Those of you who have ever gotten your books edited by a professional editor must be familiar with the pain of editing. I would compare it to tooth extraction. A good book needs an editor to make it great. No matter how much I edit, when I see the comments made by my editor, I always realize how much better the story is with her input. Of course, those red marks and crossed out words nearly give me an ulcer.
Here are a few tips on how to make the experience easier:
1) Read your editor’s comments and close the file. Initially you will think she is not right, or is being too harsh. Take a few days to think about her input. Decide how you will make the changes she expects you to make. Once you open the file again, you will be better prepared to handle the editing process.
2) If you don’t agree with something, make a note for her giving your reasoning.
3) Take it slow. Do the edits chapter by chapter. I prefer to do a chapter or maximum two a day because no matter how much you prepare yourself, it’s never easy to make the required changes.
4) Always do the editing twice. First time you need to no t think too much and follow the directions, and in the second edit go through the story to see if all the changes are consistent and everything matches up.
I love the feedback from my editor. I hate the feedback from my editor. Her editing makes the story better – ALWAYS – no exceptions. However, emotionally it’s hard to accept the changes because no matter how much you distance yourself, the story is still your baby – and it’s hard to accept criticism.
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