Last week I talked about what you should look for in a fiction book editor once you’ve finished your manuscript and are ready to shop around. There’s another side to that though. Preparing yourself to work with an editor takes time and consideration. And the more prepared you are, the more time you’ll save right off the bat—not to mention money!—and the more efficient both you and your editor will be once you start working together.

Here are some things a good book editor may (should!) expect from you, the author:

1. Have your first draft completed.

I can’t stress this point enough. Remember King’s advice? Write the first draft with the door closed; rewrite with the door open. That door should be kept closed, not just to separate your first-draft work from the eyes (and opinions!) of your friends and family, but from professionals as well. For your own peace of mind, and to make sure the first draft gets finished at all, wait until it’s done before asking for advice—anyone’s advice.

Having your first draft completed is also the first display of respect you can show to your editor. Upon submitting it to an editor, your manuscript should be reflective of your highest ability, your strongest effort, to save both your time and hers. Completing the manuscript is also the surest way to maintain the “organicness” of your project. The more your editor has to alter or add, the more your work becomes a reflection of her style, not yours.

2. Be open-minded.

If she’s any good, the book editor you choose may have some pretty good ideas for your manuscript. She may also challenge you at times. Maybe your main character’s motivation doesn’t quite “work” or the genre and style do not sing well together. Maybe the narrator’s voice has a tendency to shift from scene to scene, or perhaps the structure of the story needs some tweaking.

Maybe the central conflict is, I hate to say it…boring.

Your editor should criticize gently, with enough knowledge of the craft and the industry to offer sound advice. Stay true to your story, but be open-minded to new ideas, and be ready for your editor’s criticism. Yes, your manuscript should be the product of your best work when you submit it; no, that doesn’t mean it’s perfect.

An open dialogue with your editor, and a mutual respect for one another, is absolutely vital if you’re going to work well together. Pay attention to how she communicates with you in the very beginning, and listen to your gut. Is she someone who’s opinion you can trust?

3. Prepare to rewrite.
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So you finished your first draft. Congratulations, your job is done!

Well…not quite.

After your editor returns to you with all that lovely criticism we talked about, it’s your turn to work again. Your manuscript may be ready to publish with just some minor tweaking here and there, or it may be in need of a complete overhaul. Be prepared to be just getting started.

At a lecture this week, Marcus Zusak discussed his most recent novel, The Book Thief, which was his fourth work and a huge success—to say the least. But even for an experienced, successful, full-time author, it took him several drafts and over three years to finish the manuscript. When asked if he had any advice for new authors, Zusak said, simply, “Don’t be too hard on yourself.”

Writing a book takes an enormous amount of time and effort, but whether your book becomes a bestseller or just a favorite among your friends, I think we can all agree: In the end, it’s totally worth it.

Unsure about whether you’re ready for an editor or not? Send me a message at michelle@mjbookeditor.com, and I’d be happy to have a conversation.

Happy writing!

MJ

“Courage is grace under pressure.” | Ernest Hemingway

You’ve finally finished the rough draft of your manuscript. Yes! Is there any better feeling in the world??

That rush can be fleeting though if you find yourself shopping for editors, without a clue of what to look for, or what to expect. Will she take the time to really get to know your characters? How involved will she be in your story? Is she qualified? Can you afford it?

To help you get started, here are three things you can expect from your book editor. Remember that these are basic expectations. Meaning: if you find an editor who doesn’t possess these three qualities, then she is not an editor worth your time, your money, or your partnership. You can insist on these:

1. A good editor knows her stuff. She can spot errors because she knows the rules of composition, and she knows how to break them. She combines detail-orientation with creativity to look at your story from a mile above it, as you have had to do. A good editor watches the industry, too. She’s a reader, and she knows what sells.

2. A good editor understands writers. And while writing is a one-man job, editing doesn’t have to be. She empathizes with you because she’s been in your shoes. This shows itself tangibly in her patience with you, her understanding of your process, and the working friendship that develops between the two of you. She is more than an editor – she is a partner.

3. A good editor steps back. Always remember that it is your manuscript, not your editor’s. She knows her place, and you should too. Expect your editor to combine her subjective opinion with objective advice, but in the end, every final decision is yours. The story is yours, and only you can decide to change it.

***

So you’ve done your research, and you think you’ve narrowed it down, maybe you’ve even found “the one”. Here are a couple ways you can be sure:

1. Always insist on a sample edit. Just as you have your own writing “style”, your editor will have a style of her own as well. For both your sake and hers, ask her to send you a sample edit, and that means you should be ready to share a sample of your writing with her up front. A sample edit is the only way to find out how you and a prospective editor might work together. Notice how long it takes her to complete the sample – a day, a week? See how involved she gets in your story, in your characters. How thorough is she? Did she miss any errors in the line edit? Do her comments open up a dialogue between the two of you?

In other words, is your editor good at what she does, and do the two of you have working chemistry?
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2. Agree on a fair price. A full-length edit can range anywhere from $100 to more than $5,000. This price is based on simple economics. The better an editor, the higher her demand will be, the higher the cost of her services. Your editor may have a standard rate, or she may customize her rates for different projects. Don’t allow a prospective editor to bully you into breaking the bank, but remember that a detailed edit is also an investment… after all, your end goal is to sell books, right? Or if not to sell, then at the very least to help make your book the absolute best version of itself it can be.

And as is true with anything, is true with editing: You get what you pay for.

Finding a good book editor can be stressful. Remember to just take it one step at a time, do your research, and ask lots of questions.

Ready to start a discussion with a prospective book editor? Email me at michelle@mjbookeditor.com, and I’d be more than happy to chat with you.

Happy writing!

MJ

“I write for the same reason I breathe – because if I didn’t, I would die.” | Isaac Asimov