Working With an Editor to Level Up Your Writing! Writerful Books, 25 April 2023 Writing a book can be an arduous process, and many writers feel overwhelmed by the idea of going through the process of revision when they start working with an editor. However, working with an editor can also be a great opportunity for you to learn more about your craft and gain valuable feedback to create the best possible version of your book. In this article, we take a look at how to collaborate effectively with tips on how work with an editor to make the most of the editing process. Whether you’ve worked a book editor before or you’re just starting out researching the editing process, understanding how to collaborate with an editor is a key component of the the process towards getting published. As bestselling author Jodi Picoult advises, “Find the right editor. When you’re starting a book, it’s important to find someone who gets what you’re trying to do. Make sure they have experience in the field, and are open and trusting enough that you can discuss problems honestly with them.” Tips For Working With an Editor: • Prepare for the editing process: Before you start working with your editor, do some research about the process. You’ll want to understand when and how to send drafts, the edits and other feedback that might be needed, and the timeline for completing and submitting your final book. • Set clear goals and expectations: Before you start working with your editor, make sure you’re both on the same page about what you want to accomplish and the goal of the collaboration. Discuss the overall style, tone, message, and any other special requirements upfront to avoid any misunderstandings or delays. • Communicate openly: Maintaining clear, effective communication with your editor is essential to a successful collaboration. Ask questions, give feedback, and be open to their suggestions. Keep the lines of communication open as much as possible, and ensure that you understand their comments and suggestions. • Provide contextual information: Whenever you submit a draft for review, make sure you include any background or other necessary information to give your editor a better understanding of the text. If a particular passage or scene needs more context, provide additional notes or a summary to help your editor understand what’s important to the story. • Be patient and flexible: Editing can be a laborious process and will almost always require several rounds of revisions. Be patient and flexible with your editor so that you can get the most out of the collaboration. Remember to expect edits and feedback, and be willing to discuss any disagreements you might have. • Listen, accept, and implement feedback: Once your submission has been reviewed, take the time to listen to your editor’s feedback and act on it. Not all of the edits will be applicable or even suitable for your writing style and story, but it can still be helpful to take some of the suggestions onboard. Being open and willing to experiment with changes can help you to improve your manuscript and create the best version of your book. Working with an editor is about making the most of the unique partnership between writer and editor. Taking the time to understand how you both work and communicate will ensure a smooth and seamless collaboration. As literary agent Rebecca Strauss advises, “You don’t have to agree with every edit, but your job is to listen, discern if this edit will vastly improve your book, be mindful of your artistic vision, and respectfully reply either with a ‘yes’ or ‘no.’ By doing this, you’ll be miles ahead of most authors in the process of creating the best book possible.” By following these tips, you’ll be able to collaborate with your editor more effectively and have a successful and rewarding experience. Make sure to do your research, ask questions, and heed your editor’s feedback, and you’ll be well on your way to creating the best possible version of your book. No matter what stage of the book-writing process you’re at, we recommend that you hire a book editor to help make your manuscript the polished, successful book it deserves to be. If you are ready to work with an editor, our book editing services are the way to go if you want to take your writing to the next level and increase your chances of getting your book published. Continue Reading: Why Work With With an Editor? Here’s what some of our authors had to say.. - Alarna H. Hello Declan, You’re amazing, this is exactly what I needed. Thank you for such a quick turn around. Kindest, Alarna. - Alarna H.Read Moreread less - Stephenos M. I wanted to take a moment to thank you so much again for the meaningful and insightful feedback you left on the manuscript assessment. I really appreciate your work and the ways your feedback has led to the improvement of my writing. Sincerely, Stephenos. - Stephenos M.Read Moreread less - Janene W. Thank you for these timely reports. Please pass on my thanks to the beta reader for his or her report. It was extremely helpful and I think I've gained a much better insight into my manuscript from his/her useful and honest comments. I have read them and have been chewing on the comments. There are many points listed in the reports that align with my instincts regarding the manuscript. These give me areas I can directly attack as I head into my next draft, and I appreciate that. - Janene W.Read Moreread less - Benjamin G. I've just been looking over the beta reader report and can't thank you enough. You identified so many issues I would never have found on my own. I agree with all your suggestions and am excited to go through another revision to improve the manuscript. Your report was much more insightful and detailed than I expected. I will be referring you to fellow writers looking for a good beta reader. Thanks again. Sincerely, Benjamin J. Gohs - Benjamin G.Read Moreread less - Sean C. Thank you so much for your report. And I agree with, say, 95% of it. I always wanted to better describe the technical aspects of the business and I could have written 200,000 - 300,000 words, but I learned as I went along that that was not the route to take. I’m happy now to say hello again to the text and begin to revise it pretty much in the manner you suggest. I must say that it’s the journey of writing the book that is so satisfying – I suspect I will be lost when it’s actually finished (although I have an idea for another one). Good luck with Heart of Darkness, one of my favorites; you’ll easily breeze through it since it’s so short, then