A fiction editor looks for specific concerns in a manuscript. The following checklist can help you understand the basic story problems you may encounter as developmental editor. #1 Is this a type of genre fiction? If so, does it conform to genre requirements/expectations? If it is genre fiction but does not conform to expectations, is…
If you’re trying to build your freelance business, you’d probably like to know how to make more money as an editor. One way to do that is to offer a wider variety of services to meet client needs. Expanding the services you offer is also a great way to add some variety to your day….
I’ve heard developmental editors talk about “sensing” that a story isn’t working, even going so far to say that “sensing” problems is their job. And sensing that something is going wrong is a useful skill for a developmental editor to have—all of us do, to one degree or another. But developmental editing isn’t about “sensing”…
Book development editors don’t read books the way readers do. To sharpen your developmental editing skills, you need to learn to read like an editor does (instead of the way a reader does). When you’re a reader, you enter the author’s world. You willingly suspend your disbelief in order to experience this world. That doesn’t…
When I teach developmental editing classes, I get a lot of students transitioning from other careers. They’re often lawyers, social workers, and teachers – though I’ve also taught actors, accountants, and engineers, among others. What they have in common is that they love stories and want to explore whether book editing (story editing/developmental editing) is…
I discourage editors from saying that our work is “reading books for a living” because that diminishes our expertise and experience. Editing is not reading books for a living; it’s understanding stories and storytelling techniques, cultivating judgment and discernment, practicing effective editorial methodologies and more. But some days, like today, I look around my office…
Doing something for a long time does not equal expertise. I’ve been singing in the shower for years, but you would not want my tips on training your vocal cords. For years I cut my daughter’s bangs. But you don’t want me touching your hair. Experience versus Expertise I’ve met a lot of freelancers over…
I’m learning how to speak Spanish, and sometimes I get discouraged because it takes a while. (This is not unlike learning any important skill). One of the most helpful bits of perspective-taking I do is to consider whether I encounter the same problems when speaking in English. For example, people often interrupt me to finish…
The other day, I encountered a Washington Post headline that read, “These editor’s notes are poison. I learned from every drop.” I didn’t click the link because I don’t want to read about how writers should learn to appreciate abuse. And I’m not onboard with idolizing abusers. Every now and then you hear these stories…
I live in Spain, and while I’m working on my Spanish, I’m not yet fluent. The other day, my daughter and I went out to a cafe and ordered drinks and a slice of coconut cake for her. A few minutes later, the server came out and said something that I didn’t quite understand. Then…