I have a new, young client who has hired me to edit her
dystopian YA novel. This young woman impressed me from the get-go when she
explained that she wrote her first book to help engage her history students
more with the material she was introducing to them in the classroom. Her level
of commitment and her enthusiasm for learning in general really reeled me in. I
wanted to work with her!
She sent me a sample of her book—a few pages from the beginning—to
give me a feel for the story and her writing style and abilities. (I always
appreciate this.) In turn, I edited the sample and returned it to her so that
she could see how I would work with her book. (There are many editors who
believe you should never provide a free sample. I am not one of them. If I feel
a writer is generally interested in working with me and not out to scam some
free services, then I totally understand their desire to see what I would do
with their “baby.” They need to feel they can trust me and that I’m not going
to butcher the book—unless it needs it!—and that I’m out to help them make
their book the best it can be. How are they going to really know that if they
don’t get a taste of what I’ll do with it? But I digress ….)
After she reviewed the sample, she let me know she was
really happy with what I had done and she had some questions for me based on my
edits. Most of her questions where technical—why a comma here and not there,
etc. I answered them and encouraged her to send me more when she had them. At
this point, she hadn’t technically hired me; we hadn’t signed the contract yet.
But she was eager and wanted to learn, and I trusted we would end up working
together.
She took my advice and used the feedback I had offered her
on the sample and revised the WHOLE manuscript before she actually hired me and
sent it to me. She benefitted from that advice, I benefited from that advice
(as she fixed problems I hadn’t even seen yet), and the book benefited from
that advice. She has asked me to leave as many comments as possible as I perform
the first round of editing to let her know what I think is working, what isn’t
working, what affected me, what didn’t affect me, etc. Essentially, she wants
to peer over my shoulder as I work and see my reaction to her words.
I love working with people who want to learn. It’s the teacher
in me. I welcome their questions, and I love to see them grow and succeed.
My point to this blog is this: As a writer, never be afraid
to ask questions of your editor or your beta readers. Don’t be afraid to hear
negative criticism—in that, this isn’t working, that doesn’t sound true to that
character, etc. Isn’t it better to have your editor and your beta readers find
those problems and help you fix them than your readers pointing them out after
you publish your book?
Give your editor and your beta readers encouragement and
license to dissect your book. If there’s something you don’t understand, ask
for it to be explained. Be open to learning and hearing different points of
view. You will grow from it, and your book will be better.
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