editor should be well-read and adept with a variety of research tools, and should be able to give constructive feedback to help polish the project, being careful not to put their own voice in the proposed edits. An editor needs to love words!
For anyone interested in having you work on their projects, what’s the best way for them to reach you:
I can be reached at shamrockediting@gmail.com. I plan to have my new website up in early 2016.
Thanks again, Erin!
