1/15 Thread about EDITS.✏️As someone on both sides of the publishing fence I wanted to talk a bit about the editing process + how to deal with it. Having your book edited can be terrifying - after all, it’s something you’ve worked on for ages + now it’s in someone else’s control!
2/15 Of course that feels weird. AIM: the aim of edits is to make your book better + to ensure it appeals to as many readers as possible. Often, as the author you’ve spent so long working on your ms that you naturally become a bit blind to it + so another pair of eyes is crucial.
3/15 One thing to keep in mind throughout is that you + your publisher have the SAME goal - to sell books + reach readers. We’re all on the same side! ATTITUDE: when you receive big edits on your ms, the temptation is to read them all at once, panic + respond with a knee-jerk
4/15 reaction. (I have done this!) But it’s much better to wait, read when you have clear space to think, + even sleep on it before replying to your editor. Usually things begin to feel clearer + more manageable. DO: ask questions! As an Ed, I never mind authors asking why I’ve
5/15 suggested a certain edit, + I don’t mind them disagreeing politely + suggesting alternatives. It’s your book + you need to be happy with it - but ideally you also understand where the ed is coming from + can reach compromises where needed. DON’T: forget to thank your editor!
6/15 Editors do put a lot of time into editorial notes + a thank you goes a long way.😉ASK if you don’t understand a point, you won’t sound silly + it’s always better to fully understand what’s being asked of you before you start work. DEADLINES: if you have a deadline, try your
7/15 best to meet it. Of course, often things come up + this isn’t possible - in that case just let your editor know + ask for more time. It’s always important for you to get the novel right rather than rush! But we want to know if you’ll be late so that we can plan our schedules
8/15 + if needs be talk to the production dept, who have set dates for when books must go to print. WORRYING: every writer I know worries about edits. You might worry the book is being turned into something you don’t like, you might worry the edits are so extensive that it must
9/15 mean your editor hates it. I promise this is not the case. Your Ed loves your book - that’s why they bought it. Edits are a normal part of the process + lots to do doesn’t mean your book is bad! Try not to worry + once you’ve done the work + sent it back, put it from your
10/15 mind for a while; do something else! START SMALL: everyone works differently but I find it v helpful to do the smaller, easier edits first - tick those off before tackling the trickier parts. That way you’ve started work without feeling overwhelmed. POSITIVITY: I always add
11/15 positive comments to my edits as well as constructive feedback - but it’s so easy to skip over those + only focus on the perceived negatives! Remember to congratulate yourself for the amazing parts of your ms too. MARKET: sometimes when editing, eds might take into account
12/15 things that authors may not be aware of - eg plot devices that have been done v recently, angles that don’t work well for our foreign rights teams, feedback from retailers - + so our editorial suggestions will often encompass these + there’ll be a reason why your Ed is
13/15 making a particular suggestion. Sometimes asking WHY can help + if you identify the root problem you can usually find another solution to solve it, even if this is a different one to what your Ed suggested. So if your Ed wants you to add a murder early on bc the pacing is
14/15 slow, but you don’t want anyone to die, you might be able to add something else that still helps with the pace if you know that’s why they’ve suggested it. PERSPECTIVE: don’t let edits get you down! If you feel overwhelmed, do something different for a while. Exercise!
15/ 15 Or watch a great TV drama! And remember, it’s only books, after all. No one ever died from a round of edits - except maybe your characters. 😊#publishing #editing #writing #amwriting #edits #books #WritingCommunity
