If you want to edit fiction (actually, if you intend to edit either fiction or non-fiction), pursue and learn about anything that interests you. Yes, you can study literature and English in college, which will certainly be helpful, but you’ll also want to have broad knowledge of many fields. You may end up editing a novel featuring a circus performer or a photographer or a botanist. You may edit sci-fi one month and romance the next. You may edit a story about a romantic botanist who travels 200 years into the future or about a trapeze artist who falls and dreams she’s a medieval princess.

You’ll want to know a little bit of something about a whole lot of things.

You’ll want to be versed in religions and myths and history and science and politics. You may want familiarity with medical knowledge or food preparation or the travel industry.

You can study any subject and you’ll be able to put the knowledge your learn—and the systems for gaining that knowledge—to work in your editing career.

An editor’s knowledge of and interest in a wide variety of subjects can only be a plus.

No, you don’t have to be an expert in every field. But when you recognize that those fields exist, you’re already ahead when you begin to edit. You might know something fascinating about a field of study or a topic that will bring depth to the writer’s story or to a character’s background.

You don’t necessarily need full-spectrum knowledge of a topic—and you may know nothing about a particular subject matter touched on in any one manuscript you edit—but if you’re familiar with a great many subjects and have allowed yourself to delve into them, you’ll have a broader base from which to work. You’ll know that there’s always more, that there’s a possibility for the writer to go deeper into a topic or add something colorful about that topic to enhance the story.

When you have knowledge of a wide variety of subjects—and knowledge of the ways those subjects connect—you’re able to help a writer make connections in her story, weave threads, that she might not have considered because she doesn’t have that same knowledge.

For example, one character’s reference to a certain type of pottery, made only in one region in Greece, can be tied to another character’s grandmother, a woman who came from a village in that region.

Familiarity with a many topics is a plus for editors.

________________________________

So, what specifically might you do beyond getting a degree in literature or writing or English (or the language you write in) if you want to edit? (And no, you don’t have to have a degree in English to be an editor. This article is a reminder that editors don’t need to set limitations on themselves.)

Study foreign languages. Not only does this open you to new cultures, it gives you a deeper understanding of words and their connections and connotations.

Read newspapers and read books in genres that you don’t typically read.

Practice editing by editing a book that’s already been published.

Write a story yourself. If writing a novel isn’t something you want to do, write short stories. Tackle a novella. Experience the process of putting a story together.

Study books on the craft of writing. Learn what makes a phrase work. Learn how to manipulate words. Learn grammar rules.

Learn to identify clichés.

Learn about sports and games. Learn not only the rules but the purpose behind sports and competition. Learn what motivates athletes, how sports bring teammates together and how they drive and empower fans.

Study music. Not only notes but how music affects the brain or the emotions. Learn how music can be woven through a story. Not only with overt mentions of songs but through rhythm and pace and sound.

Learn something about art, about color and perspective and balance. Learn about an artist’s vision or drives or compulsions.

Study psychology. Learn what people do and why. Learn about motivation and guilt and emotions. Learn how individuals differ and how group-think can steer behavior. Help writers create fully developed characters with real reactions.

Learn how to speak to writers and to convey your suggestions in ways they understand.

Learn to be bold as well as diplomatic.

Learn to be skeptical; check facts. Just because the writer wrote something, that doesn’t mean that something is real, true, or factual. Doubt everything and look it up.

Pursue your personal dreams, even if they have nothing to do with writing or editing. Fill yourself with those things that satisfy you. Be as well rounded as you can be. Don’t limit yourself.

*******

I could go on and on about this topic. But bottom line? Think broad in interests and detailed in skills. You’ll need both to be a good editor. Be the jack of all trades who is also a master editor. Learn what makes good writing, what makes good story, and what makes good editing.

Realize that you won’t, can’t, know everything. But keep learning. Be open to all manner of subject matter.

Learn with both your head and your heart.

Learn to edit well and then put the skills you perfect to work.

Be a benefit to writers and their stories.

Edit wisely and edit well.

***

A style sheet is simply a statement and a reflection of the style standards and practices of a publisher of newspapers, books, or magazines.

One publishing house may adhere to recommendations from the Chicago Manual of Style and a newspaper may follow the Associated Press’s guide. But both may have special rules and recommendations for specific instances, in-house rules that they recommend for their writers.

Depending on the publisher, some items from a style sheet might be absolute rules and some might be strong recommendations. A writer or editor might be able to make a case for a usage contrary to the publisher’s recommendation or accepted practice. The writer or editor can always ask or challenge a standard practice.

These recommendations, both in-house and not, make up the publisher’s style guide or style sheet.

Style sheets inform writers and editors about spelling, punctuation, and capitalization practices so a manuscript can be consistent within itself as well as match the style of the publication.

Yet writers and editors don’t have to rely solely on a publisher’s style guide. Instead, they can put together their own style sheet for their manuscripts.

If you’re a plotter, you may have written a detailed spreadsheet listing scene layout, plot threads, and character traits, physical description, and history. But even plotters can benefit from a style sheet.

A style sheet can help writers and editors maintain consistency and help them reduce errors in story details.

____________________________

How to set up a style sheet
Since I edit from hard copy, I create a style sheet on a sheet of paper rather than using a spreadsheet on the computer. (I do, however, copy the details to a spreadsheet when I share them with clients.) Use whatever method, paper or computer, that works for you.

