Editors God’s Gift to Every Writer.

[image error]Recently, I heard of an author who put their editor through a word mill with a flurry of emails and argumentative assaults, grinding the poor soul into tiny pieces, nearly to the point that the editor began to wonder why they took on this particular author in the first place. It made me think through the delicate relationship between an editor and writer, and the unheralded art of editing. The colossal ego that communicates in such a controlling fashion may put so much pressure on their words they dull the fine point of their pen. What does that mean? I believe they fail to create that thin line of clarity, of defining well-written words from a sharp tip that makes each word they write so clear they each stand out and sing. Why do I know this? Anyone who fights with their editor over a few words, without presenting their case calmly and with a sweet disposition, doesn’t deserve to be a writer.

Few authors can write something so perfect that there are no typos, no spelling errors, or grammatical oddities in their manuscripts, even with the frequent use of the spell checker. John Fowles notwithstanding (the only writer, I suspect, in history to turn in a draft that was perfect), there are many things that can go wrong with a book, both fiction and non-fiction, that a professional editor can help a writer correct. The errors can be everything from subtle to glaring that you may be too blind to see, making a potential masterpiece not so masterful.

The relationship between an editor and writer is a crucial one. A good editor can get into the depths of a story, to dig into the minds of the characters, and even crawl inside the writer’s head understanding what the author intended, making a home there if the writer graciously allows them in. They can tell the writer what is working, what makes the reader stop reading, what is annoying, what will make it better, etcetera. That part of editing can make or break a book and the future of a new author in the writing game.

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Presently, I’m a writer at a small press and I work with a professional editor, who thankfully points out or corrects those kinds of things, saving me from pulling out my hair, and preventing me from being publicly humiliated. I check my ego into a locker and allow her to do her job. She draws my attention to areas where I may need to write more, and, sometimes, to write less.

Yes. Excising my remarkable prose may be painful, but necessary, which does make me wonder whether it’s not quite as wonderful as I believe it is. Truth is the hardest thing to take. Then I remember, I did check that ego. That snarky thing is behind a locked door, and I refuse to let it out to play. Phew! My editor can even say that a character wouldn’t do certain things, and if my mystery failed to explain certain points to help the reader keep up with the story, or whether it works at all. She admonishes me to dig deeper and solve the problem, massage those words until they squeak. She’s had me write more chapters to get it right, and take ones out that don’t add to the story.



I don’t want to know what it would be like to not have a good editor at my side. They are my conscience, keeping me true to the story and my characters. I listen to their opinion as much as I listen to my husband’s; which is a great deal. Because of their honesty, I find I need to listen to their advice, taking it seriously, understanding that they want me to be successful and will do whatever it takes to get me there. Do we disagree? Sometimes, and it’s usually resolved quickly. On those occasions we discuss it and find our way through it with a great deal of humor. And then, there are those times when that disagreement becomes a wedge between us. However, I remain open, willing to take their advice, and they are usually willing to listen to my explanations. But once, I couldn’t continue with the book. We had to separate and I pulled the book. How they envisioned it was not the way I had. Suffice it to say, you will not always agree on everything, and there might come a day when you have to say goodbye. Searching for someone new is difficult, but not impossible. Still, I know I grew as a writer in that relationship, and look forward to a future relationship that I will benefit from.

I read once about a famous author saying that the one person who mattered to them in the business of writing books was their editor. They couldn’t stop singing their praises, feeling that without them they wouldn’t be able to produce a salable book. I’m there. I’m so there. I realize that I can let my ego out to play when I receive good reviews, but mostly because I let my editor help me and didn’t let my ego rule when it counted. But neither can you allow an editor to take over your book and shape into theirs. It’s your vision, and they should always be there to help, and not bully you into publishing something completely different from your original artistic endeavor.

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Ladies and Gentlemen, do not forget that you are not always the best arbiter of your work. After you’ve won a Pulitzer Prize, maybe you can be, but not today. When I receive a rejection, I usually take a jaundiced eyeview of my work, and try to find out why it was rejected. You also must take into account every agent, editor, publisher, award committee, and slush pile reader have their own likes and dislikes. Everything is subjective in the Book Publishing industry. I’ve had judges who loved my work, and wanted to read anything I would write. And yet, I’ve had others who didn’t. Keep in mind that if you’re rejected, it doesn’t mean that you’re a bad writer. On the contrary, remember all the great writers who were rejected over and over and over, when someone finally took a chance on them and they went on to become bestselling authors. Frank Herbert’s, Dune was first published by Chilton, the publishing house who usually put out auto repair books. Imagine that! Dune was rejected by everyone, and is the most famous Science Fiction masterpiece ever written! And Herbert’s son, Brian Herbert, took up the franchise and has become a success on his own.

So, don’t give up. Find yourself an editor who gets you. Submit, submit, submit! But also read, read, read! It’s how you grow, too.

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I did finally come to the conclusion, after slogging through the story without being pricked by all the exclamation points, that this writer was taken to the cleaners by her so-called editor. Yes, the grammar was correct. So, was the punctuation and the spelling, even with all the exclamation points. But, a good editor is more than that. If she had hired a professional, the editor would have told her to go back and rewrite it, to dig into the heart of the story and pull out the meaning, then submit it. I can only assume that the author believed her work only needed to be checked for those particular things, and paid the minimum to achieve the state it was in, and the unprofessional hack complied because they wanted the money.

 Once again, I wish to warn all you self-published writers out there to have an editor do more than check for grammar and punctuation. Every book requires more than the minimum to sell, to be successful, to make a reader want to recommend the book to a friend or family member, and to return to buy the next one, if the author makes it that far. So much for self-publishing, and self-appointed editors trolling for the selfies business.

Don’t forget that authors and editors go hand in hand. They belong together, and are an intricate part of the book selling business, of your book selling efforts. Authors don’t stand alone. Without editors we would have excessive exclamation points and stories that fall on their faces, breaking their wee noses into bloody messes, and humiliated in front of the world. Editors are God’s gift to us writers, and I say a prayer that they never go away. So, check that ego, hire a professional, and take their recommendations seriously. You might just write that next masterpiece.

Order your copy today: http://www.amazon.com/Truth-Nothing-But-Lies/dp/0992883601

[image error] Thrilling Mystery

 

 

 

 

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