- How To
- How To Be A Good Editor
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fPlenty of people openly complained on the Public Portal about my first submission, "How to Piss Off an Editor", and in the same breath wrote to me privately; saying they wished they'd had the guts to say what I had and that I was right. They couldn't believe nobody had thought about it previously.
So I've decided to be my irreverent self again and write the counterpart of "How to Piss Off and Editor". I know that lots of you will want to crucify me for saying the things I will, but I feel it's only fair to the writers that I do.
So here it is, in no particular order, what I think makes a good editor.
• A good editor doesn't simply read and correct spelling and grammatical mistakes;
That would be much too easy if all we had to do was read and correct those kinds of mistakes.
• A good editor gets down and dirty with the story and isn't afraid to shred it to pieces if need be;
That doesn't mean tearing our writer's heart out but we have to stop being sissies; pussy-footing around our writers. They are big boys and girls and they can hear what's what.
• A good editor doesn't just praise but also says why and where the praise is due;
It's too easy to give pats on the shoulder; we need to get more in depth in our analysis of the work submitted to us.
• A good editor critiques and is not afraid to say what's on his/her mind;
Constructive criticism is difficult, even for us, but it's also the thing the writers crave the most. Let's not be afraid to say what we don't like and why. No writer can hate you for being honest with them (at least, not if he/she is serious with his/her writing).
• A good editor knows that some writers are like infants and need to be taught what's wrong and what's right;
It's better to give too much information than too little. Even if he, ultimately, has the last word with his work, you're still the one who may have a broader sense of what is right or wrong because you're standing back from it.
• A good editor needs to establish a relationship with his/her writer before he/she can do a good job;
In my opinion, compulsory if your goal is to improve the current, and future, projects of the writer.
• A good editor needs to see and understand where his writer is coming from if he wants to understand where the writer's characters are coming from;
Self explanatory in itself but too many editors forget that writers come from all walks of life and what they deem "unrealistic" might be this particular writer's reality.
• A good editor involves himself in the writer's writing process and puts his foot down when a character acts "out of character" inappropriately;
Don't be afraid to hash over ideas with your writer; in the end he can only gain from it.
• A good editor knows when to stroke his writer's ego and when to kick his butt;
Kicking butt and stroking egos must be imparted sparingly and with much care. You don't want to do too much or too little.
• A good editor isn't afraid to say he/she is wrong;
The hardest thing for us to do; admit that we are wrong and that we make mistakes.
• A good editor insists on consistency from his writer and doesn't back off when the writer cringes;
If your writer has always made you proud and suddenly lowers his standards you are obligated to say so. The writer might complain that you are unfair but when he cools down he'll realize that you want the best for him.
• A good editor is like a mother for his writer; always there in time of crisis but overjoyed when the writer stretches his wings and soars;
What can be more rewarding for you as an editor than to see your writer do well and be praised by others for his work?
Last but not least, praise your writers, thank them for giving you the privilege of working with them, and pick their spirits up if they receive bad reviews. Don't be afraid to tell them what you like about them, not just their writing skill.
Good writers are a really rare breed these days; acknowledge their individuality and what they bring to your life as an editor.
Thanks to the wonderful writers who helped me become a much better editor. I wouldn't be the editor I am now but for them. Tact prevents me naming them all here, but they know who they are!
- COMMENTS
Anonymousover 12 years agoI know this was written in 2005, but I just found it today. It’s worth reading if for no other reason than to read ‘chargrined’s comment. I laughed until I cried.
Anonymousalmost 13 years agoI feel you highlight qualities a good editor has but I feel, it would have been more interesting if you talked about the qualities in more detail.
CopperSkinkover 14 years agoIf we were all robots, editing (and writing for that matter) would be a painless process. We would be able to impart our experience without fear of hurting anyone's feelings.
But if we were robots, we wouldn't be able to wrtie good porn, nor would we care to read it. A good writing/editing experience feels like giving birth when the story finally shows up on the "New Stories" page and gets that "H" tag before it falls off.
CopyCarverover 15 years agoI usually just nail authors to a cross and make them listen to Wayne Newton records when they miss up, but your methods will work well also.
Seriously, good ideas that are well presented, Lady C.
Kanga40about 19 years agowho actually DO take note of suggestions &/or correct inconsistencies in their stories.
Such authors are a pleasure to work with - actually they make the process a delight and not at all worklike.
ALL authors, whoever your editor is, should take note of rp's comments.
Even without an editor, you must believe the verdict of your readers. If they disliked a hero you thought you painted as a saint, the he ain't a saint!
