Coaching writers is distinct from developmental editing, but because of the nature of DE work, it’s common for it to shade into coaching (and, indeed, into mentoring). Many DEs fall into coaching because their clients ask for it while others want to move into the field more intentionally. Here are my thoughts about offering coaching…
If you think you might enjoy becoming a freelance book editor, read on! This site is intended for freelance developmental editors (DEs)—that is, DEs who aren’t employed by publishing companies but run their own businesses. This allows much more flexibility for the very many people in the world who need it. (More than forty percent…
Use the right words to prevent client confusion The other day I saw a writer upset that their editor promised several passes through their manuscript but in fact only did one. It was a classic case of miscommunication of editorial terminology. What the writer expected was for the editor to provide feedback through several revisions….
Writers often assume that being an editor can’t be all that different from being a writer. But writing and editing are two very different skills. What makes a good editor is not the same as what makes a good writer. Being a writer has certainly helped me understand what the writing and revision process is like…
“I’m not teaching the whiners anymore.” A friend of mine who also runs an online education company said this to me a couple of weeks ago when we were talking about the direction we wanted to take our respective businesses. Personally, I don’t get the kind of students you’d call whiners—that is, people who complain…
Follow this basic template to write a revision letter that will help the author successfully revise their work: Dear AUTHOR: Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work on TITLE. I enjoyed THING. [Begin with praise about the novel. State something specific that the author does well. Don’t just say, “I really enjoyed this…
The revision letter is what the author turns to first when they’ve received your edit to understand your overall feedback regarding what needs to be done in the revision. It guides the author’s revision. It can also be used as a standalone tool for conveying big-picture concerns to authors when they don’t have the budget…
A good rule of thumb for a fiction editorial query is to make statements, not ask questions. By focusing on making statements, rather than questions, in your editorial queries, you begin to unpack your assumptions about what literature is, what makes a story good, and so on. I often recommend using the three-party query template…
It’s very common for newer dev editors to write editorial queries that say things like, “What is Joe’s motivation?” but that does not give the author sufficient guidance to do the revision so it is not an effective editorial query. But it is a perfectly fine place to start. The first thing to do is…