If you use the paper method, simply draw a horizontal line across the center of one side of the paper (think landscape view rather than portrait). Then draw three vertical lines from top to bottom to divide the page into eight boxes.

Flip the paper over. Draw another horizontal line across the page, yet do it a little higher than center on this side (you’ll need more room in the boxes at the bottom of the page). Divide the top section into three or four boxes. The bottom section may have two or three or four different-sized boxes. (The setup is virtually the same for a spreadsheet done on the computer.)

Mark the eight boxes on the first page and those on the top of the second page with groups of letters in alphabetical order. Put A/B or A/B/C at the top of the first box, C/D or D/E/F in the second box and so on until you’ve covered all the letters and used all the boxes. 

You’ll be entering words based on their first letters into these boxes.

Why? To keep track of odd spellings or words that you make up. To list titles or place names used in the manuscript. To keep up with oddities of any kind from the manuscript. To create a reference document so that anyone working on the manuscript can see exactly how words should be spelled or capped or hyphenated or abbreviated.

Title columns at the bottom of page two with Characters, Punctuation, Numbers, and Miscellaneous. The column for characters may require the most space; you might not need a separate column for numbers. If you’ve got another column option, feel free to include it.

What to include
Include any item or topic for which the writer or editor must make a decision. Remember that the style sheet is an aid for consistency. A writer might use it as a reminder for herself as she writes and edits or she might pass it on to her copy editor at a publishing house. An editor might use her own style sheet to show a writer what choices she made while editing.

Use a style sheet to—

~  List character names in the character column with the first spelling you find for each and the page number of the first use of each name. If there are different spellings, note the differences and the page number of the first usage of each different spelling.

~  List punctuation rules—serial comma or no serial comma, em dash rather than parentheses, and so on, whatever you’ve decided you’ll use for the manuscript.

~  Spell out the rules for using numerals and words for numbers. Will it be numerals for all numbers greater than nine or will your cut-off be ninety-nine?

~  Note if which is acceptable in place of that for American English restrictive clauses.

~  Note whether a mix of British English and American English spellings is acceptable or if it’s necessary to choose one style.

~  Show how contractions will be used, if they’ll be used. Might all characters except for one use contractions? Are any contractions unacceptable?

~  Spell out uses of quotation marks and/or italics, especially for unusual words or for emphasis or for words used as words.

~  List acceptable dialogue tags other than said or asked, if there are any. Or list unacceptable dialogue tags.

~  List any limits on curse words, either by word or use by specific characters.

~  Show correct spelling of unusual or made-up words.

~  List abbreviations. List words that are always capped.

~  List hyphenated words or unusual compound words.

~  List oddities in grammar or punctuation, especially anything outside standard usage. If the writer wants a knowingly different usage, be sure to include a note about that unusual usage.

~  List foreign words.

~  Note anything unusual that the writer or copy editor should know about, anything that would enhance consistency if followed throughout the story or that would challenge the suspension of disbelief if not followed.

Most of these suggestions are geared toward a fiction manuscript, but you can also include notes for non-fiction works. For example, spell out the procedures for labeling graphs or images, explain layout, include standards for headings and titles, and make clear how scientific notation and definitions will be written.

Make a note in the style sheet for the unusual or use the style sheet to tell the writer about grammar, punctuation, or spelling rules he might not know. For example—

Write words for numbers and symbols in dialogue rather than using numerals and the symbols themselves.

Use ellipsis for dialogue that trails off, em dash for dialogue that’s cut off.

Use a comma to separate names in dialogue from the rest of the dialogue when a character is being addressed.

“I warned you, Syd. Now it’s too late.”

____________________________

A style sheet is easy to fill out. Easy to forget to fill out as well, unfortunately. But it can be highly useful for both writers and editors, especially as a writing project nears completion.

Writers, you might not want to start your style sheet until after you’ve written the first draft. Working on one before that point might get in the way of your creativity. Of course, if keeping up with the details helps you as you write, by all means begin the style sheet with your first page.

Do consider adding a style sheet to your writing tasks. Don’t feel that you must start it early in the project.

If you’re a freelance editor, there’s no consideration about it; prepare a style sheet for your clients. Show them how consistency can be worked into their manuscripts.

Give them one more tool for writing better fiction.

***

I’ve not been asked this one directly, but quite a few visitors to the blog have used this question, or some variation, as a search term that’s led them here—

Does an editor have to know how to write? (Sometimes it’s asked, do editors have to write well?)

At first I was confused by the question, especially since more than one person was interested in the topic. I would have thought the answer quite obvious—

Yes, editors need to know how to write and should be better than average writers.

Yet I realized that since there are several types of editors, the question could have several possible answers.

Does a managing editor need to know how to write in order to manage her writers and direct her newspaper or magazine? Yes, she should have the skills to write and probably wouldn’t be in her position without being able to write. But do managing editors use those skills daily, as a writer would? No, not to the same degree. These editors probably spend more of their days truly managing their writers and publications.

Thus, instead of editing an article or even writing one, they may be planning issues of a magazine and looking for writers. They may deal with circulation and marketing and finances. They must know which stories will work for their publications and entertain their readers. They must understand the market and how to deliver for that market. And while they’re probably skilled as writers, they may not write often.

Of course, some managing editors may juggle many tasks and may both write and edit while at the same time managing.

And they must be able to recognize good, and bad, writing and know how to manipulate words so that that intended message is conveyed. 

