Friday, June 26, 2009

What This Editor Does

This past Tuesday, I wrote a post called Build An Editor. In it, I asked what you, as a writer, wanted in or expected of an editor. A lot of you wrote interesting, detailed comments. Most seemed to agree they wanted an editor to do it all, but not totally change their words. You wanted an editor to catch big and small mistakes - change small mistakes but leave comments or suggestions on big ones. And just about everyone seemed to want an editor to work with them so that they would grow as a writer and learn from their mistakes. And you wanted an editor to stay with you from first edit through query letter.

Some of you who’ve been visiting Straight From Hel for a while know the kind of work I do. If not, you can link over and read a back and forth Q&A between me and author Sylvia Dickey Smith. Plus, I have a page on my website about my editing services.

But…I did say in the Build An Editor post that I would tell you about what I do as an editor. And I’ll say upfront that I don’t think I’m all that different from other editors.

When I get a manuscript, I begin reading. I tend to read about 20 pages, then take a break, then continue. Unlike some editors who make no edits on the first read-through, I do mark things and make comments. I try to catch the smallest things, like two spaces between sentences instead of one, medium things like sentences that don’t make sense, and big things like a character who has no arc. Small things like spacing or repeated words, I’ll change. A beginning that’s too slow, I comment on and sometimes give suggestions as to how it could start or where in the manuscript the book really should begin.

When I finish the manuscript, I set it aside for at least a day, then I begin another read-through. I do three read-throughs before I send it back to the author.

Although I’ve never had an author ask for their money back, I never cash their check until the manuscript is sent back to them.

Cashing the check does not mean the partnership is over, as far as I’m concerned. I’m considering that writer as “my author,” just as I hope they consider me “their editor.”

If she works on areas where I noted problems and wants me to look at it again, I do. If he does a big rewrite and wants to send the entire revised manuscript back for another read, I will. If she gets it polished and is ready to start querying, she can send me the query letter. I’ve discussed possible agents with some of my authors. Some have called with follow-up questions. A lot have hired me for their second or third book.

But as I said earlier, I don’t think I’m all that different from other editors. If you’re looking for someone to work with you on your book, do some research and then talk to your top 3 or 4 choices. Find someone you’re compatible with and who will do what you need them to do. Look at it as a long-term relationship and find someone you can work with over the long haul.

TweetIt from HubSpot

24 comments:

  1. Enjoyed and appreciated this insight into your process, Helen. Your approach is very thorough - a lot of the same things I do. I think taking those "breaks" in between reads is important, also. I even do that when doing my own self-edits ... seeing the work with fresh eyes often illuminates things you might not have noticed when continuously mired in a particular manuscript.

    The Old Silly

    ReplyDelete
  2. Very true, Marvin. Even when you're looking at your own work, breaks help. If you can, I would recommend setting aside the manuscript for a week or more before doing a read-through. I know that's hard, perhaps even impossible, though.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I looked at your Editing Services web page. You include a host of services for which some editors charge extra. Additionally, your willingness to work with an author after the initial edits are done is very helpful. (Incumbent on the author not to abuse the privilege.) In rate setting, what drives a $2 dollar per page price instead of a $3 dollar per page price?

    Best regards, Galen
    Imagineering Fiction Blog

    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Galen. When a new author emails and asks about having me edit for him/her, I ask him (gonna just go with one gender to make it easier) to send me the first ten pages of the manuscript. Now, the first ten pages are most likely the best of the entire manuscript because, as writers, we all go over and over those pages, perfecting them. Even so, I edit those pages and get a feel for the writer - what level he's at and how much work the manuscript is going to be. He, in turn, gets an idea of what kind of editing I do. No commitment has been made. He may decide I'm not what he needs and he'll continue to look for a more compatible editor. I may decide he needs a different editor who specializes in his particular genre or that he needs to do more work on the manuscript before he spends the money on an editor.

    If we decide to work together, my rates are based on how much time I think it's going to take me to edit the manuscript. For an author who comes back to me for a second, third, book, the rate usually goes down because I know from working with him that he is improving in his writing.

    I have worked with multi-published, excellent, writers and some beginners. A couple of writers I thought I would never hear from once I sent the manuscript back because by the time I finished there was hardly a sentence in the entire manuscript that didn't have a mark or a comment. And, yet, I did. And we're still working together.

    (Man, this comment is long enough to have been it's own post!)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I wasn't aware that you did this. I know at some point in my career--hopefully sooner than later--I will need a professional editor to edit my work. I will keep you in mind!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've been waiting for you to get back to this with bated (baited?) breath because I think this may be the step I need to take.

    I will check out your site and Marvin's too since it seems he's an editor too. I have a full version of my book written, but as you've said, the first 50 are fairly good, the second 100 at least gone through and the the last 150, well, I ENDED it at least.

