I didn’t start out wanting to be an editor. As a kid, I planned on being a famous fiction writer. Then, halfway through college, I landed a summer job that involved editing. It turned out that I was excellent at this, and I enjoyed doing it. The rest is history.
Sometimes my clients are surprised when they find out how delightful editing is for me. They see things from the writer side, and I know how that feels. Writing is emotional, expressive, and creative. It can transport you. In comparison, editing may seem stodgy and unglamorous.
While it’s true that the experiences of authors and their editors are qualitatively different, both are equally fulfilling. Editors can say this with authority because many of us are writers as well.
Here are my favorite things about being your editor.
Reading your story for the first time
I was that little kid reading cereal boxes at the breakfast table, and I still come home from the library every few weeks with a stack of novels even though I haven’t finished the books I borrowed last time. I love reading, and I love stories!
I read your manuscript for the first time with the same curiosity and openness as when I read a published novel—eagerly wondering what happens next, and noticing the places where I’m caught by emotion because of a well-worded phrase or exciting plot turn. Even if your manuscript needs substantial revising, my intention is to help the entire work fulfill the promise of those instances where my heart skipped a beat.
Hearing and honing your voice
When editing your work, I listen carefully for your unique voice: the word choices and sentence structures, as well as the themes and tones, that compose your writing style. I edit away style problems that affect the clarity and beauty of your writing, propose revisions that match your voice, and offer guidance for honing your style. This challenging aspect of editing makes me feel like an expert art restorer, whose work should be invisible.
Hashing out edits with you
Writing and editing are highly subjective, which means you and I won’t always agree. Some of the most fruitful interactions in the editing process occur when a client disagrees with, is puzzled by, or doesn’t know how to implement an edit I propose. Not only does this afford us the opportunity to ask clarifying questions, express our points of view, discuss compromises, and come to understand each other better, but it often gives rise to unpredicted creativity and growth—for both of us.
Reading each revision of your manuscript
Some of my favorite feedback from clients sounds like this: I cut character X because I realized he didn’t contribute anything to the plot. I turned chapter 5 into the opening scene. I did something totally different with the plot at point Y and I’m curious what you’ll think . . .
Part of my response to this is purely selfish: it means I get to read a whole new story and ask What happens next? all over again. And partly it’s because I enjoy seeing your creativity at work—your willingness to ask What if and allow an even better version of your story to emerge.
Seeing you work through challenges to achieve your goals
My clients amaze me. The process of bringing their writing to an audience demands hard work, difficult decisions, and bold risks. I don’t see you succumbing to self-doubt or giving up when you hit a roadblock. Instead, I watch you recommit to your story (or start a new one) and figure out fresh solutions to your challenges. You, writer, inspire me. It’s an honor to help bring your voice to the world.
Banner photo by Fadi Xd on Unsplash