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Six Habits of Highly

Successful Editors

As a writer, I know the apprehension and dread that can fill the heart upon receipt of a note or an e-mail from an editor. Is she going to try to second-guess my ending? Does he think he knows my characters better than I do? Now that I'm sitting on the other side of the fence with my big red editing pen, I see that what I once thought were strange arbitrary judgments meant to drive my writing brethren and me to the edge of sanity are, for lack of a better phrase, for our own good!

There are things that can be done, easy things requiring very little blood from either side, that an editor can do to make the process less frightening, less random, and an all-around painless experience.

Read the manuscript. Okay, so that seems a bit simplistic, but there is something to be said for simplicity. Don't just run on, grammar book in hand, ready to dissect both plot and punctuation. Calm down, settle in, and read the manuscript like it was a book you went and picked up at Barnes & Noble. While you read, keep a little notebook with you to jot down page numbers where improvements could be made, but don't make them yet. Finish reading the entire manuscript first, because something that doesn't make sense on page 49 may become clear by page 65.

Read it again. This time through, write in the comments and suggestions that have popped up along the way, either on the manuscript itself (if you're working with a hard copy), or in a separate document (if you're working via computer). Unless it's an awkwardly phrased sentence or section, try to stay away from making suggestions directly on the computer manuscript, as the author may validly not agree with a suggestion and then have to go through the hassle of removing it.

Remember this is not your story. Just because you get to edit this thing does NOT make you it's parent. This is your authors baby, and it should be respected as such. Say, for example, you're editing a romance novel. The hero is tall, dark, and handsome. You hate tall men, so you vigorously insist that the author remove all references to the hero's height. This is not your story. Personal bias cannot dictate your suggestions. Stick to elements like flow and consistency, and let your author deal with her people.

Don't be a genre snob. So you're an avid sci-fi reader and your first manuscript assignment is an 18^th-century romance. Don't fret, and don't let this color your reading of the assigned manuscript. While I did say earlier to treat your manuscript like a book you picked out for your own reading pleasure, sometimes you have to stretch your preferences to encompass genre elements you don't enjoy. A loathing of love scenes does not make it okay to tell your romance writer to cut out all the mushy stuff. Specific audiences expect specific elements in their books, and as you become more accustomed to different genres, you'll be able to edit with an audience in mind.

Grammar check. After the read and the re-read, the manuscript will begin to be familiar. This familiarity can lend itself to a tendency to miss grammatical and spelling errors. Armed with a grammar book, stay vigilant in your quest to banish all unneeded commas. There is nothing more distracting than a poorly punctuated book, and it will reflect on you, not your author.

Be nice. Communication is the key to everything in the editing process. Tact is a skill. There is a huge difference between, "The scene on page 85 is totally unrealistic," and "Just plain lousy. Maybe if Linda...." Make suggestions, but don't shove them down your author's throat. Not that you should coddle them; simply think about your responses before you express them. If they care about this book, and obviously they do, then you need to care, too, and give it the time and consideration it deserves.

By Amber Goddard, an editor for American Book Publishing.