You didn't do a good enough job describing him.
Beware of the trap rpsuch pointed out - you may be so far inside your characters' heads that you know exactly their motives and background, but it's not worth a fig if you haven't successfully conveyed all that to the reader.
There is an old saying:
"A lawyer representing himself has a fool for a lawyer and a fool for a client"
An author editing his own work is is in the same boat!
That is why many so called stories are merely a jumble of words.
Oh for the old "Whiteshadow" system where nothing was posted until it was passed by one of the editors.At least ALL stories were readable both with basic continuity and spelling/grammar.
Captain Midnightabout 19 years agoI want to be a Hollywood writer someday ... I've tried several times with "spec" (unsolicited) scripts. It is ALWAYS good to have someone look over your work. Problems arise when people don't have the time to talk about what you have written, or say things which aren't really useful.
All sutdios and most agents hire professional readers, generally paying them on a per-script basis, to look over the unsolicited material and see if it fits basic writing guidelines and the guidelines for the genre. Sometimes the readers will return the script with comments, sometimes not. I've had both things happen. I've also taken writing classes and seen the teachers' prejudices come up in certain situations -- they intensely dislike a certain style of writing, or intensely prefer another style. Not every teacher is a failed author, but some, unfortunately, are. Others are fine authors who don't have a good outlet (most college writing professors would fit here -- they need to eat). The ones with prejudices are the worst to deal with, because they may not be able to bend their rules to critique a story out of their preferred genres. (LadyCibelle, you know what I mean.)
I got a big laugh out of Chagrined's self-parody. I don't know how many writers are THAT bad at punctuation, grammar, sentence structure, etc. I have had continual battles over grammar and spelling with my MS Word program because I know a few things it doesn't, or have structured my sentences deliberately and don't fit in its cookie cutter. At one point, LadyCibelle called me on something, I wrote her back explaining why I had used it, she accepted the explanation, the item stayed in.
No writer or editor should have to crawl around eating dirt, although most Hollywood writers wind up doing it because of pressure from executives and stars and directors (so the good ones become executives as fast as they can). I'd be scared to death to be a staff writer on a TV show (at least when it wasn't payday), but I am "apprenticing" to patricia51 because I'm trying to learn the erotic genre, and I'm working with LadyCibelle because she dared me to. You want to learn, you work with the best. Maybe someday someone will work with me.
Chagrinedabout 19 years agoDeer LadieC,
What do u no abowt this? You knot a gud editor at all! Alla tie I send u ting alla time and u send back, alla time! hoo u thnk u are! Miss “I no everything abowt riteing?” Just bcaws you speek Englisch don’t make u missus gawddamn Dickuns!! Speeking Francjh do’t give you the power of the grate franch riter, was his name, yes, Toldstory! I bet you dint no that Les Miserables wuz about lezbefirends, did ja? Ha I tooght not!
I hav sent u what? Six or 7 times I cent mms to u and alla time you send them back wif all this crap about this und that. My story is full of all this red and green stuff! sumtimes, u put in these “comment “ things and I can’t get rid to them! You say “I don’t think Peter would do this, do you?” Well, missy, if I say peter hit his pecker with a bazeball bat u beter beleev he hit his pecker with a bazeboll bat!
Like most u editors u too hung up of me riting compeat sentences and plot to unnerstand the fine intricut nooance witch under pins all my riting!
I don’t think u know wat you are talking abowt! I go find a editer who can apere..appreeesheee…..acreciatee……like my riting! :-P
rpsuchabout 19 years agoThere is one essential between the two articles that writers absolutely need to understand: There is a very good chance you did not write what you thought you wrote!
You know what you intended to write. You know more about the characters than you will put in the story because if you didn't, you couldn't get all their behavior right. Since you completely understand your story, when you read it, you will see everything you intended. The reader is not armed with what is in your mind. If your editor or reader says, "The character wouldn't act this way," and you can't demonstrate he absolutely would based on only what is in the story, your editor is right. If (s)he challenges your logic and you can't prove it by what is in the story, your editor is right.
The writer is in the uniquely worst position to know if he has gotten across what he intended. You already know what you intended. How can you possibly put yourself in a position of not know that in order to determine if you succeeded in getting it across.
Sometimes your editor just might not get it. Ask a few other people to read it and give you feedback. If 3 or 4 tell you they got what you were selling, the editor might not be in synch on this story. If a second person tells you you didn't do it (gee, is some editor going to tell me about you you?), then you didn't do it beyond a reasonable doubt.
I guess listening to your editor was in the articles somewhere but I thought I would specify you must, in your own best interest.