An acquisitions editor at a publisher may help a writer with her manuscript but should not be writing or rewriting the story. The editor will guide and suggest but always go back to the writer for changes. On the other hand, a newspaper or magazine or even a blog editor might have the authority to rewrite passages of a story or article without approaching the author. Much of the difference has to do with the time factor. Books take much longer to go to print, and writers have time to make changes themselves. News articles and blog articles may need to be edited in an instant, even simply for space or word count. An editor who can write would be quite helpful in such instances.

If an editor couldn’t write, would a writer be able to trust his suggestions?

An acquisitions editor should be skilled at focusing the direction of a story while allowing the writer to actually write it. A skilled editor, because he does know how to write, because he knows how to craft stories and how to work all the elements of fiction, will be able to direct both story and writer through the high points and low points of a story and ultimately to a high-quality and satisfying resolution.

 An editor who couldn’t write, who didn’t know both the basics and advanced skills, wouldn’t be of much use to a writer.

And such an editor probably wouldn’t have reached a place where he could direct or influence writers, help them create stronger stories. If you don’t know how it’s done, you can’t show others.

Developmental and substantive writers most definitely need to know all the ins and outs of writing.

These editors make suggestions throughout a manuscript. They have to know how to show a writer how to accomplish what they want to accomplish, and they often use examples to make clear what they’re saying. Sometimes their words are included in a manuscript, and those words must fit the author’s style and intent.

Most editors give multiple options to their writers to give them an idea of what can be done with a passage or scene. The editor who couldn’t write well might only be able to finesse the words already on the page. A good editor, however, knows how to open the writer to possibilities and can show a number of those possibilities with examples.

Once a writer sees what can be done, he can run with his ideas. Sometimes all it takes to turn a writer in a new direction is to show him how a change in wording or character or pacing or plot event can open up a story. But an editor has to write well enough for his words to make an impact on the writer. An editor’s  well-written example or scenario can turn around a story headed the wrong direction, and it can open a writer’s eyes to unexpected possibilities.

Editors who deal with the text itself do need to know how to strengthen it. They need to know pacing and how to increase conflict. They have to know how to write dialogue and the ways dialogue can be used to advance plot and reveal character.

Editors must know the difference between showing and telling, the unfolding of scenes in comparison with exposition.

They must know grammar and punctuation and syntax.

Editors must know words.

Yes, while some editors may no longer manipulate words and phrases and paragraphs and scenes, they do need to know how. They need to be able to write. They need to be able to help other writers write.

They need to be able to see big-picture issues and the tiniest of details.

Must editors be good writers? My answer is an unqualified yes.

__________________________________

The exception
A copy editor brings a specific set of skills to a manuscript or article. Copy editors look at spelling, punctuation, and grammar. They may check story continuity. They make sure word choices are correct in terms of meaning. Did the writer mean principles rather than principals? Lend rather than borrow? Did she want seminal or Seminole?

Copy editors also check titles and headings and figures in charts. They make sure the details of the details are right.

But true copy editors do not read for broad-picture elements. They’re not looking to see if conclusions have been justified in non-fiction and if story threads play out in fiction. They’re not editing for style issues (unless we’re talking a publisher’s style sheet). Copy editors aren’t looking at pacing issues and whether a plot makes sense. They don’t analyze dialogue to see that it accomplishes a purpose.

They’re not going to be searching for a theme to see if it’s been hinted at throughout the manuscript. They won’t be making sure that each character is necessary and that scenes advance the story and that sense details have been included.

Their scope is narrow and they are the one group of editors to focus on specific parts of a story or article while not being concerned with other elements.

So a copy editor may be the one type of editor who does not need the same writing skills that other editors need. While what they bring to a manuscript or article is vital, they can do their jobs without a writer’s in-depth knowledge. Thus a copy editor would not necessarily need to know how to write well, not in the same way that novel writers and other editors would.

You can be a successful and skilled copy editor without having written a book and without being well-versed in the elements of fiction.

*******

If you’ve had a similar question about editors but for a reason I’ve not covered here, please let us know. If there’s a nuance or a specific that I’ve overlooked, I’d be happy to consider that question as well. But if you’re wondering about the profession, wondering if you need strong writing skills to be a good editor, my answer is yes, you do, unless you’re a copy editor. And even then you do need skills. Just not all those a writer or a different type of editor would bring to a project.

Not only must you, as an editor, be able to write, but you must be able to show others what can be done to make their writing stronger. Two different sets of skills, but both required for the successful editor.

Keep the questions coming.

***

There are so many, many areas to a piece of long fiction, how can you be sure you’ve checked each, weighed the value of each, polished each?

And if you change one area, how do you remind yourself to re-check those other areas that you already looked at?

And. . . where do you even start this checking and polishing, this editing?

It’s likely that you easily catch problems and errors in the areas where you’re strongest as a writer or editor—if you nail character goals and motivation, you might want to start your edit there. Or, you may look to your own problem areas first, assuming you’ll need to spend more time in those areas. So if punctuation is a weak spot, that may be where you begin your edits.

You probably look at big-picture issues first and work toward the fine details. That makes sense since changes in big-picture items will change a lot of the fine details. Yet, if you can’t stand to read a manuscript with typos and weak word choices, don’t feel that you can’t change them as you edit and rewrite. That is, if editing the detail stuff along the way helps you, then do it. But don’t forget to systematically check those details again after you’ve made major changes.

