Slash-n-Burn, Nip-n-Tuck: A Few Words About Editing

The two most critical areas an authorpreneur should invest in for their self-publishing endeavors are those of editing and cover design.

In this post, we’ll take a look at finding the right editorial fit, with 4 simple rules.

For my recent book, I was fortunate enough to establish not one but two synergetic writer-editor connections. The first was with Andrea Beatrice Reed (AndreaBeatriceReed@yahoo.com).

I came to know Andrea via Twitter after my failed Kindle Scout submission for The Quieting West. When I approached her to Line Edit my “final” draft of Of Gilded Flesh, she enthusiastically accepted the project. A couple of days later, she declined my request - she could not, in good conscience, merely trim a manuscript that needed so much work developmentally. In so many words, she was telling me that she couldn’t waste her time with something no one would want to read.

Ouch. I won’t deny it was hard to accept, but it also told me she was perfect for the job.

RULE #1: Don’t hire an editor who’s only going to tell you what you want to hear. Pick the one who’s brutally honest for your own good. Writer’s are childish beasts that need tough-love. (Whether they like it or not.) Any reputable editor will provide you with a free evaluation or sample of how they work to help you decide.

I won’t go into too much detail here, to avoid spoilers, but let’s begin with the beginning, for example. The opening to a novel has to hook the reader into wanting to keep reading. Cut-n-dry. However, mine did not. Ms. Reed enlightened me to the book’s true beginning, which was actually three pages in from where I started - those initial pages could all be burned!

(For those of you with the time and inclination, you’re welcome to read those opening pages here.)

Starting off the book in the manner I did was an attempt at being witty and satirical toward typical literary formulae. While it was difficult to let go of those pages, I had to set my ego aside.

RULE #2: Listen to and trust your editor. Apply their recommendations first and see. Use Beta-Readers if you have to. A good editor only wants what’s best for your manuscript, and you’ll probably find they were right.

Ms. Reed also didn’t like my antagonist, which was originally the Roman Catholic Church. She pointed out that the church probably wouldn’t have found the clockmaker’s mechanical devices as blasphemous as I had (over)played it. This, in turn, led me to consider that the entire element was cliché. So I switched it up and put the antagonistic responsibility upon the local nobility.

RULE #3: Remember, while an editor’s input should be welcomed and respected, the final choice of whether to cut-or-keep is up to the writer. There were a number of smaller items we went back-and-forth on that I argued to keep. What matters is that I was challenged to defend my choices. Perhaps a particular character’s motivation is unclear or an element of humor is questionable, and if I couldn’t explain my choice rationally then out it went. Otherwise, it stayed. This interaction is a critical and expected part of the writer-editor partnership.

Chelsea Cambeis (chelseacambeis.com) is the second editor with whom I made a connection. Unexpected circumstances prevented Ms. Reed from being able to perform a final Line Edit to my manuscript. My search for another editor took me to Blue Pen - Editing & Book Design, a service that introduced me to Ms. Cambeis.

Line Editing is what most people think of when they think of editing. The line editor goes through a manuscript, line-by-line, like a skilled plastic surgeon. A nip here, a tuck there. Each sentence is tightened, syntax and word choice are scrutinized to make the text as readable and concise as can be. They are also concerned with the narrative’s overall flow and pacing. All the while, the editor is attentive to the writer’s style.

This is where Ms. Cambeis’ work really resonated with me. Her suggested changes were in complete harmony with my individual voice and artistic vision. I don’t know if she tunes in to every writer she works with to that extent, but I found her to be a perfect fit. I look forward to working with both her and Andrea again on my next novel. Whenever that may be.

RULE #4: Please, don’t try to edit yourself. There are plenty of books that will attempt to guide you through a process of self-editing. But you’re too close to the subject and will never have a clear, unbiased view of what works and what doesn’t. Invest in an editorial service…or two. Trust me.