Editing is a personal experience. Does an editor hand you a pre-packaged, one size fits all service that they identically stamp from one client to the next? What am I, as an editor, doing to tailor your experience?
Of course, editors use workflow templates, checklists and processes that we've finetuned in order to deliver a professional and valuable service to each of our clients. My templates and lists ensure that every aspect of your manuscript sees my attention.
What excites you about your manuscript?
A question I ask all the authors I work with is "what excites you about your manuscript?" I want to know what you are most proud of in your story, what you think is the cornerstone of your work.
Your editor should be on your team.
Every decision I make should be informed by where you want your manuscript to go, what you're meaning to say and what elements of your book you want to shine.
It is important to like your editor as a person and to know that they celebrate your work. Telling me what excites you about your manuscript helps me get excited with you.
What genre is your manuscript?
Not all editors edit all genres. Sure, some may specialise a handful of different genres to represent their varied interests. Or maybe be less choosy with copyediting and proofreading. But more often than not, editors have a genre they love to work with and therefore work with that genre.
For me it is fantasy and sci-fi! I can go for a romance subplot or some suspense in your urban fantasy or even some gory horror. But give me a straight up romance, thriller or horror and I will give you a list of editors I know are better for the job! I simply don't know the conventions and expectations of the audience well enough to perform a developmental or line edit on a horror – also, I'll get too spooked.
Find the right editor for your genre.
If you have a fantasy or sci-fi manuscript ready for editing, get in touch today!
What elements of your story are you not confident about?
Ultimately, my job is to make your book better. You are the expert on your own book. If you already know there is an element in your writing you don't feel is your strongest, you should let me know. That way I can pay it special attention.
As I work through your manuscript I will pick up on where the romantic tension in your slow burn romance subplot, for example, needs strengthening. However, if you've already told me this is the case, I can put more effort in to highlighting where you've actually written really strong romantic tension.
There's no tool more useful in editing that being able to point to a section of text and say "Look, I know you can do this! You did it here!"
Everyone has their own unique writing styles, stories and reasons for writing. As an editor, I should listen to the authors I work with and tailor my services to that. Get in touch today to tell me what your manuscript needs.
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