Changes in any area, but especially in large-picture or story-wide issues, will necessitate change throughout the manuscript. Be ready to evaluate the manuscript again after making large-picture changes. Make sure changes—both items added in and items taken out—are carried through the story.

I don’t intend to lay out some standard, absolute path for editing; as writers approach their craft in a manner that works for them, so should editors. Do what works for you and your organizational patterns and for your writers and their projects.

Yet, don’t merely wing it, guessing your way through your edits.

Know the items to look for and know how to address problem areas. Think ahead—anticipate how changes in one element or scene or plot thread will change elements and scenes and plot threads later in the story.

Be flexible. Realize that one story or one writer’s style may require an approach different from any you’ve undertaken before. Don’t lock yourself into an inflexible checklist—be aware that each story has its own needs. You may find a unique dilemma that will require a fix you haven’t tried before.

Stories are similar in makeup, yet no two will require the same edit.

And remember that you may have to work backwards. If you find something that needs attention at the end of the story, you’ll probably have to change multiple areas earlier in the story to bring about that needed change.

Allow yourself to think beyond one-step fixes—you may need to layer your corrections in order to fix or change a problem area. A weak character may need a new personality quirk, may need to lose part of his history, and may need a different character for his best friend.

Be bold in your prescriptions. On the flip side, don’t overlook the simple.

Rely on experience, but be open to the unexpected.

Know the rules, yet allow your writer (and yourself) freedom and flexibility.

______________________________

I’d like to look at areas you’ll want to consider as you edit. Many will be the same kinds of areas writers consider as they create. The emphasis, however, may be a bit different.

Writers must make sure they include fascinating characters and plots that keep a reader’s attention. Editors (and writers who self-edit) will check for fascinating characters and plots as well. They may also consider what additional characters would mean for the story or what a sub-plot could add.

Writers are often concerned with the story in their heads and with getting that story to the page. Editors are often concerned with the elements of the story that are not yet on the page—they look to see what’s missing. Editors also focus on weeding out distractions from the core story—characters who don’t fit, settings that don’t work, dialogue that adds nothing, sub-plots that dilute the main plot, and digressions and rabbit trails and non-productive elements that either neuter the power of the story or actually detract from it.

Editing can be art, but there are standards and practices and even tips and tricks you can bring to your edits to ensure you’ve been complete in your evaluation.

You may have your specialties, as most people do in the tasks that they perform often. But no one wants to overlook other important elements simply because they focus on certain other elements.

Perhaps you tend to focus on the big picture and story-wide issues. Wouldn’t you like tips for checking out the details?

And if you’re a stickler for details, wouldn’t you like a refresher on how to consider the big-picture items?

Let’s consider areas that editors do look at and should look at, and simply put them in lists with a bit of explanation. This way you’ll know areas you’ll want to cover in an edit.

You may find that you take every area mentioned here into account each time you edit. You may find some areas that you’ve never considered. Or, you may find that some areas are not those you think an editor should be concerned with.

I certainly wouldn’t mind seeing what other editors consider important. If you’ve got something to add to this list, please share.

_____________________________

I’m simply going to split the elements into big-picture areas and fine-detail areas. I realize there will be overlap and I’m sure we wouldn’t all arrange the areas in the same way. I’m using this method since I think about story in this manner, with story-wide issues that affect the whole manuscript and fine details that can be edited without necessarily making changes to the full story.

Yet, as I said, there may be overlap. Some fine-detail issues can have great impact on the story as a whole.

Big-picture areas

Plot

 ~  Questions to ask—

Is it interesting and engrossing

Is there enough to sustain the story through the final page

Are there too many sub-plots, not enough sub-plots

Are major plot issues resolved

Is plot introduced in an engaging way

Does the story make sense

Are there hooks; are they logical; are they related to the rest of the plot

Is plot engaging, inevitable, believable

Is the plot full enough or does it feel thin

Is the premise right for the story that’s been written

Has reader expectation been whetted and then satisfied

Is there a focus or is the plot scattered

Does the story start in the right place

 ~  Steps to take/what plot should do—

Weed out coincidence

Maintain forward movement

Include surprises

Move logically from point to point

Resolve plot threads

Root out author intrusion

Whether you consider the opening event or the protagonist’s acceptance of his call to action the inciting incident, make sure you have both

Make sure the ending is sufficient in terms of length and depth for the story

Make sure the ending is inevitable

Make sure the ending doesn’t drag; make it satisfy the reader

Make sure the black moment and climax are strong enough for the story

Use back story sparingly and blend it so it doesn’t stop story momentum

Character

 ~  Questions to ask—

Are lead characters interesting enough for the story

Do lead characters have sufficient motivation to move through the plot

Is the antagonist strong enough, a good complement to the protagonist

Do characters have strengths and weaknesses

Are character goals clear

Are characters well-rounded

Are all featured characters vital to the plot

Is character motivation appropriate for the story that developed from it

 ~  Steps to take/what character should do—

Make sure there are enough characters to carry the plot

Make sure there are no unnecessary characters

Give the main character secondary characters to support him

Give the main character characters strong enough to challenge him

Fit characters to genre and era

Give characters appropriate and sufficient habits, quirks, favorite words, speech patterns, dreams, goals and motivations, and hot buttons that other characters can push

