Balancing the Author/Editor Relationship
By Candace Thomas
There is often a tug of war when it comes to editors and authors, particularly when it comes to the author’s voice. Keeping the integrity of the author’s voice is critical to any editing gig. But what authors, and editors, should come to understand is that everyone is on the same side. It’s the reader we are rooting for in the end. Working together to reach that audience makes you teammates.
These three things are important to your teammate and will help you navigate the editing process together.
Become Invisible
The most important job for an editor is to become invisible. Invisibility is an editor’s superpower. Impeding the author’s voice can be damaging to the author/editor relationship.
A good editor needs to recognize the rhythm and cadence of the author’s style. This can also help find the redundancies that occur without the author’s knowledge. Digging into understanding how an author writes and who they write for can be immensely helpful to an editor.
Evaluate the sentences themselves. Are they short sentences? Compound sentences? Does the author use alliteration? What phrases are the author’s favorite to use?
Each author is different and has their own patterns the editor will need to find. Pinpointing what makes the voice uniquely their own enhances your superpower as the editor. Amplify the voice by commenting about what you see and how your eye as an editor will identify and enhance their vision.
The editor is an outsider; they have a clear visual of the words and the story, unlike the author, who knows everything about the world they are writing. An outsider picks up on the particulars of the voice of an author, and this is important for the author to understand. Present your case as you edit through a manuscript, by example and with background information. Sometimes it does take a few encouraging arguments, but this is trust-building. Once you have the author’s trust, the more freedoms you have with your style in editing.
Remember, this is not your story. The way you might see or do things may not be the way the author sees or does things. It doesn’t mean you are wrong, but it does mean you need to step out of your own head and read it from a different perspective. Understanding the core of the story, the intent and drive for the characters, will help build compassion for the author’s vision.
Use Encouraging Language
Authors have egos, which isn’t a bad thing. They have worked really hard and have squeezed out a lot of words. They should be proud of what they’ve achieved. Each word is important to them. Every. Single. One.
So it’s natural for authors to be champions of their story and protective of their words. They have the right to be. If words are cut, will situations make sense later? Sometimes cutting words or rearrange sentences can strain a good author/editor relationship. A good trick is simply being clever in the words you use to encourage your author.
Yes, you could comment, “this doesn’t make sense” or “this is weak writing.” But what could you say to help encourage the author to enhance their own words and vision?
“Could you show us more of what you see?”
“How can we strengthen this?”
Notice I use ‘we’ instead of you. This helps your teamwork and trust. This also turns the question over to the author. Show us more.
Don’t, however, be patronizing. Be honest. If something isn’t working, they need to know. If the description slows down the pacing, tell them. As an editor, you are a master of words. Use some finesse to direct the author to understand what you see and how it needs some shape. Encouragement always goes further than a slap on the wrist. Amazing stories come with encouraging language.
Believe in the Product
It is not easy to take on a project where the author is underprepared or the imagery is difficult to understand. As hard as these projects are, hope still lies within them.
Understanding more of what the author is trying to show can help an editor know where to focus their attention. Look at what is good about the story. Seeing the vision within the words can help your own personal motivation.
When you embrace the vision of the story, the author often softens toward your editing style, because you are on the same team—the story’s team. Stories are written to give an experience to the reader. The story is always the focus.
There are times when you’re not the right fit for this author. Remember, you are not a failure if it just wasn’t a good match. Again, be honest with your author and wish them luck. Maybe suggest someone else who might be a better fit. Don’t be afraid to state, “It’s not personal, it’s just business.” This phrase communicates well with authors trying to get their manuscript publishing ready.
Editing is hard work but incredibly rewarding, especially on those rough road ones. Hard fought and bare-knuckled. You know the kind I mean, the ones that need more than a good polish. Those are our crowning moments in editing, something we are so proud of and willing to celebrate.
Never lose sight of that end goal—a beautiful story and a happy author. When you become a fan, the project becomes much more enjoyable, lighter, and easier to move through. Bringing out the light in a story and making it shine is exactly what an author is looking for. Your author/editor partnership could easily branch to other stories.
In the end, being an editor is not just a job but inclusion into the world of writing. You become a valuable member of the project, and authors don’t forget that. Editors are constantly thanked by authors in acknowledgments, blog posts, interviews, everywhere. Having a good working relationship is the goal. Respect each other as teammates and equals to bring out the best in creativity.
Candace Thomas is an author and freelance editor based in the Salt Lake Valley. Candace is a graduate of UC San Diego’s Creative Writing program and is a fierce advocate for imagination. You can find more about Candace and her works at candacejthomas.com.