Comments on: Loving my editor? Not so much… http://writerunboxed.com/2007/03/22/loving-my-editor-not-so-much%e2%80%a6/ About the craft and business of genre fiction Sat, 30 Aug 2008 00:45:46 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0.4 by: Jeri http://writerunboxed.com/2007/03/22/loving-my-editor-not-so-much%e2%80%a6/#comment-6336 Sun, 25 Mar 2007 13:24:52 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/03/22/loving-my-editor-not-so-much%e2%80%a6/#comment-6336 Wonderful post. As you probably know from being on the other end of the pen, the "thoroughness" (to put it euphemistically) of editing demonstrates a commitment to making the project the best it can be. If your editor didn't care deeply about it, if his priority was to keep to the production schedule and have the book be merely "good enough for publication," it wouldn't serve you well at all. It's hard to hear about a book's faults from an editor, but it's better than hearing about it from readers or audiences a year or two from now. Always better to fall on one's face in private. Good luck with the rewrite! Wonderful post. As you probably know from being on the other end of the pen, the “thoroughness” (to put it euphemistically) of editing demonstrates a commitment to making the project the best it can be. If your editor didn’t care deeply about it, if his priority was to keep to the production schedule and have the book be merely “good enough for publication,” it wouldn’t serve you well at all.

It’s hard to hear about a book’s faults from an editor, but it’s better than hearing about it from readers or audiences a year or two from now. Always better to fall on one’s face in private.

Good luck with the rewrite!

]]> by: Juliet http://writerunboxed.com/2007/03/22/loving-my-editor-not-so-much%e2%80%a6/#comment-6243 Fri, 23 Mar 2007 07:22:49 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/03/22/loving-my-editor-not-so-much%e2%80%a6/#comment-6243 My sympathies, Victoria. I had my first Evil Editor experience about 18 months ago and I truly feel for you. Of course, as you will know, you don't have to do everything your editor recommends. In my case I came to accept (after the 'tearing out of hair, screaming and throwing things' phase and the 'eating chocolate and crying' phase) that she was at least half right, but I also held onto several aspects of my book that I really believed in, despite her desire for them to go. And in the long run everyone was happy with the extensively rewritten final version. Great editors have the skill of presenting a demand for a major rewrite as encouraging, constructive advice. Even if the author doesn't entirely believe in such briskly positive comments, they enable her to psych herself into the right frame of mind to start doing the required work. My sympathies, Victoria. I had my first Evil Editor experience about 18 months ago and I truly feel for you. Of course, as you will know, you don’t have to do everything your editor recommends. In my case I came to accept (after the ‘tearing out of hair, screaming and throwing things’ phase and the ‘eating chocolate and crying’ phase) that she was at least half right, but I also held onto several aspects of my book that I really believed in, despite her desire for them to go. And in the long run everyone was happy with the extensively rewritten final version.

Great editors have the skill of presenting a demand for a major rewrite as encouraging, constructive advice. Even if the author doesn’t entirely believe in such briskly positive comments, they enable her to psych herself into the right frame of mind to start doing the required work.

]]> by: thea http://writerunboxed.com/2007/03/22/loving-my-editor-not-so-much%e2%80%a6/#comment-6202 Thu, 22 Mar 2007 15:42:20 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/03/22/loving-my-editor-not-so-much%e2%80%a6/#comment-6202 it is times like these when i can only console myself by saying 'it could be worse.' what if he'd said it was unsalvagable? it is times like these when i can only console myself by saying ‘it could be worse.’ what if he’d said it was unsalvagable?

]]> by: Kathleen Bolton http://writerunboxed.com/2007/03/22/loving-my-editor-not-so-much%e2%80%a6/#comment-6181 Thu, 22 Mar 2007 12:37:42 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/03/22/loving-my-editor-not-so-much%e2%80%a6/#comment-6181 Ouch. Double ouch. At least you have the comfort of having had the shoe on the other foot (cold comfort though it may be right now). I often wonder what goes through fiction editors' minds when they have to issue the grim truth. The problem with writing fiction is that it's as much a business as it is an artform, and the business part doesn't much care about bruised feelings. As for the English Civil War, I'm afraid he's right there, American kids will only grasp the simplist dichotomy, despite the fact that it's a fascinating historical moment BECAUSE it's fluid and multifarious. I remember when my agent handed me back the revisions she wanted on my first project. It had, no lie, over 75 PostIts frilling the edges, plus it bled red ink. I had to do the same thing as you, put it away for a few days, then I drew a deep breath, took a big girl pill, and got to work. The fact that I had to trust the editorial professional didn't make it any easier, though. Hang in. It's going to be a great read no matter what. How could it go wrong with horses and witchcraft and civil war? Ouch. Double ouch. At least you have the comfort of having had the shoe on the other foot (cold comfort though it may be right now).

I often wonder what goes through fiction editors’ minds when they have to issue the grim truth. The problem with writing fiction is that it’s as much a business as it is an artform, and the business part doesn’t much care about bruised feelings.

As for the English Civil War, I’m afraid he’s right there, American kids will only grasp the simplist dichotomy, despite the fact that it’s a fascinating historical moment BECAUSE it’s fluid and multifarious.

I remember when my agent handed me back the revisions she wanted on my first project. It had, no lie, over 75 PostIts frilling the edges, plus it bled red ink. I had to do the same thing as you, put it away for a few days, then I drew a deep breath, took a big girl pill, and got to work. The fact that I had to trust the editorial professional didn’t make it any easier, though.

Hang in. It’s going to be a great read no matter what. How could it go wrong with horses and witchcraft and civil war?

]]> by: Therese Walsh http://writerunboxed.com/2007/03/22/loving-my-editor-not-so-much%e2%80%a6/#comment-5898 Wed, 14 Mar 2007 23:31:44 +0000 http://writerunboxed.com/2007/03/22/loving-my-editor-not-so-much%e2%80%a6/#comment-5898 Great post, Vicky! You're much further along in the rant-grief-accept process than I'd be in your position. (Ask my critique buddies; I'm a muller.) I agree: ten is still a frighteningly young age to be on a battlefield. And you know you can count on us for the pom-pom cheers anytime you need them! Great post, Vicky!

You’re much further along in the rant-grief-accept process than I’d be in your position. (Ask my critique buddies; I’m a muller.) I agree: ten is still a frighteningly young age to be on a battlefield. And you know you can count on us for the pom-pom cheers anytime you need them!

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