Finding the Right Editor For You

[RogueLurker]

I don't edit any more for a variety of reasons, but when I did I made a point of sending a "preliminary edit" back to the client after editing the first page or two to confirm that a) they could use MS Word's commenting and change tracking features and b) I was doing what they wanted in an edit.

I'm pretty much constitutionally incapable of anything less than a "Full Edit," commenting on spelling, punctuation, word choice, dialogue, sentence structure, readability, Paragraph breaks, continuity and anything else that I notice about a story. I encountered a few authors that didn't appreciate that kind of detail, but most of them did -- regardless of what they thought they wanted from an editor to begin with.

However, I must note that I seldom had any repeat customers -- whether that was because I taught them how to write better so they didn't need that kind of detailed editing or because they "couldn't stand the heat" I don't know.

I suspect I over-edit. I tend to use colour coding so sometimes it looks like a clown threw up on the page by the time I'm done. (Track Changes is the invention of the Devil. Comment boxes = cool ... Track Changes = bad)

Perhaps I'll ask you to take a look at one of my stories ... I'll let you know how your tact and diplomacy are doing.

 

[Weird Harold]

I suspect I over-edit. I tend to use colour coding so sometimes it looks like a clown threw up on the page by the time I'm done. (Track Changes is the invention of the Devil. Comment boxes = cool ... Track Changes = bad)

I won't edit for anyone who can't or won't use the Track Changes function.

A) I want clients to see exactly what changes I made

and B) I want them to be able to immediately and accurately UNDO a change they don't agree with.

I also use the commenting function extensively to explain why a change was made for asimilar reason -- comments are easy to find and remove.

Perhaps I'll ask you to take a look at one of my stories ... I'll let you know how your tact and diplomacy are doing.

I don't need the reassurance, and from the Kudos you've received, I don't think you really ned any lessons.

If you've got a short -- very short -- piece, I'll take a look at it for demonstration purposes but, I have some health problems that make editing -- or writing for that matter -- extremely difficult.

 

[slyc_willie]

Ok, so, how do you guys go about finding editors? I went through the editor referrel thing on Lit's main site, but the editor I hooked up with didn't really help me too much. The best advice I got was from the people here at the AH, so I was hoping to get an editor here. Any suggestions or recommendations?

I edit for another author here on the site, and we often exchange new stories before submitting them. It works out well because we're pretty friendly and she accepts my suggestions at face value.

While I admit that I do not write perfectly, I am, as Weird Harold said, an anal-retentive English major. I tend to over-edit my own pieces to the point where editting takes longer than it did to write.

My suggestion would be to read through the stories and find a style you admire, then PM the author and see if they would like to take a look at your work.

 

[MichelleLovesTo]

I have a wonderful relationship with my editor. He's a friend, but nobody would accuse him of lacking honesty. It took a while to not be hurt when I saw all the suggestions and tracked changes, but I got over it because his advice is always so good.

I've learned to look at the overall edits, walk away for a while, and then evaluate them one by one.

One thing it's not is a co-authorship -- the end story is still very much my own, and I usually reject at least a few suggestions, but the final result is more polished. It still sounds like me -- just a less ignorant me.

 

[Fallenfromgrace]

One thing it's not is a co-authorship -- the end story is still very much my own, and I usually reject at least a few suggestions, but the final result is more polished. It still sounds like me -- just a less ignorant me.

Hehe, i feel the same now that i've had part of my work edited. RL suggested a lot of changes, but stressed that it was still my piece and that i was free to reject suggesions based on word choice and the like, but grammar advice is somethng thatshould in general be accepted.

A lot of improvements were made to my piece by both RL and myself by the end, i say 'improvements' and not 'changes' because the underlying story wasn't changed in anyway. All the 'things' that happened in the story were all still there unless i decided i hated them now.

I was begining to get worried that it wouldn't be mine at the end of it, only because i had written sloppily originally. I let RL continue, took her advice in most areas and found i was more than impressed by the edited version.

This time around, im applying what i think ive learned- spacing for dialoge and consistency etc, myself, and then having the edits done on that. I'm already markedly happy with the edit's ive done so far, and they're in the process of being reviewed by both RL and another editor.

 

[slyc_willie]

i say 'improvements' and not 'changes' because the underlying story wasn't changed in anyway. All the 'things' that happened in the story were all still there unless i decided i hated them now.

And that's what a good edit should do; improve the work overall. If it changes too many things, it's a rewrite, and if your editor rewrites your work, it becomes his (or hers) instead of yours.

 

[damppanties]

However, I must note that I seldom had any repeat customers -- whether that was because I taught them how to write better so they didn't need that kind of detailed editing or because they "couldn't stand the heat" I don't know.

They were overawed by you and the next time they had a story to be edited they thought why would he waste his time doing my story?

 

[Fallenfromgrace]

And that's what a good edit should do; improve the work overall. If it changes too many things, it's a rewrite, and if your editor rewrites your work, it becomes his (or hers) instead of yours.

exactly. Some might say that the edit's made to the consistency and flow could be called are-write but i dont think so...i think they were neccesary, and any good editor would have suggested them whether RL did or not

I read somewhere someone (cant remember who) ended up inabsolute tears after havingtheit work edited because i had deviated sofar fromwhat he himself had written, heput i down to giving too much control to the editor

I never want to be in that situation. I know that if i went to the so called english major with a grudge style of editor then i'd get so distraught that i'd never want to write again.

I gave RL pretty much free reign over the work because i am inexperienced and new to this all. But like ive said, she helped enourmously and i don't feel the work was violated in any way.

 

[Weird Harold]

And that's what a good edit should do; improve the work overall. If it changes too many things, it's a rewrite, and if your editor rewrites your work, it becomes his (or hers) instead of yours.

One of the most difficult parts of editing for me was trying to stay true to the author's style and not impose my own style.

Another lesser difficulty for me was remembering to find the "warm fuzzies" to balance the inevitable negative tone of a process intended to point out mistakes; An edit that only points out errors is depressing, no matter how thick your skin is. One of my most treasured editorial comments was, "I had trouble editing this part because it made me wet." That one comment made up for the preponderance of red text in that particular edit.

But every editor is different, just as each author is different -- Finding an editor (or author) you can work with makes the process much smoother and less stressful. If the editor/author partnership strays over the line into co-authoring that's only a problem if either partner thinks it's a problem.

Like RL, I always reminded my clients that the final decision was theirs. I may have gone a bit further than a simple reminder because I always tried to classify each change/comment as based on "rules of grammar," "personal experience" or "personal opinion."