Make characters three-dimensional—include thoughts, actions, and reactions

Setting

 ~  Questions to ask—

Is it conveyed sufficiently

Is it appropriate for the story

Would a different setting work better

Is setting used to advance plot, to create tone, to increase tension

Are readers given a clear sense of place and time for each scene

 ~  Steps to take/what setting should do—

Verify details

Make sure setting details are appropriate to story and scene

Make sure setting doesn’t overwhelm action and plot

Include props that characters can handle and use

Dialogue

 ~  Questions to ask—

Does dialogue advance the story

Is dialogue appropriate to character

Is dialogue appropriate to the scene

Does dialogue increase conflict

 ~  Steps to take/what dialogue should do—

Ensure that characters sound sufficiently different

Make sure it is dialogue and not conversation

Use genre-appropriate dialogue tags

Keep adverbs in dialogue tags to a minimum, unless genre allows them

Scenes

Make sure there are a sufficient number of scenes

Make sure individual scenes satisfy and that they are different in terms of action events, character combinations, dialogue patterns, and type of conflict

Give scenes variety in length, format, depth, and pattern

Use a variety of settings for scenes (or play against variety and stick to only a few settings) 

Make sure scenes are in the best order to cause problems for the character and induce tension in the reader

Point of view

 ~  Questions to ask—

Is it the right POV for the story and for the scene; would another be better

Is POV clear

Is POV maintained within scenes

Should POV change with scenes

Who should be the viewpoint character in each scene

 ~  Steps to take/what point of view should do—

Make sure that viewpoint character doesn’t change within scenes (no head-hopping)

Make sure viewpoint character knows only what he could really know

Use a change in POV or viewpoint character to bring story and character closer to the reader or to hold the reader at a distance when necessary

Pace

 ~  Questions to ask—

Does pace vary

Is the pace of each scene appropriate

Does pace influence tone

Does pace increase/decrease tension

Conflict

 ~  Questions to ask—

Is there sufficient conflict in each scene and between characters

Does conflict escalate

 ~  Steps to take/what conflict should do—

Create tension

Make characters and readers uncomfortable

Increase conflict as the story progresses

Ensure conflict between characters and between protagonist and himself and within the antagonist

Balance

 ~  Steps to take/what balance should do—

Ensure balance between elements; make sure no one element overwhelms

Balance character thoughts, dialogue, and actions with setting and description

Balance sections, scenes, chapters, and acts

Fine-detail areas

Spelling, grammar, and punctuation

Each must be checked; never assume they’re correct.

Maintain consistency in all three

Emotion

Be sure you’ve shown character emotions

Make sure you tapped into reader emotion

Go after more than one emotional event; induce more than one emotion per story

Style

Enhance the writer’s style as long as it serves the story

Make sure the style is cohesive

Fact checking

Check dates, technology and inventions, historical events. Anything that can be verified needs to be verified.

Word choices

Delete unintended repetition

Make sure words are character, era, scene, and genre appropriate

Cut out unnecessary words

Understand how humor affects character, scene, tone, and plot, and use humor when appropriate

Use specific verbs

Remove weak phrasing

Take out clichés and the writer’s pet words

Make every sentence and each word count

Sentence construction

Use variety in construction and in sentence length

Rhythm

Ensure variety in rhythm without producing annoying patterns

Consider giving characters unique sentence constructions

Time

Be sure that the passage of time is both clear and possible.

Make sure readers understand the timing of events and scenes

Clarity

Make sure that each section, bit of dialogue, scene, and chapter is clear

Tone

Ensure the tone achieved is what the writer intended and appropriate for the story

General questions and reminders

Has the writer made the reader care about the character and his dilemma?

Is the story entertaining?

Is there enough story to the story?

Is the story different enough to catch a reader’s attention?

Does the story move fast enough?

Does the story catch either the reader’s mind or heart, perhaps both?

Put the elements to work—make each do double or triple duty. Make dialogue advance plot and reveal character and up the conflict level.

Remember the reader—don’t edit in a vacuum.

Remember the writer—she may have ideas of her own.

 *******

This could go on much longer and in more detail. But I hope it gives you a helpful list of the areas to look at when you edit.

May I suggest that you look closest at those areas that don’t appeal to you or that give you problems? Take time to review the elements of fiction that you’re weakest in. Why not strengthen them, help yourself to be an even stronger editor?

If you’re a writer who’s using this list to self-edit, I suggest you take all the time needed to work your way through your edits. Editing, good editing, doesn’t happen in an instant. Don’t be surprised if you spend as many hours on an edit as you do working on one of your drafts. A good edit deserves the time.

And a good book deserves an outstanding edit.

***

I’m not sure who’s looking for this information. And not knowing the source of the question, I’m not sure how to answer.

Is a high school student looking for an answer to an assignment, maybe wondering about editing as a career?

Is a professional in one career looking to change positions?

Perhaps a writer is wondering what an editor can do for her, maybe looking for clues about how to approach an editor or wondering what her new editor at the publishing house will be responsible for.

So, not knowing exactly what information people are seeking, I’ll present enough to get almost anyone started.

*******

An editor polishes and refines, he directs the focus of the story or article or movie along a particular course. He cuts out what doesn’t fit, what is unessential to the purpose of the story. He enhances the major points, drawing attention to places where the audience should focus.

Many fields make use of editors—film, video, magazine, newspaper, blog, and book, both fiction and non-fiction. A task common to all is to ensure that the product they produce is the best it can be in the time available and with the resources available.

