Working with an editor is like any other business relationship. It requires professionalism and courtesy. Never forget that writing is a business. Just as you would hire a lawyer to negotiate your contracts, you need an editor to publish your work. They are there to partner with you to create something better.
The hard part of working with an editor is that the crux of the job is take what you have written and look for the flaws. Unfortunately, not many people like criticism, which is essentially what editing is. It’s a review of written material with the aim of making it stronger. Some editors are amazing at this. They know how to dissect a writer’s work, see the flaws and know how to fix them. They also know how to convey this in a positive manner. Others are not as skilled. But in the end, all editors want the same thing—to make the work better. It’s an essential relationship for a writer and one that needs attention.
Here are some tips for dealing with editors so you can enjoy a professional and positive relationship with yours:
1. Remember that your editor is there to help you be a better writer. They are not your adversary. They are not there to tear you down or make you feel badly about your profession. They are your partner and an important one. Everyone needs another set of eyes on their work. As a writer it’s too easy to lose perspective and not see the flaws. It’s easier for an outsider to spot problems with your work, especially one trained to do that. The bottom line is that you need this collaboration to make your work the best it can. Enter into your relationship with a positive attitude.
2. Talk to your editor to find out what his or her expectations are for the relationship before it begins. It helps to know what to expect. Think of it as an interview to make sure you are a good fit for each other and to work out potential difficulties before you begin work on your writing. It always helps when you address possible issues before they occur.
3. Stay positive. It’s easy to become defensive when someone criticizes your work, but it is imperative that you remain open to feedback and edits. That’s your editor’s job. Listen. Learn from them. Consider what they say before you argue.
4. It helps to remove emotion from the process. A change is not an indictment of your writing or of you as a person. It’s a suggested change to a sentence, paragraph or chapter. It is not personal. It helps to remain calm and try to see your editor’s point of view. You may not agree with her, but before you decide that: Listen.
5. Take comfort in knowing that you are the final voice in edits, but be careful not to use that power indiscriminately if you want a good relationship. Again, it’s a collaboration, not an adversarial relationship. You need to maintain a professional relationship with your editor, which means showing him respect, even (especially) when you disagree with him.
6. Your editor is your liaison with your publisher. This is an important relationship if you want to be published. Treat your editor accordingly. Don’t trash your editor on social media or hang up on him or her mid-call. Always be professional.
7. Know that some edits are asked for because of publishing standards of style guidelines that may have nothing to do with you. Some publishers will not publish books that do not adhere to their strict guidelines. Do your research and find out if this is the case before you make a fuss.
8. Recognize that editors have their own styles and way of working. They are human and passionate about writing too. If their passion or perspective does not match yours, talk to them. See if you can make it work or compromise.
9. Always talk to your editor if you are having issues with the edits. It’s better to talk it out than stew or ignore the comments. This is common courtesy, and the best way to develop a professional relationship. Just be careful how you discuss it. Remember to keep calm and professional throughout your discussion. It’s not personal. It’s about the work. Keep it that way.
10. If you don’t agree with a particular edit, ask what issue your editor is trying to fix. If you talk about it calmly, you may find your editor has identified an issue you have not. This goes back to being open to feedback. It’s possible you might agree with the issue, but disagree with how to fix it. This happens a lot in writing. It’s subjective. If you have an alternate path, offer that solution and see what your editor thinks. Discuss both ideas and then choose the one that makes the most sense.
11. Always address any problems as soon as they arise. If you wait until galleys or proofs, it is too late. It will drive your house crazy and cost you money so be on top of things. Proof the work. Check the changes to make sure they were made the way you wanted.
12. In the end, be willing to fight for your story, voice, characters, setting, etc. This is your story and will carry your name. Be sure to voice your opinions and fight for what is important, but pick your battles. you can’t win them all without damaging the relationship. Figure out what matters to you and whether the relationship is capable of being salvaged. But recognize that having an adverse relationship may affect your future in publishing at that house.
13. Put it in writing. If you want changes made, write them up. Keep copies of all emails, manuscripts and other forms of contact. This will cover you if you find a change was not made in the galley stage. If this is the case, you won’t be charged. This also helps if you find an error in the published book. It happens.
14. Start off your relationship in a good way. Share what makes your voice and style with your editor. Everyone has their way and quirks. If you have something that is unique to your voice, be sure to address it up front so you aren’t confronted with changes that will alter what makes you different.
15. It’s a great idea to put together a style sheet to accompany your manuscript with hints, such as “author detests the word indeed” (this my least favorite word and I have found it in work that carried my byline so now I let editors ahead of time to avoid that word). If you have specific grammatical errors that you used for a specific reason, spell them out. It will save you and your editor needless conversations and edits. Also list your preferences. Maybe you prefer dashes to colons or have a thing against semicolons. Let your editor know up front so you can both minimize annoying edits.
The biggest tip for dealing with an editor is to remember that you are both professionals. Treat each other with professional respect and courtesy and you will be fine. The majority of editors are amazing people who love writing as much as writers do. They are good people. Treat them well. A good editor can make your writing so much better than you could do alone.