How to Work with Editors
Don't take it personally., Know house styles., Help your editor understand expectations., Be prepared for changes and questions., Communicate with your editor., Understand the point of the final product., Understand that writing involves different...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Don't take it personally.
This is rule number one.
Always.
The editor has a job to do and that is to make your writing clear, readable and concise.
Readers are getting busier every day and writing must convey more with fewer words.
The editor is trained to achieve this.
The editor is polishing, not telling you how to write.
And the editor will find things that might have come to you in the heat of the moment but doesn't make sense to anybody else, be sure to do some of your own editing first! -
Step 2: Know house styles.
You can save yourself a lot of angst and wasted editing time by getting the right house style in place from the word go.
Even before you put pen to paper, it is prudent to brush up on the accepted style before you meander down the wrong path and have to backtrack.
Fixing poor style is time-consuming and tedious. , Will Kelly makes a good point in relation to technical editing.
Editors are trained to work in many subject environments.
However, you cannot expect a non-technical editor to just somehow know what your company, workplace, institution, etc. is looking for without giving them directions.
He suggests that you provide the necessary resources to such editors to bring them up to speed on technical editing. , An editor is being paid to make sure your work is salable.
Don't take it personally and be open to criticism, even if it seems harsh.
If you accept in advance that you have done your best to that point and that a second pair of eyes will be a source of strengthening rather than diminishing your work, you are in a position to gain much more from the editing relationship.
Your editor will appreciate your openness to change, and you won't feel "attacked" by changes. , Where your editor makes changes and asks questions, it is important to engage in discussion if you do not understand or like the suggestions.
Sometimes the editor might not convey adequately why the changes are necessary.
It is far easier to sit down together and address the concerns., In the real world, unless you are writing a diary or blogging, your writing has an element of being a final product, whether it be to help sell magazines, inform the prime minister or to tell a story so compelling that your novel is read by more people (or at least sells more copies) than the others.
The "final product" must be one that attracts or clearly informs readers.
Often the writer is not in a good position to assess this alone but the editor aids the writer in keeping the bigger picture on track.
If you keep in mind the end use of your product, you will maintain a better distance from it that will allow you to accept constructive feedback. , Writing and editing are similar but distinct fields.
Writers can easily get caught up in their own feelings about the subject matter; a good editor will ensure that the language flows more smoothly and still reflects the intended meaning, direction and voice, without over-burdening the reader with too much detail.
Both skills are valuable, and it is a good idea to swap hats now and then while writing and remember what the editor sees: the process of turning emotions and knowledge into text. -
Step 3: Help your editor understand expectations.
-
Step 4: Be prepared for changes and questions.
-
Step 5: Communicate with your editor.
-
Step 6: Understand the point of the final product.
-
Step 7: Understand that writing involves different creativity from editing.
Detailed Guide
This is rule number one.
Always.
The editor has a job to do and that is to make your writing clear, readable and concise.
Readers are getting busier every day and writing must convey more with fewer words.
The editor is trained to achieve this.
The editor is polishing, not telling you how to write.
And the editor will find things that might have come to you in the heat of the moment but doesn't make sense to anybody else, be sure to do some of your own editing first!
You can save yourself a lot of angst and wasted editing time by getting the right house style in place from the word go.
Even before you put pen to paper, it is prudent to brush up on the accepted style before you meander down the wrong path and have to backtrack.
Fixing poor style is time-consuming and tedious. , Will Kelly makes a good point in relation to technical editing.
Editors are trained to work in many subject environments.
However, you cannot expect a non-technical editor to just somehow know what your company, workplace, institution, etc. is looking for without giving them directions.
He suggests that you provide the necessary resources to such editors to bring them up to speed on technical editing. , An editor is being paid to make sure your work is salable.
Don't take it personally and be open to criticism, even if it seems harsh.
If you accept in advance that you have done your best to that point and that a second pair of eyes will be a source of strengthening rather than diminishing your work, you are in a position to gain much more from the editing relationship.
Your editor will appreciate your openness to change, and you won't feel "attacked" by changes. , Where your editor makes changes and asks questions, it is important to engage in discussion if you do not understand or like the suggestions.
Sometimes the editor might not convey adequately why the changes are necessary.
It is far easier to sit down together and address the concerns., In the real world, unless you are writing a diary or blogging, your writing has an element of being a final product, whether it be to help sell magazines, inform the prime minister or to tell a story so compelling that your novel is read by more people (or at least sells more copies) than the others.
The "final product" must be one that attracts or clearly informs readers.
Often the writer is not in a good position to assess this alone but the editor aids the writer in keeping the bigger picture on track.
If you keep in mind the end use of your product, you will maintain a better distance from it that will allow you to accept constructive feedback. , Writing and editing are similar but distinct fields.
Writers can easily get caught up in their own feelings about the subject matter; a good editor will ensure that the language flows more smoothly and still reflects the intended meaning, direction and voice, without over-burdening the reader with too much detail.
Both skills are valuable, and it is a good idea to swap hats now and then while writing and remember what the editor sees: the process of turning emotions and knowledge into text.
About the Author
Jerry Myers
Creates helpful guides on hobbies to inspire and educate readers.
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