A film editor may have weeks to put together his movie, the sound editor about the same. An editor working to develop a non-fiction book may spend a year or more collaborating with the author. A newspaper editor, working either in print on online, may have only minutes or a few hours to check or rework a story.

Because this is chiefly a blog for writers and editors of books, I’m going to restrict the specifics of editing to those editors who refine the written word rather than those who work with film or video or sound.

You’ll see overlap between terms and duties, chiefly because there’s no one definition for editor and no simple explanation of what an editor does.

Newspapers/Magazines
There are several levels of editors at newspapers and magazines.

Editor in chief or editor at-large—Responsible for the type of content produced by their newspapers or magazines, the look of the product, and the nature and number of stories/articles to be written.

Managing editor—Works under the most senior editor. Directs writers to particular stories. May write some of the stories. May be responsible for one section of a newspaper (business or style or local news) or magazine. May write headlines or may delegate that task to others.

Copy editor—Responsible for checking article facts and ensuring that an article matches in-house style guides. Also checks spelling, grammar, and punctuation. May also suggest word changes to keep the newspaper or magazine from being sued. May arrange layout of articles and sidebars. Copy editors might write headlines.

Depending on the size and scope of the publication, a newspaper or magazine editor may perform a combination of the tasks mentioned above. Their job is to see that interesting and/or informative articles are produced in a timely and accurate manner, with no factual errors and few writing errors.

Publishing house
Here again we find several types of editors.

Acquisitions editor—Finds new authors and promotes writers he thinks will be profitable for the publisher. Often must fight to get an author accepted by the house because he’s competing with other editors to bring in new authors. Writers and agents typically submit manuscripts to the acquisitions editor. The acquisitions editor, especially for fiction, may follow a manuscript from submission to publication, suggesting plot-level changes to bring the story in line with his/the publisher’s vision for the product line.

Developmental editor—Helps a writer develop a book from idea or outline or initial draft. Makes sure the book will meet the needs of the publisher and its readers. Will work with the author through any number of drafts. Often works with writers of non-fiction. Guides the writer in topics to be covered in or omitted from the book.

Copy/manuscript editor—(These may be two different positions or one that combines elements of both or the same position called by a different name.) Ensures that the manuscript meets in-house style standards and corrects grammar, spelling, and punctuation. Checks facts and may suggest different words. Verifies headings, statistics, data in graphs, and footnote entries. For fiction, the manuscript editor will check for consistency and logic, and will read with the needs of the audience in mind.

Proofreader—Compares one version of a manuscript against another to eliminate errors from the newest version. The proofreader is the last person to check a manuscript before publication. A proofreader is not an editor in the traditional sense, but because of a crossover between duties, an editor may be the proofreader.

Either the acquisitions or manuscript editor may suggest moving or dropping scenes, dropping or changing characters, changing point of view, or making other major changes to a manuscript.

Freelance editor
A freelance editor works for himself and is hired by a writer to ready his manuscript for publication.

Copy editor—A freelance copy editor may deal primarily with spelling, grammar, punctuation, fact checking, and word choice (in the sense that he makes sure the words mean what the author thinks they mean).

Developmental editor—As detailed above, the developmental editor helps the writer from the idea stage through the final draft. He may suggest topics, help with research, verify facts, and plan the structure of the manuscript. He works through successive drafts with the writer. He’s as concerned with the structure of a manuscript as much as he is the words and meaning.

Substantive editor—Helps a writer improve his fiction manuscript by focusing on story elements, plot, characterization, dialogue, order of scenes, point of view, voice, setting, word choice, sentence construction and syntax, and pace—anything that could improve the strength of the manuscript.

Helps a writer with a non-fiction manuscript by ensuring that sections lead logically from one to another, that there is consistency and flow, and that the right amount of information is presented. Will make sure that conclusions are sound and come from what has been presented.

Substantive editors do not usually work with a writer from the beginning stages, but instead will come to a manuscript after the writer has completed several drafts. Points out weaknesses and suggests options to strengthen those areas. Examines both the big picture and the fine details of a manuscript (including grammar, spelling, and punctuation).

Ghost writer—Shares the writing of a manuscript with an author or writes the entire manuscript based on the author’s suggestions, leading, and research.

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Areas and elements that an editor (specifically a book editor) might look at—

Non-fiction editor
Besides making corrections and suggestions for the technical elements—spelling and punctuation, data and fact verification, footnote and index accuracy and so on—the editor of non-fiction will help a writer organize the manuscript for greatest impact, clarity, and readability. She will check the flow and rhythms of the manuscript. She will ensure that conclusions are sufficiently supported. She’ll look for variety in sentence construction and make suggestions where necessary.

She’ll make sure word choices match the intended audience in terms of knowledge and age appropriateness and suitability. She may suggest sections where an anecdote or other story might be appropriate. She’ll check to see that the style of presentation matches the subject matter. She’ll look for threads to connect chapters and sections so the manuscript reads as a cohesive whole.

Fiction editor
Beyond the technical issues of grammar, punctuation, and spelling, the fiction editor will look at story issues.

She’ll make sure there’s enough plot for the length of the novel or novella. She’ll read for plot inconsistencies or dangling plot threads. She’ll make sure characters are sufficiently different from one another and that they speak with their own voices, show off their own quirks.

She’ll read for pace and logic and the entertainment factor. She’ll suggest word choices that better fit character and genre. She’ll look for balance in setting and dialogue, action and exposition. She’ll check scene transitions and chapter-ending hooks, making sure the reader is engaged by each.

