Five Things Every Author Should Know About Working with Editors by Rose Atkinson-Carter
5 Things Every Author Should Know About Working with Editors:
a guest post by Rose Atkinson-Carter
Congratulations, you’ve just finished your first draft!
Or second… Third…
Tenth?
Writing a book is an exhilarating experience. Taking an idea from conception through to publication is as rewarding as it is challenging. Understandably it’s a very personal experience. After all, you’ve spent countless hours bringing your book’s world to life.
Which is why you should find an editor who will not only do justice to your story but will also help you improve as an author, too. They may wield a red pen to kill your darlings, but it’s only to make your diamond truly shine.
So, in this post, I’ll be sharing five tips to find the right editor for your project, and to establish a successful collaboration.
1. Find an editor with experience in your genre.
This cannot be stated enough. Unless you’ve decided to write in a market you don’t know, to an audience you can’t picture with stories you wouldn’t normally tell, chances are you wouldn’t want an editor doing the same thing, too.
Most authors pen a novel that bursts forth from them because of what they read — as well as what they wished they could read. So while you’ll have research to do in understanding the wider market, picking an editor who understands market expectations and knows what your readers love will be better suited for your partnership.
2. Define the type of editing you need.
Not all editors are created equal. And not all editors service the same needs each author may need. Understanding the different types of editing may be a good place to begin when researching which stage your manuscript is at and which editing service you require.
Depending on skill and experience, your book could require multiple stages of editing. One editor may be able to perform each stage for you, but specialists exist in each niche for a reason.
What are they and where should you begin?
- An Editorial assessment will be your best bet if you’re unsure of your book’s overall concept and marketability. An editor will be able to tell if your book has minor scratches or if it needs open heart surgery.
- Developmental editing is concerned with the content and larger structure of your story. Editors will be on the lookout for inconsistencies, plot holes, character drive and motivation. Everything which makes your story tick.
- At the Copy editing level, line editing is done to bring coherence to your work and fix any grammatical repetitions. We want to keep your reader focused on your story, not your mistakes. Think grammar issues like spelling, capitalization, terminology, number usage… the fun stuff!
- The final stage is Proofreading. Here an editor does one last round to catch any little mistakes — issues which may have slipped through the cracks during the editing process. If skipping other stages of editing, providing a style sheet (plus reference novels, too) on how you want your book to appear can be immensely helpful to the editor.
3. Book your editor in advance.
The best work truly shines with correct editing and redrafting. Therefore, it’s not a process you want to rush. Many editors can edit your manuscript quickly for a fee. But the trade off can be quality.
The editing stages of a novel can be daunting for the author, but just as much pressure exists for the editor, too. They want to give you the best work they can, and they want to help make your book the best it can be. So allowing enough time for each stage to happen should be paramount in your decision process.
Taking in comments, redrafting new ideas, re-editing the new changes — each stage requires focus and thinking. And time.
Regardless of if you’re getting your book ready for self-publishing or submitting to an agent, giving yourself enough time will help keep your fears in check.
4. Ask for a sample edit.
If all the boxes have been checked and you know what service you need, you’ve found an editor in your genre you like, then the next stage is asking for a sample edit.
Many editors offer this service for free. They may ask for the first page or first thousand words, either way they’ll give you an idea of how they see your idea and how to help. If your book sings in the way you hear it, chances are they will too. Which means they’ll help it sing louder with their editing.
At this stage, costs can be discussed. You’ll receive a quote on the entire manuscript. But many editors will also have an approximate cost depending on word count.
5. Trust their expertise.
At the end of the day, a good editor will explain their decisions and suggestions, and ultimately help you grow. They want it to read as professionally as you do, so this means some great writing will be lost in the process. It’s not personal.
While this sounds scary, a book is a path of decisions — deciding which routes to go down and which to not. Would you trade cutting your favorite line to expand upon a paragraph which deserves more attention?
I know I would.
Editors are objective eyes that want you to write to the best of your abilities. A certain level of trust is required in this partnership — they understand it’s your book baby. But while they may offer suggestions, their word is not law.
The best editors are teachers at heart. If your book isn’t up to snuff, they’ll give you directions on how to fix it. If your story is vague in some regards, they’ll help mold your idea and foster your talent to reach it.
Think of an editor like a Sat Nav. Both of you know the destination, and the right editor wants to help you get there in not only the quickest time, but to enjoy the journey as well!
Guest Blogger Bio
Rose Atkinson-Carter is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace and blog that helps authors with everything from how to make an audiobook, find the best writing software, to hiring a ghostwriter and everything in between.
Check out our latest Writing in the Modern Age post here.
Originally published at https://writinginthemodernage.weebly.com on August 7, 2023.
