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.. - John B. Thank you for providing a very informative and constructive critique. I feel most of the observations were quite valid and I will proceed with further refinements and edits. Thank you again, John. - John B.Read Moreread less - Laura B. This was VERY helpful. I guess the Beta reader did not know that this is just the first 5 chapters of a longer book. I agree it needs work and that is why people hire beta readers- so they can get feedback and revise, revise, revise. Thanks again.. Laura. - Laura B.Read Moreread less - Michael P. I received your report and took a gander. I’ll have more time later tonight to read it in detail. [...] Generally speaking, you highlighted exactly what I expected (not a bad thing). I knew going into this project that it would be a challenge staying “in the moment” i.e., biblical times/language. It has been fun. The protagonist’s journey – that’s what it’s all about. I’ll be in touch. Thank you. Michael. - Michael P.Read Moreread less - Peter B. I received your beta report and I first want to thank you for the kind comments you made about this story. Your suggestions and ideas were right on, and I’ve already made most of the corrections. I was stunned by the number of typos, etc. in the manuscript. I thought it was pretty clean. Thanks for pointing them out. I know that proofreading my own work will never be perfect, and to compound things, I’ve been proofing four different novels of mine all at the same time. I can see now that I need to take a different approach with it comes to proofing, and that means that I should probably follow your suggestion to hire a proofreader. That will free me to continue writing the new stories that keep swirling around in my head. 🙂 - Peter B.Read Moreread less - Nella R. Thanks so much for your thorough and constructive review! Being into romance writing, I'm not surprised the romance is a little overdone. I will revisit and find a way of dealing with the issues you so proficiently highlight. It does all make sense, and yes, I did want to finish the story quickly. I got my idea for the ending from The Birds(Hitchcock) - when they drive off leaving behind a problem that is clearly not going away. Regards, Nella. - Nella R.Read Moreread less - Frank R. Thank you very much for your quick response to my book. You have certainly given me something to think about and work to do. I am in the process of rewriting the first chapter [...] Your comments as to why would be helpful. [...] I guess the next step is to send you another draft for you to assess and once we feel the story has resolved some of the above issues go to some editing. Please let me know if this is how you see things happening. [...] Any other thoughts you have are welcome. I look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards, Frank. - Frank R.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 - 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 - Tanya D. Thank you so much for your report. I sincerely appreciate your swiftness and all the great things you had to say about my manuscript. It was a true blessing to read your responses to the questions from the book; thank you for sharing those with me. I will forever be grateful that you gave me the original source of the quote, “We do not see things as they are; instead, we see them as we are.” I had it listed as anonymous, and the gal who did my citations insisted I change it; I am much happier to reference Talmud! I found your comments especially encouraging and will incorporate many of your suggestions. It has been a pleasure to collaborate with you. My most sincere thanks! - Tanya D.Read Moreread less - Luther R. Thank you for your review and comments. I have read the report and now in the process of going through the comments. If I have any questions I will get back to you. Thank again. Sincerely, Luther. - Luther R.Read Moreread less Thanks for the good advice. I’ll keep working on it. Read Moreread less - Chris How fast you work! Thank you for your beta-reading and yes, your revisions. I feel privileged. Your comments are quite encouraging. In light of what you have written, I will only send you the completed work. It will take a few months. Your feedback tells me this: 1. I am in the right direction, the pace is well set, my English grammar and style are adequate, but will need to be revised by a professional. 2. The story summary is enticing. 3. Judging the first chapter, the book has good marketing potential. All that galvanizes me. If I got it wrong, by all means, tell me. I am looking forward to contacting you when the first draft of the Great Inversion will be tweaked and ready, but not professionally revised. Most cordially, Chris. - ChrisRead Moreread less - Mary K. Thanks for your quick turnaround on the report, but even more importantly, thank you for your thoughtful and constructive comments. I've been hesitant to contact the victim's family but you've encouraged me to give it a go and see what happens. Truthfully, in my mind this book is about possibly getting justice for Tatanisha as well as Dell. Thanks again for your excellent suggestions. Sincerely, Mary. - Mary K.Read Moreread less - Jeffrey M. I totally get why it took longer to read. I feel a little goofy pestering you so much, I just wasn’t sure. You have nothing to apologize for. You were right, this was a top notch reading which will greatly help my revisions. - Jeffrey M.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 - Jim C. Thanks for the feedback. I have gone through about half of it so far and find myself in agreement with most of the points and having a good think about some broader issues they raise. Will probably have a few questions once I have had time to digest things a bit. Best wishes, Jim. - Jim C.Read Moreread less Load More Editing Services Are You Ready to Hire an Editor? Read More Book Editing Services Read More Manuscript Assessments Read More Manuscript Evaluations Read More Articles Book Editing ServicesHire a Book Editor