Life:

Had a conversation with my sister-in-law last week at our 4th of July picnic. It went like this:

Cass: I’ve got the most amazing idea for a book.
Me: Nice. 
Cass: How would I go about getting it published?
Me: First step?
Cass: Yeah.
Me: You have to write it. 
Cass: Oh, well…yeah.

Cart before the horse, much?

Writing:

Some thoughts on editing, because this is a supportive and cohesive community and things like peer editing are a happy reality here. When you ask for help editing, it’s a good idea to know what kind of feedback you’re looking for, and then communicate those desires clearly in your request.

Do you want developmental editing—“big-picture” feedback about structure, style, pacing and voice? This includes notes on plot, point of view and characterization. Example: “It feels like your story actually truly starts in Chapter 2, when your character loses his job.” Or, “Your protagonist comes off a bit unlikable. Here are some things you might do within the story to change that.” Often, a developmental edit is given as a separate document rather than as notes made directly on the manuscript.

What if you don’t want “big picture”? Then perhaps ask for a line edit, where your editor will point out specific things, such as dialogue that doesn’t sound convincing or pacing problems in a given section. Like: “Why not skip the backstory here and get right into the action. It’s what readers have been waiting for.”

Maybe you want both. That’s fine. But since developmental feedback assumes you will return to the manuscript and rewrite parts, line editing is usually held off until that rewrite has been completed. 

Copy editing and proofreading, on the other hand, are about fixing errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, word choice and sentence structure, as well as catching continuity issues. Like a warm winter coat that magically appears when it starts to snow, even though the character wasn’t wearing one earlier. If you’re certain you don’t want any content or structure changed and you just want the writing “cleaned up,” you’re looking for copy editing only.

No matter what level of editing you ask for, prepare yourself for feedback, criticism and direction. If what you’re secretly hoping to hear is, “This is almost perfect. All it needs is one comma to be a bestseller!” better stock up on tissues. Be honest with yourself when seeking an editor. Not only about what feedback you want, but about what feedback you can handle. 

And finally…revision takes time. It’s normal to feel ecstatic to finally have a project “done,” but don’t shortchange the editing process. You simply can’t respond to a round of thorough developmental editing in a day. Expect that integrating feedback into a rewrite can and should take time. Even if all you ask for, and get, is a line or copy edit, then incorporate those fixes and… Put. Your. Project. Away. Reread it with fresh eyes in a week --or two (two is better) -- and edit accordingly. You will never regret this step. Promise.