First things first – I am no expert when it comes to working with editors – I’ve only worked with three so far in my career, so take everything I’m about to say with a grain of salt. However, I have learned a thing or two that might be helpful or of interest to anyone who’s just starting to work with an editor!
Editors Are On Your Team…
The number one thing to remember when working with an editor is that a good editor is on your side. They believe in your manuscript, they believe in your talent, and they want to make your story the best possible version of itself it can be. You may not always agree with your editor (I’ll talk about this more in a minute), but their job is to work with you to bring out the best in your story, and to help you succeed as an author.
But They’re On Your Publisher’s Team, Too
Your editor is also on the side of your publisher, and while they want you to succeed, they also need to create a profitable book that fits in with the style and spirit of their publisher’s portfolio. Sometimes their suggestions might not fit your creative vision, but remember that publishing is, for better or for worse, a business, and that publishers need to sell books in order to continue to publish them.
Editors Know A Lot About A Lot…
A good editor is not only an expert when it comes to things like sentence structure and subject-verb agreement, they are also skilled at more nebulous things like developing engaging characters, tying up lose threads, spotting plots holes and nixing redundancies.
But They Aren’t Mind Readers
Your editor can only work with a story as it is written on the page. They can’t magically infer what you meant to write or how you intended a scene to play out. This is actually a really good thing, as they approach your manuscript the way a reader might – without any contextual clues that could come from knowing you as an author (“ohhhh that character is totally based on Gina’s ex-boyfriend from tenth grade, now I understand why he did that thing that seemed kind of random in chapter two”, for example). It does however mean that you might have to explain things that seemed clear as day when you wrote them, which can feel a bit demoralizing…or at least, that’s what I’ve heard from other writers…ahem.
Be Open to Your Editor’s Suggestions…
Your editor is both on your side and is skilled and experienced at what they do, so when they suggest changes, be open to them, even, and perhaps especially, when those changes feel hard or uncomfortable. Cutting scenes, scratching sub-plots and killing off characters might be heartbreaking, but it just might be the thing you need to really make your story shine. Especially in the early stages of editing there’s no harm in making a copy of your manuscript and implementing some suggestions just to see how they work – you might discover some exciting inspiration that you’d never thought of before!
But Know When to Stand Your Ground
Remember, though, that your editor’s suggestions are just suggestions (well, perhaps less so when it comes to things like grammar, but even those elements can be argued over if they serve a story-building purpose). You as the author have the final say when it comes to your story, so if a change doesn’t feel right, speak up! Your ideas are valid, and your opinion is important, no matter how inexperienced you might feel as a new author. A good editor and publishing house will want to work with you to create a story that everyone can be proud of, and that means making compromises. If your editor doesn’t seem to take your concerns seriously, or is pushing you to make changes that you are not comfortable with, have a serious conversation with yourself about whether you really want to trust your creative work to someone that doesn’t seem to trust or value you as an author. Getting published is so difficult, and it can be absolutely gutting to walk away from a project when you don’t know if another one will ever come along, but if you’re really not feeling comfortable with the direction your author-editor relationship is going, you might just have to take that leap of faith.
Editors are Busy
One of my editors currently has 16+ projects on the go in various stages of development, so it can sometimes take her a while to get back to me, especially when we’re not getting close to any deadlines. If your editor doesn’t respond to an email right away, don’t freak out or misinterpret the situation – odds are they are just very, very busy.
Finally…Don’t Take Things Personally
It’s hard not to take things personally, but when it comes to working with an editor, you have to learn to separate yourself from your writing and to look at it through a less personal lens. If your editor critiques your grammar, you’re not a terrible writer. If they don’t understand a character’s motivation, you’re not a terrible writer. If they want you to stop using the words “very” and “really” so much (true story…), you’re not a terrible writer. One story may require many rounds of editing to fine-tune it, while another is practically ready to publish the day it is submitted – neither story is better than the other, and neither author is more talented than the other. Every journey takes its own route!
Have you worked with editors before? What have your experiences been like? I’d love to hear your thoughts, as I will be embarking on another editing journey in the next few months!
Jane – really useful advice – thank you!