This week Over Coffee will be about different aspects of our
writing careers, whether it's procuring a good editor, investing in writing conferences, or building a online presence.
Most authors come into contact with editors. There are all
sorts of editors from acquiring editors to copy editors. They have all have an
important role in an author’s career and the quality of their writing. They
work with non-fiction and fiction authors and these professionals edited
everything from articles to books.
Although I know several editors and their roles in
publishing a good book, there was much I didn’t know. So I researched.
With so many opting for self-publishing, or working with small indie presses, the need for a
good editing is vital for your finished product—your novel.
In a publishing house, the acquiring editor is the liaison between authors, staff,
and readers. They act as project managers. Their job is to make sure your work
the best it can be. They take into consideration the overall picture of your
story. They contemplate your genre,
writing style, and the demands of the market. All this involves a lot of
ripping, tearing, and rebuilding of the manuscript. It’s not an easy process for authors or editors.
Once you sign your contract, the editor will read the whole
manuscript. These editors read for story structure and may come back with a
list of changes of necessary for your manuscript. This may be commenting on
your setting, characters, conflict, pacing, plot, and word choices. You, the
author, then revise your story according to these comments. It may take several
revisions before both you and the editor come to agreement. Once all that is
worked out the manuscript moves to another editor.
The copy editor is the one we usually think of when we think
editor. Copy editors get the manuscript and read or *proof* it for grammar and
punctuation, word usage, spelling and typos. They also check for consistent
formatting of chapter headings, and more. This process may take more than one
pass to get everything correct. Then it’s sent back to the author to do a final
edit. Meanwhile THE editor finalizes all the pieces farmed out to various staff
members (the design editors, the copywriters who might write the back cover
blurb, the publicity department) approves it and now it’s off for publication.
There are a lot of extra steps in this simplified telling. I
just hit the high points. One thing I have learned, not all editors are created
equal. I found this out by letting a good friend who was a newspaper editor
read one of my first stories. She’s very good at what she does for newspaper
editing but it’s a different form of editing. Suffice to say, if ever I
decide to self publish, I will be utilizing a fiction editor who has a good
copyeditor around, or she can wear both hats well and I’ll be asking for
references.
No wonder so many authors gush over their editor in their
acknowledgements. A good Fiction Editor is worth having. They make the
difference between an okay story and a great story.
- As an author, what have been your experiences with editors?
- Would you put out a book without one?
