Comments on: The Editor or the Author: Who's In Charge?

By: Lisa Norman

Lisa Norman — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 16:16:19 +0000

This is all fantastic. But what happens when you find yourself in need of a combination of these? Working with a holistic editor is also a fascinating experience...

By: Denise

Denise — Thu, 04 Jul 2024 03:40:46 +0000

I've worked as all of those, so I have a good idea what to look for in an editor.

By: David Lombardino

David Lombardino — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 22:50:53 +0000

In reply to Ellen Buikema. Thank you for sharing, Ellen!

By: Ellen Buikema

Ellen Buikema — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 17:24:10 +0000

I believe the doctor/patient comparison is pretty accurate. All an editor can truly do is be a guide.

I've worked with wonderful and not so wonderful editors. The best developmental editors being those who took a bit of time to understand where I was coming from and hoped to go.

I have home-based grammar police, which helps a lot. 😁

By: David Lombardino

David Lombardino — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 15:59:30 +0000

In reply to Dawn Turner. Thank you, Dawn, for sharing this valuable insight!

By: David Lombardino

David Lombardino — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 15:56:11 +0000

In reply to Lynette M Burrows. Thank you, Lynette!

By: Dawn Turner

Dawn Turner — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 15:26:56 +0000

Ultimately, it's the author's story, so that's who has final say. Or SHOULD have final say. I find it alarming how many editors demand changes to a story that actually prove detrimental to the author's work, and how often authors submit to those demands without considering how harmful they are. They insist of rewriting the entire story the way THEY would've written it, instead of honoring the author's own style, voice, and story. (Those are the editors who tend to make authors want to quit. I've helped clean up the aftermath of those devastations.) On the flipside, I've seen authors get defensive and reject changes that would actually strengthen their work, instead of taking time to simply think about what the editor told them. The ones that get me are those who hire editors and then reject or want to argue over every recommendation, no matter what it is or how minor it might be. If they're not actually going to accept ANY feedback, why waste either their time or the editor's? When I do developmental editing for others, I flag things that aren't working FOR ME, explain why, and leave it to the author to figure out which feedback they take. THEY know their story and characters better than I do. They know where the story is headed. As an author, I expect the same respect from my editor. I also don't just knee-jerk reject feedback I don't like. My primary editor is in a different part of the country, so we've run into cultural clashes. Communication styles vary from region to region, sometimes in profound ways, as does language. Most often when something strikes her wrong, I've found I simply need to double check the particular words I used. Most often, it's as simple as changing a single word, or it can mean adding a sentence or two to DPOV to better show what's going on in the character's head. It's amazing what a difference a small change can make. When it comes down to it, this isn't really all that simple. There are some profoundly bad editors out there (they know how to do great sample edits, which hides how bad they really are), and there are some remarkably thin-skinned, rigid authors out there who won't accept feedback on so much as a comma. Neither play well with others. A good editor is worth their weight in gold, as far as I'm concerned, but so is an author who actually thinks instead of reacts.

By: Lynette M Burrows

Lynette M Burrows — Wed, 03 Jul 2024 13:32:15 +0000

Great advice, David. The questions you suggest authors should ask are spot on. And the stomachache and scratch analogy is the perfect reminder for editors. I'll be sharing this.