A challenge for newer editors is feeling like you’re competing against hundreds of people for the same few clients—you have to figure out how to stand out from the crowd. But believe me when I say you’re not. A Little Ditty About How to Stand Out From the Crowd Here’s a story. My daughter is…
Developing a book editor mindset is as simple as understanding a few basic principles, including how to read a manuscript like an editor. Developing a Book Editor Mindset Beginning developmental editors sometimes ask me how “awful” books make it onto the New York Times bestseller list, and how can we worry about what makes a…
The differences in editing fiction and nonfiction are distinct, and it is important for editors to know these differences so that relevant manuscripts are edited appropriately. Differences in Editing Fiction and Nonfiction In nonfiction (with the exception of some categories, such as memoir or narrative nonfiction), what matters is the content – the facts. So,…
So what do book editors do? If you’re new to editing, you may not be familiar with the various roles different types of editors play. What Do Book Editors Do? If you’re planning to work as a freelancer, it pays to understand who does what at a publishing company. This list is intended to help…
Understanding the differences in the various types of book editing will help editors fine-tune their craft. Types of Book Editing It’s important to distinguish the different types of book editing—an edit that is largely intended to deal with big-picture problems (the developmental edit) and one that is meant to catch sentence-level problems (a copyedit). It’s…
As a developmental editor, you need to know how to create defensible edits of a manuscript to help authors put out their best work. Tips for How to Create Defensible Edits When you’re doing a developmental edit—looking at the big-picture overview of a novel—you’ll generally be expected to provide two main services: The editing on…
The basics of developmental editing can be shared in a set of do’s and don’ts for editors. Here Are My Basics of Developmental Editing I generally begin any developmental edit with a quick read-through intended just to familiarize myself with the story. I make developmental notes for myself as I perform that first read-through, including…
These basics of a book editor contract will help ensure you cover a few important considerations when setting up your editing business. Just the Basics of a Book Editor Contract I’m not going to get into the ins-and-outs of contracts, since I’m not a lawyer and crafting a legally binding contract is best left to…
One key to identifying DE problems is understanding reader expectations, and reader expectations are closely tied to genre. Understanding Reader Expectations When I read a romance, I expect it to end happily ever after. I don’t care if you have a great idea for a heart-breaking ending. I don’t want a heartbreaking ending. I want…
Editors, may I offer some suggestions on growing a developmental editing mindset? Beginning developmental editors sometimes ask me how “awful” books make it onto the New York Times bestseller list, and how can we worry about what makes a story “good” when obviously quality doesn’t matter to readers? How do “bad” books make it through…