think, “what was he actually talking about”? Enjoy! - Sean C.Read Moreread less - Denise N. Thank you for my Evaluation. I was quite excited and nervous to read the feedback. Your feedback was really great. I do understand what you are saying. My biggest thing I did get from the feedback was, I am obviously not getting my message across about the most important topic of all, which is, negative money thoughts, all to do with the mind. It is not about, financial security, independence etc it is about looking at your money thoughts and language. If you have any other suggestions I would love to hear from you, if not, thank you again. - Denise N.Read Moreread less - Liljana F. Writerful Books’ comprehensive manuscript appraisal was exactly what I needed to take my work to the next level. Declan’s thoughtful comments and practical advice helped me pinpoint issues with my characters, structure and style that I wouldn’t have picked up myself. I’m very happy with the constructive criticism I received, and now feel more optimistic about the future of my book. Thanks again! - Liljana F.Read Moreread less - John D. That’s terrific, exactly what I was hoping for (would have been better if I’d sent the final edit version). I would like to purchase another $110 worth in a couple of weeks, if available. John Dawson. - John D.Read Moreread less - Claire C. Thanks so much for you assessment. I have to confess, you were far more positive about my writing than I was expecting! I have read through the assessment a couple of times and I am about to work my way through the Word version. I was not surprised by your notes on the opening. It has been haunting me through every edit. Who knew the first line would be the most challenging. Thank you for your thoughts, I will see what I can do to make it more compelling/inviting. It was also good for you to pick out the section I did on the vows. If you can believe it, it was a lot worse! I went on a crazy tangent, even played around with an illustration. I felt like a blog was inserted into the chapter, but I kept it in because I was trying to show in the reality of vows an entertaining way. I shall remove it happily and explore other ways of making my point. For now, I have lots to do and I am looking forward to diving back into the manuscript with some direction and perspective from you. Thanks again. It was really wonderful to read your encouraging words. This was very much a personal challenge for me - to write a story that had been dancing around in my mind for a few years. Knowing it wasn’t a total turd spurs me on to have a go at a second one. Cheers Claire - Claire C.Read Moreread less - Catherine C. Thanks so much Declan. I’m going to make a few modifications now thanks to your suggestions. Great thanks so much! As you say good writing is rewriting, and as I re-read the rest of the manuscript I am struck with how many glaring holes there are and how many (lots!) opportunities for improvement! So, I think I will continue to work on it before I send the rest of it to you. Thanks for the feedback. I felt my writing had improved, so its nice to know I am not delusional. BTW, this is a completely new story, with the previous 2 manuscripts as only back story. Thanks so much. It is a very well written, comprehensive report. I’m very impressed with the quality. There are some helpful suggestions for improvement and the summary of characters and plot is spot on. [...] Thanks again for such an in-depth report, I know that was beyond the realm of a beta read, so I really appreciate it! Catherine Craig. - Catherine C.Read Moreread less - Allison D. Thanks very much, Declan—impressively speedy! I’ve passed your report on to the editor. Allison Draper - HarperCollins - Allison D.Read Moreread less - Graham W. I have read your feedback. It said what I thought it would and more. I am again exited about the novel and will delve in again in December for the second go, with your notes in mind. I have a lot of story written in history of the characters, I will now blend the two to make a much more whole story-line You mentioned editing, which I think is gonna be a necessity. Is this genre something you can do? I will finish off the 2nd draft and maybe treat myself to an editor. Once again thanks for the feedback and the well thought out explanations. Graham. - Graham W.Read Moreread less - Alessandro S. Thanks so much for the essay and the editing, it's all very encouraging and it has gotten me back into self-editing at full speed! [...] Sorry for babbling a bit, but I felt inspired! Thanks again for this, and by all means feel free to ask anything you like. If you or the reader want to talk about it face-to-face (digitally so to speak) I am also very open to it, I don't have much opportunity to speak about my writing with people in the industry so it would be a great experience for me to chat about it. Kind Regards, Alessandro. - Alessandro S.Read Moreread less - Anni T. Thank you so much for the quick turnaround on your beta read! Your report was very insightful and will help a lot in understanding a reader's perspective. I am so glad the story came together for you - that alone is extremely helpful. Yes, the subject matter is dark, which is always difficult when trying to write a story that is entertaining! I have lines that I won't cross, esp. when it comes to writing about children. I think writing for shock value is a race to the bottom. I'll go back and work on the dialogue that is stilted/unrealistic - yes, it would be awful for the narrator to have to read stilted dialogue! Also, I have to thank you for ploughing through the story despite it being so messy! My editor is finding 100s of errors and many inconsistencies. I've been under pressure to make a deadline for my audio publisher and I've had issues caused by the border closure in Victoria (we were meant to be moving there). I agree with the border closure, but it's been a difficult time - as have these past months been for many, many people. - Anni T.Read Moreread less - Marlane A. Thank you for your feedback. I’ll work through your editing recommendations, which I found helpful and encouraging. Sincerely, Marlane - Marlane A.Read Moreread less - Jo V. Thanks so much for arranging this review. I really enjoyed it. I have a bit of distance from the writing now so it’s great to have this feedback and it will fuel my current and future writing. Many thanks! Jo - Jo V.Read Moreread less load more Editing Services Are You Ready to Hire a Book Editor? 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