I’ve stated this in a previous blog post, but as of now, I am two weeks into the throes of my next big edit. This rollercoaster of emotions was made possible by my first editor, who very eloquently, delivered my ass kicking into one 20-page package. The best part: I paid for every red cent and got what I deserved served back to me on a silver platter.
My only regret is that I didn’t do it
sooner.
Hiring an editor is a rather
contentious subject for most indie-published authors. How many for how much and
for what purposes are some of the varied questions discussed all over the interwebs.
And though many authors would champion the bare minimum, I firmly stand in the
other camp. I’m all for a good deal but I stand for well-written publications, for
good characters and stories, no matter the press. And for quality, you have to
pay up.
It’s different from how other authors
will view the subject: some may feel that an editor should be their support, to
help them bring their vision in its best possible form to life. And while I can
understand this perspective, I firmly believe that my editor should be my
devil’s advocate. If there is no one to challenge my view, there is no way for
me to grow as a writer. And as I continue to add more words to my growing works,
I will need all the growth I can ever get. I fear the day my skills will come
to a standstill and even worse, if a reader claims that my best work will be
some of my earliest work.
But that is a problem for another day.
So what is this post about, you may ask. This bit is food for thought: why you should pony up more than the few hundred that your neighbor’s daughter down the street is asking for. You may be in the neighborhood to spend some cash but you may not know how much or for what services. You may be overcoming the sticker shock for what certain people may charge. I’ve written about my process and how it came to be, but if you choose the right editor for you, your piece will appreciate it greatly. After all, that’s what matters.
1. You’re Paying for Experience
Or at least, you should be, if you’re willing
to pay someone more to look over your work. Experience is admittedly a vague
gauge of how good someone is at their job. We’ve all met that one coworker who
you never understood how they managed to stay employed for that long. There are
good and bad people working in every job.
To me, an experienced editor is one who
has read a lot. This goes for all of them. Developmental editors understand the
current market, understand what the typical story structure is in all of its
shapes and forms. Yes, you can write a story about anything, but whether it
appeals to the market, to the reader, or is even a story at all, would be
something an editor would be able to tell you just by reading a few chapters of
your work. For line editors, the good ones understand the craft of the written word,
hear the ebb and flow of the lines that you painstakingly lay on the page. The better
ones will find a way to work with your rhythm, with your beat, rather than to
work against it. The best ones will tell you how to make it even better.
People who entrench themselves in their
field understand the ins and outs of the craft: what is unique, what is best about
your work, and how they can make it shine. And for someone who is just starting,
their help and expertise can accelerate your growth many times over. Practice
makes permanent, not perfect.
2. They Bring Their Own Perspective to
the Table
“Remember: when people tell you
something’s wrong or doesn’t work for them, they are almost always right,”
is something oft quoted from Neil Gaiman’s rules of writing. And while a good
editor will give you options to stew over about what is the best direction to
take your work, the mere fact that they bring such a perspective should be
appreciated. There are no good yes-men. If an editor is telling you that something
in your work needs to be changed, it most likely does. They will confirm that
the thing you’ve always had a niggling feeling about is wrong and that it’s
something you need to fix. Whether you like it or not.
3. They Give You Direction
It’s one thing to point out the problems in any piece of work, but where to go from there is always the scary part. How much do you break? How much do you get to keep? And with all the changes that you make, the big and the small, how much will be affected? Every suggestion is like a ripple in the pond, always cascading into another, some cancelling others out completely. But with all the destruction comes a chance for rebirth, and your partner in crime will be able to tell you how best to steer your attention and energy. What will make your story stronger? How will another support character give your main character a more complete, satisfying story arc? Or dare I say it, how will you pick up the pieces after you completely axe out a character?
4. They are the Guiding Light
I will be honest: my first editor’s letter left me frazzled for a few days. There was a lot to absorb and a lot more to synthesize. After taking in everything there was, I sat down and started planning my next step (skipping the self pity and loathing of course, I’m getting too old for that). It took me another week before I could formulate a follow-up response, and by then, I was already working on the next draft.
I knew what I needed to do. My only problem: this new direction was a little scary. I needed some reassurance that I was heading in the right direction. I needed someone to give me the green light, someone I could bounce ideas off of, or even better, give me another way to utilize a neglected aspect of my story.
If you ever find someone, an editor, a writing partner that can do all these things for you: treasure that person. (If they do more, never let go). Their help is something invaluable. But most importantly, you must be able to trust this person. If you do not believe in their skills or their work, then everything is for naught.
And to have that much faith in another person, that’s invaluable — no, priceless.
