The Rooky's Privilege of Editing: Blog 4 - 2014

Hi all


So its almost the weekend and I am just putting down my red pen and picking up my glass of red wine. Sigh.

I have been taken up for a number of days this week in my ongoing first attempt at editing anything other than my own writing (you be the judges of that), play scripts and funding proposals. So this 'other' is the draft of my friend's second book,the title of which remains to be revealed  - mark my words its good - but you'll have to make up your own minds when its published.


Now in spite of my friend's positive response to some of my feedback, I am a total novice at this type of editing. I wasn't sure to begin with whether my help was enlisted to proof read or to comment - both or neither? So I googled some advice on how to approach the task, and the usually helpful Mrs.Google took me nowhere with useful tips for rooky editors.So I had to make up my own rules.I have gathered since that there is a methodology and set of symbols employed by the well-seasoned editor, but some of you probably already knew that.I am rather pleased to be under-seasoned, it reminds me of not knowing what I don't know,which almost certainly remains most things. 

So instead of calling on some revered editorial wisdom I am just doing it in my own idiosyncratic way. Striking out into new territories -  at the very least I hope it helps flag up any questions of meaning or emphasis and doesn't send me off to Siberia!

Notes to self and anyone who might be vaguely interested:

What follows are my home grown guidelines for rooky editors. (If you are already a seasoned editor you may wish to skip the rest of this blog - or at least send me any additional tips)

1. Remember that it's not your book - Your job as an editor is not to tell someone how you would have written their book. Your job is to help them write the book they want to write. This can't be emphasised enough: It's not your book. It's not. Defer to the writer. Try to help them do what they're trying to do. Work within the world they've constructed.

2. Find out what the writer is looking for before you start editing - are they wondering about a particular section? Are they hoping for a major edit? Are they not really looking for editing at all but for moral support? Make sure you have a sense of what they want and where they are coming from before you start editing and adjust your approach to match this.

3. You're not doing them any favours by being too nice. Here's what a writer wants to hear when someone is editing their work: "OMG it's perfect I love it!" Resist the temptation to tell them this. Your job is to help them make the work better, not to rubber stamp it. There is an exception to this: When the writer is looking for reassurance that they should keep going and is not really looking for editing. In which case the appropriate reaction is "OMG you're brilliant I love it  - you should keep going!" (of course this is absolutely not the case in working with my friend- she would kill me first)

4. You're not doing anyone favours by being cruel either!When you are editing someone's work you have their fragile, mercurial, reptilian writer brain in your hands. Do not crush it. Be gentle. Be polite. Suggest, don't order. Ask questions, don't assume. (I have been known to fail abysmally at this on occasion in the past - mostly on play scripts!)

5. Pointing out problem areas is far more helpful than offering solutions.While editing, it is inevitable that you will be struck by ideas about how someone else's book could be better. It's okay to offer up some illustrative directions the writer could change if something isn't working in your view, but ultimately the writer is best equipped to come up with ideas for new directions. Your job is to spot what's not working, not to rewrite.

6. Try to work out why something isn't working for you.There will be times where something about a chapter or section just doesn't seem right. But rather than thinking about how you would make it work better, try to articulate why it isn't working for you. Identifying the underlying issue can be invaluable for the writer.

7. Just make it work  -  You're looking for whether the writer has achieved what they set out to do. 

8. But - don't overdo it - Tailor your edit notes to the amount of work that needs to be done. There are two reasons for this approach: 1) You don't want to overwhelm the writer and 2) There's no reason for spending a lot of time on line edits or grammar checks if they are being revised anyway.

9. Remember that personal taste is personal - we can often be too sure of our own opinions. We may hate things other people love and love things other people hate. Never be too sure of your opinions when editing; you may be the only person who feels that way. Be cautious when making suggestions and frame your thoughts as your own personal reaction rather than as a pronouncement from the editing gods.

10. Be Positive - Your job as an editor is not to crush someone's spirit, even if you think their manuscript is missing a lot. Your job is not to "tell them like it is" (telling them like it is is telling them how YOU see it). Your job is to be helpful. Your job is to be supportive. Your job is to leave the manuscript and the writer in better shape than you found them. That is the essence of editing. You are a critical friend. If not - your life as an editor will be short lived! (and that's coming from someone who is on a steep learning curve and certainly has not earned the right to be called an editor).

So that's my basic and rather simple advice to myself and others  - just need to remember it now as I approach Chapter three...........

Have a great weekend!