    I feel as if I've got to attend to those last 150 pages before I take this step. Or would it be better to find out if the direction is right or not? Obviously as an editor you want the whole thing, right?

    PS. Do you mind someone who lacks confidence and is afraid to get on with it?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Terri and Gay. There are a lot of editors out there. It's good to do some research so that you find one you're compatible with. It's not easy to turn your words, your very heart, over to someone else!

    Gay, I would say, get the manuscript to the point where you think it's ready to go to an agent or publisher. You want the book to be your book, not the editor's. The editor you hire may say something like, this ending isn't working. And you may decide to change it - or not. It's your book.

    "someone who lacks confidence and is afraid to get on with it" - you've just described a lot of writers! You're not the only one. ;-O

    ReplyDelete
  8. Most writers (even published ones) I meet, Gay, lack confidence. It's difficult to keep the confidence levels up in this often brutal business.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Hi Helen, thank you for taking the time to visit. Reading this, and your previous post, has made me realise how much people expect of their editors; proof reader, critical reader, fairy godmother are just three of the roles that seem to be required of you! I must admit that I'm a bit surprised that folks still send work out with typos - I know everyone makes mistakes, but I do try really hard to make sure that my t/s goes out looking as professionally presented as possible. Mind you, I'm lucky that I have Mr Pedant at home to red pen my stuff before it goes out. Having said that it must be exciting to find a t/s that sparkles even when it's littered with errors.

    Thanks for your advice to me - it was much appreciated.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Since working with an editor on my own book, I notice goofs while reading for pleasure more than I used to. Are you ever able to just sit back and enjoy reading or is it impossible to keep that 'red pen' still?

    JaneKennedySutton

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thanks Helen, then that's what I'll do. That will give me a goal.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Great discussion going on editing. Thanks for starting this, Helen.

    It appears that we work in a very similar mode. I, too, will look at the first 10 pages at no charge, and offer some follow up after the edit is finished. I'm happy to say that I have had several repeat clients.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hello Maryann and Lauri, my fellow Blood-Red Pencil editors. Incidentally, if anyone is in the process of researching editors, you can bookmark The Blood-Red Pencil and spend a few days reading posts by the various editors on that blog.

    Chris, even I can send out something with typos. You read what you've written, but sometimes you don't actually do that - you read what you thought you wrote. An editor can usually catch that because they don't have a pre-conceived idea of what you meant to write.

    Hi Jane. I do catch errors in published books, but I know it's too late to do anything about them, even if I could. So, I move on. It's usually one or two, but if the book has lots of mistakes, I admit, I tend to put it down and quit reading.

    You're welcome, Gay. Keep writing.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi, Helen, thanks for the very complete answer. I appreciate it.

    Best regards, Galen
    Imagineering Fiction Blog

    ReplyDelete
  15. Sounds like you do a splendid job, Helen! And I appreciate that you read through a manuscript several times. As an author, I read through mine about 100 times before I send it to the editor!

    L. Diane Wolfe
    www.circleoffriendsbooks.blogspot.com
    www.spunkonastick.net
    www.thecircleoffriends.net

    ReplyDelete
  16. Interesting viewpoint! Thanks for sharing a glimpse at your editing process. I'm not much one for doing a full read through before getting out the red pen, either.

    --Lisa
    http://authorlisalogan.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. You're welcome Galen.

    Diane, I do the same thing on my own writing. I edit as I go along. I write then read it. Then the next day, to get myself started again, I re-read what I wrote the day before (and inevitably find things to edit or change), and so on. And that's before I even finish the book and start the editing.

    Yes, that red pen comes out, Lisa. I used to only be able to edit with pen and paper, but I've gotten used to doing it online. It's a red pen, though, in spirit.

    ReplyDelete
  18. Sounds like you are a real partner.
    Thank you for the information.
    Aloha-

    Comfort Spiral

    ReplyDelete
  19. Just to clarify, it's still a good idea for the author to go through their manuscript before hiring an editor right? (Or at least those like me, who have yet to develop the skills to write a readable first draft.)

    Love the posts!
    Meg

    ReplyDelete
  20. Most definitely, Meg. Do as much editing, both big and small, as you can before you send it to an editor.

    ReplyDelete
  21. The only editor I've worked with so far is the one assigned to my two books by the publisher -- not only is she an angel, she's also a great teacher. If your authors are on their toes, they should be honing their self-editing skills from your edits and comments.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Very true, Patricia. Even if you hire an editor, you need to be learning from her comments and edits. You want to reach the level where your editor at the publishing house does not have a lot of work to do on your manuscript. They'll be much happier to see your latest manuscript cross their desk that way. Yeah, you could keep paying a freelance editor to clean it up for you, but why?

    ReplyDelete
  23. I'm enjoying your posts and tips here Helen...Thank you,keep going.

    ReplyDelete
  24. Tips given are very helpful.

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...