She may suggest a change in point of view or in the viewpoint character. May suggest a change in verb tense—past to present or present to past. She will note where the author’s opinions and/or prejudices have gotten in the way of the fiction.

She’ll point out saidisms, overuse of modifiers, and fuzzy passages. The fiction editor will make sure the writer has given characters sufficient motivation. She’ll check scenes for sense elements and conflict. She’ll help the writer put the protagonist into tough situations and then turn up the heat.

She’ll root out cliches.

The fiction editor will make sure the resolution fulfills the promise of the story opening, that it’s satisfying and inevitable.

Both the fiction editor and the editor of non-fiction bring that outsider’s eye to a manuscript. They notice when and where elements don’t fit. They see that something’s missing.

And they know what to do to fix the lapses.

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~ Editors bring to a manuscript the polish and knowledge and skills that a writer might not have, might not know how to use, or might not see the need for in his own work.

~ An editor makes sure the writer’s work says what the writer intends and says it in the writer’s voice and with his sensibilities.

~ An editor’s job is to make a story, article, or manuscript better. Better in terms of clarity, enjoyment, logic, flow, and meaning. Better in terms of meeting the needs of the audience.

~ An editor serves the project, the author, and the reader.

~ An editor balances the writer’s desires with the publisher’s standards and the reader’s expectations—and finds a way to produce a story to satisfy all three.

~ Editors read. They write. The love words and the millions of stories that can be crafted from them. They assemble parts of a manuscript as if they were puzzle pieces, putting them together to make a fascinating and appealing picture, a picture that readers will want to explore in depth.

~ They are typically picky, sticklers for what they believe is right, opinionated, and determined. They often have a great eye for detail, a strong vocabulary, and knowledge of odd grammar rules.

~ They enjoy working with—and playing with—words.

~ Editors are enhancers. They work to make what is good better, what is great, outstanding. They challenge writers. They challenge themselves.

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There are different levels of editing, so the answer to the question of what an editor should do can be complex. But every editor can adhere to some standards—

Return edited manuscripts on time.

Keep abreast of current spellings (words change spelling with time) and technical jargon.

Read a manuscript more than once.

Refuse to hold back skills, knowledge, opinions. The client is paying for honesty and diligence.

Be frank.  Don’t be swayed by a client’s talent or fame or subject knowledge.

Look up supposed facts—dates, events, history.

Point out sections that sound like gibberish.

Point out sections that sing.

Turn down an edit if the manuscript isn’t ready.

Suggest a different beginning, if warranted.

Suggest a different ending, if needed.

Recommend cutting characters, phrases, paragraphs, scenes, chapters, dialogue, description and events that don’t adhere to or enhance the story’s plot or tone.

Don’t just cut—make concrete suggestions for changing or adding to the story.

Learn genre requirements and expectations.

Be open to something new or unexpected.

Remember that it’s not your story.

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Looking for the specifics of an editor’s job? Read Duties of an Editor/How Editors Help Writers.

***

She admitted it was a big step, asking me to look at her work. To critique her work. To point out the problem areas.

Her words got me thinking. Was it really that hard to submit a manuscript to an editor? I know I’m not an ogre. I’m guessing most other editors aren’t either.

So what I want to stress here is that editors are on your side. Just as you do, they want your work to be the best possible. When a manuscript leaves the editor’s hands, he expects to have done his best to make it worthy of a read by an agent or publishing house.

He wants to please his client and polish the manuscript, difficult tasks to accomplish at the same time when most of what the editor points out are areas needing improvement. With the wrong approach, corrections and suggestions could come across to the writer as the editor believing there’s nothing good in the story.

Yet that shouldn’t be the effect or result of edits.

Instead, edits should strengthen the work and definitely not cause the writer to second-guess his career.

I see editing as a highly encouraging endeavor. You’ve done this here, see how it sings? Why not do something similar in tone with this section or scene? Keep those threads tied tightly throughout the story—keep it cohesive.

Or

Look again at your main character’s word choices. What words or patterns of speech reveal him? What words can be changed to reveal character or motivation, rather than using word choices that would fit any story about any character in any setting?

An editor doesn’t have the same investment in a work as the writer does, of course, but he does have an investment. His goal is to offer suggestions that will strengthen the narrative, that will deepen character, that will improve pacing. His purpose isn’t to make the writer feel bad but to feel encouraged about what he’s created.

Here’s a manuscript, a story, worthy to be worked on. Here’s a project worth a second and a third glance. Here’s a story with promise.

Can I put you at ease about submitting to a freelance editor? He or she is on your side. She wants to serve the project to the best of her skills.

Find an editor you can work with, someone who’ll challenge you. Someone who’ll offer suggestions that work with your vision and your goals. But don’t settle for an editor who agrees with you on every point. There’s no reason to engage an editor only to have him remain silent when he should speak out.

Listen to your editor’s suggestions. Give those suggestions a chance. And then follow them, adjust them, or pass on them. Stand your ground on an issue when you need to. But take advice when that advice will serve the story.

Take a chance every once in a while and try something your editor suggests, even when it seems odd. You never know when one small suggestion may lead to a story breakthrough.

Know your vision; but know also that vision can be expanded.

Find an editor you can trust. Then trust that he’ll offer good advice.

Your editor wants you to succeed. He wants your story to be successful. He is on your side.

***

Yet, it’s hard not to react when people throw stones.

