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.. - Lulu K. Thank you so much for the report and for all your observations within it. Having this professional guidance is what I have been yearning for since I started writing the book. I am an early school leaver and also suffer from dyslexia so I knew there would be many grammar mistakes as well restructuring to be done. I sometimes overwrite things as what I am trying to express gets tied up in my mind in knots of confusion. - Lulu K.Read Moreread less - Barbara R. Thank you so much for your thorough and conscientious review of my manuscript, and for your honest feedback and suggestions. I have already made several suggested edits. - Barbara R.Read Moreread less - Jodi L. I just read your comments and am feeling deeply grateful. You've given me a new confidence that the subtleties I was hoping to convey are coming through to a caring and thoughtful reader. I will certainly work on the few words you suggested reconsidering. One one of them ("knacker") I was wondering about myself ... whether it had too many other meanings to be clear in that context. Indeed I struggled with hating to use the language of the era, but knowing it was how the characters would speak. I am glad you felt that was a reasonable choice. Also, as this was a new epilogue (after several tries that weren't working all that well), I am quite grateful that you've given it a stamp of approval. I do feel that I'm finally ready to send this book to agents... to let it out of my own little world. It's been a very long road of discovering this challenging craft, and readers like you make it worth it. Many thanks to you, and I quite expect I'll get back in touch for the next one. Rinse and repeat.... that's a writing life! - Jodi L.Read Moreread less - Pat K. Thank you for the valuable feedback on both the strengths and weaknesses of Windshift. I'll be working on those improvements during the weeks ahead. Thanks again, Pat. - Pat K.Read Moreread less - William Thank you so much for the invaluable feedback on Zoa's Arks. I am grateful for the cogent points you brought up. - WilliamRead 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 - 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 - Matthew L. Very many thanks for this - hugely appreciated! I am grateful both for your highly encouraging compliments and your suggestions for improvement. I do know what you mean about the danger of repetition with the animals chapters - I had looked at them to try and avoid that happening but I’ll go back and look again! Originally it was one long chapter but I split it up so that it didn’t get in the way of the chronology. I shall ponder and play around with it! Meanwhile, I’m delighted you found it so relatable and that it made you laugh! Many thanks again for your work and kind wishes. Matthew. - Matthew L.Read Moreread less - Joanne O. Thank you so very, very much for your feedback. I don't think I was expecting anything quite so resoundingly positive and I feel tremendously uplifted to know that you enjoyed reading my novel! This is my first attempt at writing and I have been working away at this manuscript for a good two years now, through various rounds of feedback, fine-tuning and the like. I'm not quite sure what to say! I would absolutely love to submit the piece and I confess I really have very little clue as to how to go about contacting agents. I will look into that and let's see where it takes me. Thank you once again - it really did make my day! Regards, Joanne. - Joanne O.Read Moreread less - Maria G. Thank you very much for this. I find it quite helpful, and instructive. Especially the bias, it was definitely not intended. I simply did not realise it. Neither my editors. So, I will work some more on the story, and will take on board all the other raised questions. - Maria G.Read Moreread less - John B. Hi Declan, I finally got The Last Five Swords published and would like to send you a copy as you were very instrumental in getting it over the line! Thanks for your help, John. - John B.Read Moreread less - Lauren B. Thank you very much for your critique, I appreciate it. This is exactly what I've been looking for! All the best, Lauren. - Lauren B.Read Moreread less - Tammy A. Thanks for sending it through. Some great feedback. I'm slowly working through your suggested edits.. - Tammy A.Read Moreread less - Chris J. Thanks Declan. There is a lot of work to do. I am not looking to become a professional writer, I just have a story I want to tell. Thanks so much for the report. Regards, Chris. - Chris J.Read Moreread less - Rebecca A. Thank you very much for your work. It is clear to me you have read the manuscript thoroughly and I appreciate your direct feedback. I already feel excited about the potential for improvement you have outlined that I wasn't able to see on my own. What's more, I've also seen clear evidence that I made the right decision in deciding to get a manuscript assessment from your detailed comments alone. This is exactly what I needed. Thank you again. Rebecca - Rebecca A.Read Moreread less - Helen G. Thank you so much for your insightful comments. I had to laugh at the grammatical errors. It seems no matter how hard I try to find them, some always get through. Grammarly is good, but it doesn’t seem to ever catch it all. This novel went through 4 edits with the program and it missed all of those you specified. I need to read it aloud, which I haven’t done. It is the best way but time consuming. - Helen G.Read Moreread less load more Editing Services Are You Ready to Hire a Book Editor? Read More Book Editing Services Read More Manuscript Assessments Read More Manuscript Evaluations Read More Articles Book Editing ServicesHire a Book Editor