The Right Editor

Any written work that is moving from your hands to the hands of another should be edited. Yes, I will excuse the little things like grocery lists given to errand-runners and phone messages taken for your mother, but I strongly believe that there is very little that should not first pass before the eyes of an editor before it reaches its final destination. We can all agree that "Worcestershire" may be spelled incorrectly when we're pushing a cart down the condiment section of the grocery store, just as we can agree that it must be spelled correctly if we're writing a letter of complaint to the CEO of Lea and Perrins. But what about its spelling in a public social media post or in a general newsletter to friends and colleagues? Wouldn't you agree that these are also instances where spelling should be of utmost importance?

Any decent editor can take care of spelling errors, but "any decent editor" may not necessarily be the right editor for you. Below I highlight 3 of the most common problems of amateur writers (which are in addition to seeing editing as a superfluous expense) and briefly explain why they continue to remain problems for them. Perhaps one or more of these are applicable to you and if so, I hope this little entry today is of some help to you. It is why I do this for a living.

1. Preserving Tone, Voice, and Intent

I'd be lying if I said that I have never tried to change the very fine work of another just because it didn't sound like my own voice when I read it. Not only was this a prime example of valuable time well wasted, it was arrogance borne out of ignorance. Neither tone, nor voice, nor intent need be altered any way unless the quality and effectiveness of the piece is compromised. The right editor knows how important it is to preserve each of these, delightfully proving by extension that not all editors are thin-lipped marms or sweaty cubicle-dwellers, wielding red pens like swords to deliberately desecrate your art.

2. Collaborating

Most editors want to see a finished piece before they will agree to work with you. Developmental editors will edit your piece as you're writing it, and perhaps even help you to get started. The right editor will encourage you to schedule meetings with them so that you may discuss the content of your work in a step-by-step process, regardless of the length. You have to believe that even that little piece needs editing, and you have to feel both comfortable and confident with the person you have chosen to do so. In fact, you should be made to feel that you are the only client and that the success of their business depends on your exclusive satisfaction.

3. Insecurity

Not all writers respond to bad reviews as poorly as Anne Rice or Nicholas Sparkes (I encourage you to read about them online), but reviews are an excellent way of revealing the relationship between writer and editor to be one of artist and critic. Indeed, for the desired result to be produced the combination must go together like peanut butter and jelly. But jalepeño/red pepper jelly does not go with peanut butter...and does not make for a very marketable menu item. Likewise, the right editor will critique, not criticize. Writers are sensitive enough about their work without having a fiery editor highlighting all the negative points, making them feel bad not only about the piece in question but about their writing in general. And the smaller the piece, the greater the potential for insecurity. This is a claim I make based exclusively on my experience with short story and how-to guide writers whose self-publishing path has allowed them to move from the inspiration to the publication phase without so much as a second set of eyes to proofread. 

With this said, I am not claiming to be the "right" editor for everyone. My most sincere efforts will not necessarily result in clients feeling completely comfortable with me, nor will my best efforts to preserve tone, voice, and intent prove satisfactory to all types of storytellers. Heck, my well-intentioned efforts to make the new writer feel comfortable may prove disconcerting.

But I'd love to try.