Get the Most from Your Editor
How do you get the most from your editor? There’s really only one word you need to know: communication. Consider that editing is really teamwork, a collaboration between author and editor, rather than merely a step between writing and publishing. If you are an author, then your manuscript is your baby. I don’t have to tell you how many hours of blood, sweat, and tears have gone into the thousands of pages you have written. So why would you just hand it off to a professional without asking a few questions or sharing your specific concerns and goals for the edit?
Now, some editors may not want all that. You will find some editors prefer to get your manuscript, do their work, and send it back to you with an invoice. That may even be appealing for some authors. But, I’m not that editor. I truly want to hear from you before I begin, and I want to hear from you after my work is complete.
I Was a First-Time Author, Too.
When I first hired an editor, I had no idea what to expect. Sounds strange since I am an editor. But when I first hired an editor, I wasn’t one yet. I was a writer, an aspiring author, an avid reader, and I was a writing assistant at the time. So, once I had written my first book and it was time to find an editor, I had questions.
Like many first-time authors, I had no clue what an edit would cost, and I was frustrated that virtually no one would publish these things on their websites. I also didn’t know what kind of edit I needed and why there were so many kinds of edits to begin with. This only added to my intimidation to reach out to an editor. I also worried about what an editor would say about my work and if I could keep up with the process of revisions.
Twelve years later, as a published author and full-time editor, I have incorporated my experiences as an author into shaping myself as a transparent, caring professional. My niche in the publishing process is editing—and I really love my job—but I also find joy in helping authors along their publishing path, sharing any resources I may have and references to other professionals that authors need to reach the finish line.
So, how do you get the most from your editor? Exactly what do you communicate with them? Here are five questions to ask and five thoughts to relay when you begin a relationship with an editor or submit new work to them.
Five Questions to Ask Your Editor
1. What kind of edits do you provide? After an editor reviews your work, what kind of edits do they specifically recommend for your manuscript? Ask the editor to explain what that means because there are not only many kinds of edits, but even more interpretations of each one.
2. What is the cost? The payment structure? The timeline? Transparency is key in meeting these expectations. I provide cost information on my website and then specifically in a one-page custom proposal after I have reviewed your manuscript.
3. Will I have an opportunity to ask questions after the edit? I encourage my clients to do this at no additional cost. If there is a significant task an author asks of me after an edit, I let them know if there is a new cost associated with that. But I am not charging an author to review a page or two that they revised as a result of my editorial feedback.
4. Do you provide a free sample edit? Please don’t be shy to ask for this if you want one. And please never pay for a sample edit. I consider a sample edit to be about 2-4 pages, and I’m happy to provide one to potential clients if asked.
5. Do you offer any references for the next steps needed to reach publication? This is a perk, a bonus, not a requirement. I offer references and resources to my authors because I know how daunting it is to find quality professionals you can trust with your work, and quite frankly I love fostering a sense of community and collaboration.
Five Thoughts to Relay to Your Editor
1. Share your concerns and goals. No one knows your manuscript like you do. Any time an author can communicate their specific concerns or goals to me at the front end, I know we will get a better edit than if they do not. As an editor, it gives me very specific direction as I work. For example, “I’m worried about my... [dialog, character development, chapter transitions, lack of descriptive terms, etc].” The more specific you can be, the more focused I can be on your concerns.
2. Communicate your timeline. I work hard to schedule work within my timeframe and yours. If you have a deadline, communicate it. Also, if you are flexible, let your editor know that as well.
3. Be thoughtful about the payment schedule. I communicate a price and payment schedule up front. If an author asks me to break it into more payments or schedule it in conjunction with their payday, I am usually open to doing so. After all I want to be paid for my services, and you want to pay me, so let’s make it work for both of us.
4. Tell them if you’ve worked with another editor. I appreciate hearing whether you’ve worked with another editor before. It helps me understand your unmet expectations, frustrations, or even aspects that you loved about an edit/editor that you would like to see again.
5. Share your feedback. I know it can be uncomfortable at first, but it’s a professional courtesy to give an editor your feedback. It could be that you chose someone else and just need to say, “thank you, but I decided to go another direction.” Or perhaps you love something in particular your editor picked up on, so tell them. It’s not just a pat on the back. For me, an author’s positive feedback is affirmation as well as something I want to consider doing again. Their negative feedback is an opportunity for me to resolve my mistake or understand an unmet expectation.
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Communicate with your editor before and after the edit to get the most out of your edit—and your editor! After all it is a huge investment of your time and money. Make it count!
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