Editors · 5:01am Nov 6th, 2013
People are fallible. We all make mistakes and for the most part have a hard time perceiving our own. The best way for an author to check what they have written is to get someone else to take a look, revise and edit. Generally, we call a person doing this an editor. An editor's job is to offer advice, and that could take many forms depending on what the author needs. With just a little editing help, the quality of an author's writing can be hugely improved.
Some of the key tasks an editor could be called on to perform include:
⚫ Basic text polishing (spelling, punctuation, grammar)
⚫ Verification of continuity and legibility (does the text work logically, and are the ideas presented clearly and coherently?)
⚫ Ensuring consistency of style and texture (do they meet the needs of the story or publication?)
⚫ Checking on character continuity and development (are the characters behaving consistently over the course of the story, and is their progression both logical and believable?)
⚫ Verifying plot and dramatic structure (is it logical and natural, and is the pacing right?)
⚫ Be a sounding board to discuss ideas and story development
⚫ Be a teammate who can help the author fill the gaps in those areas where they need assistance
⚫ Coaching the author on where those gaps are and suggesting remedies
Ideally, an editor should be well versed in all these areas, but there’s no rule that says that you can only have one editor. Playing to people’s strengths is important. For example, (true story) there was someone who admitted that they weren’t much for words, but were so enthusiastic about helping with a writing project that they risked arrest by Air Force security to help collect nifty info to include in the story. That’s dedication—something a good editor should have. (Although a clean criminal record is nice, too.)
Solid editing generally occupies a lot of time, perhaps even as much as the original author put in. Editing is a commitment—one you must be willing to make and adhere to. Nothing is more frustrating for an author than having an editor disappear in the middle of a story.
To make sure you understand what you’re getting into beforehand, communication is key. The author doesn’t want to spoil the plot of their story, but an editor must know. The author can keep secrets from the readers, but not the editor. Talk! Talk a lot! Brainstorming is also a great way to identify and get over any hurdles that pop up.
To completely understand what is going on, some ground rules should be established before working with an editor. Make sure you know who is in charge. Some schools of thought have the author in command with the editor as an advisor. Others give the editor the final say and make the author write to please them. It depends on how you like your structure.
On top of that, know what you’re getting out of it. A lot of times, people will edit each other’s stories quid pro quo. Not only is it great for getting perspective from the other side, but that way you’re both fairly compensated.
Fanfiction is completely free. Nobody gets paid. That’s why some people are reluctant to edit—because they get nothing in return. It’s important for an author to acknowledge the work their editor does. Even a name-drop goes a long way. You can link to them in the story description, you can mention them in the author’s note at the end of every chapter, or whatever. Make sure they know that the public knows. Everyone enjoys a good ego boost.
See to it that the name lives up to the billing, though. It can be frustrating to have an editor come on board with a project and then contribute less than the author expected. As an editor you have a responsibility to the story, just like the writer.
Let’s change gears a little. Some people talk about editing and proofreading. They are not necessarily the same thing. Proofreading involves mechanics, style, and other objective aspects of writing. Editing is about feeling as much as thinking. When dialog is wooden, or there's a plot hole, or the story structure is lopsided, a really good editor can tell by listening to their gut. They aren’t just verifying that the words you typed followed the rules in the English textbook; they’re making sure the words form a proper story.
An editor should be articulate enough to not only identify an issue, but explain it in a way the writer can understand. It’s like the old adage that a true expert can explain complicated things in a simple way.
Of course, not everyone has the whole package. Everyone can do something, however. If you can focus on a few things you’re good at, another person can take care of the rest. Having a pool of editors working together on a story will likely produce the best results.
Some authors, including professionals like Stephen King, have groups dedicated to prereading their work before it goes live. This ensures a broad range of people will see it to give you more coverage. The downside of this, however, is the aforementioned issue of keeping secrets to make sure the readers aren’t spoiled. It depends on how you want to write your story.
And ultimately, the hard decisions come down to the author. Getting an editor is basically asking for someone to question you and your work. It’s asking for an argument. But this is a good thing. Someone needs to ask the difficult questions before the readers get a chance to. Someone needs to make you think about what you’re doing and stay motivated to write more.
So once you get an editor, what do you do with ‘em? If you have more than one, make sure you deconflict who does what. Don’t make your editor feel like they’ve been replaced by someone else. This is another area where communication is a good thing. FIMFiction private messages don’t really cut it. The best thing is to meet your editor face to face. However, most of us are creatures of the internet, so for long distance communication, Skype or the instant messenger built into Google Documents are good tools.
