Meet my editor
I am often asked for writing advice, or publishing advice, marketing advice, all sorts of advice. If you read my authors blog you get that I am the very last person on earth that should hand out writing advice. I need advice, not vice versa. There is however one thing that I am most certain of in writing.
A writer must have a editor. This editor must understand the writer’s voice and vision. The writer and their editor need an open relationship where they can speak freely with one another. A professional editor is a must. It should not be your grandma with a red pen, or a writer friend. Your editor must be nonbiased and most of all “get you.”
I often speak of my love for my editor. She “gets me.” There is an understanding between us of my distinct style. My editor works with my writing style, not against it. I have asked my editor to write a blog post for me on what an editor should be to you the writer. Enjoy and check her out at http://www.courtneyedits.com/
So, you’re looking for an editor.
Selecting the right editor for your book is one of the most important decisions you can make throughout this process. There are many different kinds of editors out there, and they all have slightly different styles and approaches to working a manuscript. It’s important to collect several different samples so you have the opportunity to compare and contrast. When selecting the right editor for you, start by identifying priorities for your book. Do you feel like something is missing in the plot? Are your characters not as 3-dimensional as you want them to be? Or maybe, you are more interested in having a grammar guru scan the book for typographical landmines. Understanding what your goals are will help you focus your search. You want to select someone who’s editing style addresses your needs and remains true to your writing. You don’t want someone who is just going to come in and hack your work to pieces without first understanding your objective.
Your editor should spend time getting to know you and your characters, getting to know your audience, your vision of where you want the book to go. This information will be crucial in the editing process. The most important question you can ask yourself when reviewing a sample from a potential editor is, “Are their edits enhancing my work, or changing it?” Look at the comments and feedback that you receive. If you don’t receive anything, red flag. A good editor will always offer feedback and keep the lines of communication wide open for you to banter and make suggestions. This is going to be a joint effort, a partnership, and it’s important that you have someone who can communicate effectively with you and offer both positive and negative feedback as a means of enhancing the book. You want to avoid the auto-pilot machines who just spit back edits to you without explanation or suggestion.
One final thought. Choose an editor you trust. Trust their insight, trust their skill, and trust that they have the best interests for your book at heart. When you go to publish, you will undoubtedly encounter criticisms for one reason or another. There is no way to please everyone and there is always someone out there who can do it better. Even I read books sometimes and think, Oh, I totally would have written that differently. Editing is a huge sphere of rules to follow and styles to explore. No two editors are the same. For me personally, I find it more important to honor the writing voice of my authors than to follow every grammar rule ever written. We are human beings and our speech is imperfect. Our characters and personalities are imperfect. And, I find, that imperfection is much more interesting to read and easier to relate to. To me, it’s more important to create an experience for the reader. Avid followers of the Chicago Manual of Style (or any other style book out there) may—and often do—disagree, but it’s my approach and it’s an approach that my clients appreciate because they trust me. Choose an editor you trust and who is in alignment with what’s important to you. Trust them to do their job, trust that your work is a great reflection of who you are as a writer, and trust that eventually all of the critics will someday choke from sipping so much Hater-Ade. There are plenty out there who will appreciate your work as it is. Write the story you want to write. Pick an editor who best helps you do that. And tell everyone who doesn’t like it to go stub their toe on the coffee table.
A writer must have a editor. This editor must understand the writer’s voice and vision. The writer and their editor need an open relationship where they can speak freely with one another. A professional editor is a must. It should not be your grandma with a red pen, or a writer friend. Your editor must be nonbiased and most of all “get you.”
I often speak of my love for my editor. She “gets me.” There is an understanding between us of my distinct style. My editor works with my writing style, not against it. I have asked my editor to write a blog post for me on what an editor should be to you the writer. Enjoy and check her out at http://www.courtneyedits.com/
So, you’re looking for an editor.
Selecting the right editor for your book is one of the most important decisions you can make throughout this process. There are many different kinds of editors out there, and they all have slightly different styles and approaches to working a manuscript. It’s important to collect several different samples so you have the opportunity to compare and contrast. When selecting the right editor for you, start by identifying priorities for your book. Do you feel like something is missing in the plot? Are your characters not as 3-dimensional as you want them to be? Or maybe, you are more interested in having a grammar guru scan the book for typographical landmines. Understanding what your goals are will help you focus your search. You want to select someone who’s editing style addresses your needs and remains true to your writing. You don’t want someone who is just going to come in and hack your work to pieces without first understanding your objective.
Your editor should spend time getting to know you and your characters, getting to know your audience, your vision of where you want the book to go. This information will be crucial in the editing process. The most important question you can ask yourself when reviewing a sample from a potential editor is, “Are their edits enhancing my work, or changing it?” Look at the comments and feedback that you receive. If you don’t receive anything, red flag. A good editor will always offer feedback and keep the lines of communication wide open for you to banter and make suggestions. This is going to be a joint effort, a partnership, and it’s important that you have someone who can communicate effectively with you and offer both positive and negative feedback as a means of enhancing the book. You want to avoid the auto-pilot machines who just spit back edits to you without explanation or suggestion.
One final thought. Choose an editor you trust. Trust their insight, trust their skill, and trust that they have the best interests for your book at heart. When you go to publish, you will undoubtedly encounter criticisms for one reason or another. There is no way to please everyone and there is always someone out there who can do it better. Even I read books sometimes and think, Oh, I totally would have written that differently. Editing is a huge sphere of rules to follow and styles to explore. No two editors are the same. For me personally, I find it more important to honor the writing voice of my authors than to follow every grammar rule ever written. We are human beings and our speech is imperfect. Our characters and personalities are imperfect. And, I find, that imperfection is much more interesting to read and easier to relate to. To me, it’s more important to create an experience for the reader. Avid followers of the Chicago Manual of Style (or any other style book out there) may—and often do—disagree, but it’s my approach and it’s an approach that my clients appreciate because they trust me. Choose an editor you trust and who is in alignment with what’s important to you. Trust them to do their job, trust that your work is a great reflection of who you are as a writer, and trust that eventually all of the critics will someday choke from sipping so much Hater-Ade. There are plenty out there who will appreciate your work as it is. Write the story you want to write. Pick an editor who best helps you do that. And tell everyone who doesn’t like it to go stub their toe on the coffee table.
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