Speed Date an Editor

There is nothing I love more than helping writers shape their stories to be the best they can be. I have learned so much from all the editors I’ve had over the years, and I want to pass that knowledge on to the authors I work with. But finding the right editor for your books is a bit like speed dating. You’ve got to keep looking until you find one you like. The editor you choose should be in it for the long haul, just like a new life partner, and you need to get along with each other.

Editing requires patience, flexibility, and a willingness to learn, both from the author and the editor. Sometimes that willingness also needs to include understanding, especially when your editor suggests rewrites – BIG ones! As authors we see our work from a different point of view to the editor’s. We’re too close to see all the flaws, the plot holes or the pacing issues. The editor is coming in off the cold face. They have no emotional involvement from a writing perspective but, as a seasoned reader, they can quickly spot the things that the writer’s eyes may have overlooked.

I mentioned the dreaded rewrites. They happen more often in the early stages of newbie and emerging authorship, but sometimes even the most seasoned authors can find themselves in a plot knot that requires some cutting and pasting. The willingness to take an editor’s advice on a rewrite is the key to a good working relationship. I’m not saying you have to blindly accept their advice (it’s your story!), just seriously consider it. Look at the explanation of why they’re recommending the changes and ask yourself if the story will be better or worse for making them.

The first thing I do before taking on an editing project is read a sample of the author’s work to get a feel for their writing voice. Voice is a good indicator of the level of editing that might be required, and if I will be comfortable editing their work. Then I challenge their willingness to learn from the editing process with my speed dating questions, because learning is growing, and to be successful, we need to grow.

Speed Date Me:

• What inspired you to write a novel?
• Is this your first fiction novel?
• Do you know which genre it fits to?
• What is the final wordcount you’re aiming for?
• When do you expect it to be ready for editing?
• Do you plan to do a self-edit or a peer critique of the first draft?
• Are you planning to self-publish or submit to a traditional publisher?
• What are your expectations for working with an editor?
• Which of these types of edits are you looking for:
  1. Substantive editing/developmental editing – suggesting and making changes to content and organization ensuring clear, coherent delivery. With fiction this means looking at plot, characters, setting, pacing, and point of view.
  2. Copyediting – fixing errors with grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation; suggesting changes to sentence structure and word choice, ensuring your language is clear, fluid, and pleasurable to read; and ensuring consistency.
  3. Proofreading – fixing remaining errors with grammar, usage, spelling, and punctuation; fixing formatting errors; and commenting on any awkward phrasing (this service comes after editing).
• What are you expecting to pay for an editor based on the options above?
• Do you believe that editing is part of your learning journey as an author?
• How open are you to considering a complete rewrite of your manuscript if required?
   

“If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.”
– Elmore Leonard (1925-2013)

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