In dealing with your editor, you may want to set a term of service. They may react differently depending on whether they’re editing just one story or becoming your go-to editor for everything. If you find someone who is so good that they set a gold standard of awesome, it can be difficult to give that person up. However, the other side of that is if you never work with anyone else, you never learn anything new or see different perspectives.
Continuous improvement for both you and your editor involves workshopping and learning from as many people as possible. Everyone sees things differently, and the more people you consult with, the larger sample size you get in order to obtain a better feel for what readers want.
Find a combination that works for you. Play with the formula, experiment, and have fun. Fanfiction is a great way to bring people together. A good author-editor bond is like a good sandwich—much better together than eating the ingredients one at a time!
Contributers to this blog include: Dafaddah, GaryOak, Horse Voice, and RBDash47. Not only do these fine folks know a lot about editing, they even edited this blog.
I had an editor once-he posted my unfinished fic to /mlp/ and didn't review it.
1486082 He seems more like Satan to me.
So... in all this, what do I count as?
Also, I'm sorry if I end up pre reading more than editing. I'm just going to blame my job, kthxbai.
the issue is that i've been looking for any editor, so far I got only one, and damn glad I got him because he's catching more mistakes on his first go through than I'm making on 4 or 5. But, he is only one person and I feel like an Ass because I'm taking alot of his free time to help me and not able to find him anyone else to help him shoulder the load
Glad to have contributed to this blog. It's been a long time coming.
1486141
I rely on prereaders quite heavily. As long as one is capable of correctly absorbing large amounts of feedback (college writing classes teach you this quickly), one can never have too many prereaders.
As a sometimes-editor, may I throw in my two cents?
i.imgur.com/bJNrgQd.png
As an editor for Cornova's Pokè Wars fanfics, Lynolius's Heroes and Allies and a researcher for Wingless's "Project Nautilus" fic, I have to say, be prepared for reviewers and readers to completely ignore the fact that you exist — no matter how much the author credits you.
Also, if you're working in a group, communication is important — even more so if you're working in real time.
1486141 *Grins* I sometime find myself worrying the exact same thing. I'm sure it all works out though
An excellent blog post as always. Kudos to all who worked on it.
Hmm... Great blog, ill saver every bit of information :D
1486166 army life teaches you how to absorb information like a bloody shamwow. I can absorb info. Lol.
1486833
It's not just absorbing, it's knowing which advice to heed and which to ignore. One of my professors says 90% of what you hear in any given workshop is worthless. But figuring out that really helpful 10% is key.
so...... this is a tip guide to getting editors and not a requirement for a new one?
cause i was hoping the later, would of applied <.<
1486942 Yah... When we're on course, we have so much information jam packed into whatever time frame is offered... For instance, on my last course, the first week had something like 16 hour learning days, with 4 hour work days attached. Really sucks trying to sift information like that.
But you know what, just because I couldn't tell you what any of those classes were about, I still know exactly how to apply them... Really weird way of working, if you ask me.
That was informative. I thank you all for putting this together.
1487694
I guess it's just beaten into your brain.
They totally edited this sentence, didn't they?
"fine folks"
So what you're saying is... I should get an actual editor, instead of just using my lazy self and lazy friend to find errors? I don't know if I want to do that or not.
1487837
I had no hand in that one.
1487807 Everything in life is drill. The army isn't the only group who practices it. We're just one of the few who have a name for it.
1488110
Precisely.
1487882
We-ll, getting an editor brings you a fresh perspective that's geared to be helpful. It's both great and painful, because if the editor's doing their job, they will call you out where you're not - and that tends to sting depending on the severity of the issue and how your editor works. Having worked with and myself being one of the blunter ones (though I hardly employ/exercise either these days), I can tell you that it's not personal. It's just us trying to derive a bit of enjoyment from what is, aside from the whole out-of-goodness-of-heart, a thankless, gruelling task. Though that's a bit of a tangent.
If you get comments that actually point out errors and aren't just "
", and work on what you glean from it, the benefit is the same.
1487882 Most of what he's saying is that the purpose of an editor is not to find errors, but to find problems.
1489029
1489136
Oh, I understand now. I might actually look into that sometime once I get a good update schedule and stuff going. Thanks!
1488197
Let that be a message to everyone who thinks soldiers are just order following automatons.
Because you are too.
Thanks for throwing this up.
Sorry! I really tried not to, but I just couldn't help myself.
4316804 Well, you're the first person in three years to notice...