No, not at me personally. But at my profession.

I spent time last week (more than was good for me) following blogs and Internet articles where the main activity was jumping on freelance editors, complaining about them, lumping them all into the same negative category. One somewhere beneath lawyers and a step or two above car salesmen. And yes, I know that such a comparison plays into stereotypes about men and women in those two professions.

My point exactly.

There are poor representatives in every profession. There are stellar ones as well. But those who take advantage of their clients or customers paint not only themselves but their colleagues with the same ugly brush.

I read complaint after complaint from writers abused by editors who either didn’t come through with what they promised or who were no good at their jobs. The most common complaint was that a manuscript was in worse shape after the editor was done with it. The writers and their friends thus wondered if any freelance editor was worth hiring.

Yes, they are. Many of them. Most of them.

Good editors spend hours working out ways to make their clients’ writing clear and entertaining. They look up oddities of grammar and punctuation. They find a phrase that could be written as two words, a single word, or as a hyphenated word and take time to check on the current accepted spelling. They read and study and check facts.

Good editors aren’t trying to cheat the writer or make him look bad. Instead, they’re doing what it takes to make a manuscript as flawless as possible while saving the writer the embarrassment of submitting error-riddled stories.

A good editor isn’t going to produce an edit with more spelling errors or punctuation mistakes than the original manuscript. He’s not going to gut the work and rewrite the story according to his vision. He’s not going to fill it with adjectives and adverbs and passive construction. He won’t add his pet theme.

He is going to clean up the mechanics. And he will offer suggestions to tighten plot and sharpen focus and make characters more memorable. He’ll address emotion—or lack of it—and the overuse of dialogue and the lack of depth.  He may ask about character names and dangling plot threads and inconsistencies.

No, not everyone needs a professional editor; some writers get enough help from critique groups or education or experience.

And not everyone is ready for a professional editor. If an editor suggests you need more writing experience or training or help with certain skills, consider that he might be right and go get that experience or training or help. If he suggests your story needs a rewrite—by you—consider rewriting.

Don’t accept sub-standard work from an editor; don’t accept it from anyone. But don’t think all editors are bad because of your experience (or your aunt’s or your best friend’s) with an incompetent editor. Most have quite high standards. We expect the best from ourselves and put our names and reputations out in public with every edit. We want to make it right—that’s exactly what drew us to the profession. Our true pleasure is watching so-so stories become great ones and good stories connect with an audience.

Unless you have a legitimate complaint, don’t jump on the bash-an-editor bandwagon. No profession is represented by only one member. Are all car salesmen crooked? Of course not. Are lawyers the scum of the earth? Ask the ones who work for near-nothing to provide legal advice for those without money and others who give up nights and weekends for their clients.

One bad apple don’t spoil the whole bunch.

Advice to editors—

Don’t promise what you can’t deliver. Deliver what you promise.

Don’t accept every client who comes to you—some manuscripts aren’t ready for editing.

Spell out your services. Be clear about what you do and about what you don’t do.

Know your stuff. Take a class, brush up on your skills, know the rules and know when they can be broken.

Be realistic about your expectations. No editor is perfect; you will make mistakes. Learn how to fix them.

Advice to writers—

Shop around. Not all editors will be right for you.

Get recommendations from friends.

Ask for a sample edit.

Be realistic about your expectations. No editor is perfect; yours will make mistakes.

Does every writer need one? Who benefits from submitting his or her manuscript, novel, or work-in-progress to a freelance editor?

The benefits of a professional edit by an experienced editor are many, from the basics of correcting spelling, punctuation, and grammar to the more complex issues of adjusting plot and characterization and pacing and tone.

An editor is that second set of eyes that every writer needs for his work. No writer of long fiction will find every error in his own writing. (And unfortunately for those of us wanting perfection, most novels are printed with errors.) The experienced editor is trained to see errors and, even better, knows how to correct them, can often show you several options for correcting problem words or phrases or scenes. An editor is also impartial—he or she will not feel the same attachment for pet phrases that the writer has. Such an attachment on the writer’s part may well prevent him from deleting wording that hinders rather than benefits his story.

Yet, paying a professional editor is not the only option for writers. A critique partner—one who is free to tell you what’s wrong with your story—is a great alternative. Trade critiques with a friend or find a partner through Internet writing groups. Join a local writers group and share your work there. Keep in mind, however, that other writers may not give your work the same detailed analysis an editor would. They may have neither the skill nor the interest. What they can provide may be enough for your needs. Just keep the limitations in mind.

So, should you pay an editor to go through your manuscript?

If you’ve never studied writing either formally or informally, yes, consider a professional edit. Treat the experience as continuing education.

If your query letter and synopsis get you repeated requests to submit a partial or full manuscript but your submission is rejected again and again, consider a professional edit.

If you’re a quick learner or one who learns by example, consider an edit. After one in-depth edit, you may be able to take what you’ve learned and apply it to subsequent manuscripts.

If you’re self-publishing, by all means consider a professional edit. As I mentioned earlier, everyone needs a second set of eyes to examine his work.

If you’re writing for your own enjoyment, don’t have plans to publish, or just don’t have the money to invest in a freelance edit, consider other options first. A good edit is worth the price, but you may have other considerations or circumstances that trump the benefits of an edit.

An edit for your novel manuscript is an investment. An investment in not only one project, but in your career as a writer. I recommend that, when feasible, you make the investment at least once in that career.