So, you’ve hired an editor to go through your manuscript. Your big picture edit has a myriad of names: developmental edit, structural editing, book doctoring. They all come down to one end, though. The editorial letter. We all know this is a big list of changes your editor wants to make to your novel, but what does that look like? You might be surprised to find that this stage is much more collaborative than it is a dictation of mandates. This conversation is nuanced and individual to each project and every editor based on their process, but here is what you should absolutely expect.
A Lot of Personalized Analysis
That’s what you came for, right? The length is always going to vary based upon the length of your manuscript, the complexity of the material, and how many questions you have given the editor in advance. (Yeah, if you’re paying for this service, you deserve to give input on how it goes!) But no matter what, you’ll get a breakdown of your plot, characters, pacing, point of view, structure, genre, marketability, and more all directly addressing your text. Every editorial letter I’ve written has a section or two that isn’t part of my rubric, too, because there are opportunities uniquely available to your story that just don’t fit inside a box. Every author deserves some individualized attention, and that means you.
A Lot of Questions
I can’t be certain that all editors work this way, but for me what is most telling about how a story needs to grow lies in the questions I have for my editors. Sometimes they’re clerical like the minor details of how a magic system functions. Other times they’re existential or imaginative. Not all of these questions will have answers, and even if they do, not all of them necessarily should be answered by your book. But all of the questions your editor asks should be considered by you during rewrites. As who will possibly be your most in depth reader of the novel, editorial questions at this stage are the best way to overcome authorial bias.
Some Big Changes
No matter whether it’s a character, a plotline, or a scene you love, you should expect to lose something (or a few somethings) that feel huge. You have hired an editor for their opinions and expertise on story building, and if they aren’t helping you fundamentally shape your narrative, you aren’t getting your money’s worth. It’s natural to feel defensive about these kinds of changes and like you deserve to respectfully disagree. And you’re right in some respects. An author’s right to disagree with editorial suggestions is necessary to maintain your voice in the text, but it is also important to acknowledge that these suggestions are being made in light of problems the editor has found in the text. You don’t have to agree with them on how to fix it, but you should make a concerted effort to address the issues their suggestions consider.
Some Education
Writers have blind spots. We all do, and it’s hard to know it. If you’ve found a complementary editor, they’re going to help you fill those blind spots. Maybe there’s a big concept like a large element of character building missing, or maybe you got mixed up on where an object in your book is located. Your editor should address these things, give you examples of where they are handled correctly, and sometimes even give homework to you so you can more effectively rework your next draft.
Some Inspiration
A lot of an editor’s job is making corrections, but a good editor should praise great moments in your text. This looks different for each project, but I’m typically fond of pointing out times when a manuscript makes me laugh out loud or when characters are being especially emotionally connective with me as a reader. But sometimes editorial praise can look like corrections too, like when I tell an author to give something more room to breathe by pulling a sentence out of a paragraph or let characters sit in a scene for longer. The moment is too good not to be noticed more.
A Little Fun, Too
Good art always comes from a bit of playfulness. Without considering new combinations and taking a chance, there would be no reason to write at all. When making suggestions for clients, I often try to consider one natural-feeling option and one absurd option. They still have to fit within the text as it exists, but it is okay to push boundaries because they help my authors brainstorm bigger possibilities and ultimately bring the story to a new level. Playfulness can look more traditionally silly, too, with exercises like word clouds, character drawings or synesthetic experiences.
Receiving an editorial letter will often be a time in an author’s journey filled with many emotions, but one of the most important ones should be excitement and preparedness. If you receive it and have any questions for your editor about why they chose something or how to effectively complete their rewrite, you should feel free to ask and have a conversation. The worst it can do is give you more ideas on how to best edit your book.
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