By Steve Locke
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| Step one on "The Yellow Brick Road". |
At Thin Air, readers and aspiring
writers have a fantastic opportunity to see their literary heroes in the flesh.
Though, where it would seem that their wonderful texts sprang from their
imaginations like spells, of course, it’s simply not the case that abracadabra,
a book is printed, and distributed just like that.
What’s missing
in this equation is an overseer, a great and powerful wizard hiding behind a
curtain, otherwise known as an editor. More than just a capable individual with
magic wand (a red pen), the editor is an educated collaborator set on bringing their
apprentice’s work ever closer to the reader. This is all while making it seem
like the writer had done all the work and the editor was never there, having only
whispered enchantments (constructive suggestions) in their ear.
This past
week, a local word-alchemist was kind enough to take me under her wing for a
short apprenticing session. There, we engaged in a bit of role-playing: I acted
as an aspiring writer with a workable manuscript, which I hope is not so hard
to imagine, and herself: an editor at a reputable publishing house. This is
much less difficult to imagine, since my master was Karen Haughian, the editor
of fiction and non-fiction at Signature Editions. She helped me to dispel the
myth of the editor, even the red pen.
First off, "Master
Haughian" described an ideal manuscript as one that her publishing house may invest
in as a marketable product that appeals to a national audience. She also
mentioned that in the submission process, it’s best to demonstrate
professionalism by sending a query letter and sample through the publishing
house.
Then, our editorial process began:
“So you’ve submitted a sample, it’s
piqued my interest, and I’ve asked you to send in the complete manuscript. When
I do a first reading, I try to do it without a red pen in hand, which is harder
than you might think. I do keep a notepad handy, though, and if I’m seeing real
potential to publish, I’ll jot down some notes as I go along.”
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| No magic wands were used in the editing of this article. |
If the
manuscript has sustained interest, has commercial potential and fits with
publishing plans, the editor might make an offer to publish. Such an offer will
rarely be without editorial conditions, of course, which will determine if the
writer and the editor “are on the same page”
If, at this point, it already
seems like a working relationship simply cannot be struck, Haughian’s advice is
to run! “You should never, ever sign a contract to publish your work with a
press if you feel it doesn’t ‘get’ your work.”
Once a
go-ahead is agreed upon, then a contract is written up, which will outline an
editorial schedule that works backwards from a projected publication date.
Okay, so at
this point, my master agreed to take me as a full-time apprentice, and had
already suggested some incantations to add to my manuscript. Since it was my
first apprenticeship, I felt somewhat intimidated. Thankfully, she
assured me, “The editing process is not a battle or negotiation; it’s a
completely collaborative process, with both parties working together to make
the manuscript the best it can possibly be.”
Whew! I was
certainly on board for that, especially when she put her role into perspective
for me. She said, “The editor’s first task is
to get inside the author’s head in order to suggest revisions that are true to
the author’s vision and voice. The editor’s aim is to make the connection
between the writer and reader stronger.” If the editor does their job well, they
will make her work look invisible, and have me grasping exactly what I was
trying to say.
The second
task is to smooth out any flaws in the work. “The editor will question all
kinds of things – from plot inconsistencies and character motivation and
development to order, pacing and flow – and make suggestions on how to address
them.”
It was then
that she took a serious tone and explained why her role was necessary,
and objectivity was key. A reading by friends and family simply won’t do, she
said. “No one will have the same investment in your work as your editor does.
Part of the editor’s job is to keep an eye on how (your work) will be received
by people who don’t know you – the
elusive reading public.”
After a
length of time spent on perfecting the story and characters, then it gets down
to the nitty-gritty of editing syntax, grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
After that, the manuscript is sent off to the proofreader who is sure to find
all the mistakes that are missed. Then, after going through the manuscript for
an umpteenth time, it’s off to print!
I asked Master
Haughian if there was anything else that I needed to know. She only said that a
certain perspective on my manuscript might help the editing process, which
comes from experience. She said that new writers are sometimes more difficult
to work with because they often feel closer to their work. Seasoned writers, on
the other hand, come to view their work as separate from themselves, and an
appreciation for the process is reached through sheer volume of words written
and re-written.
I took that
as a fine perspective to apply to my writing career. Then it occurred to me
that the editing process isn’t really all that spectacular; no more so than the
writing process, really. I admit that I might have looked to my master with a slight bit of disappointment on that matter.
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| Never really goes out of style, does it? |
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She said,
“So that what it looks like from under the editor’s hat. As you can see,
there’s no mystery, no magic. I’m not any kind of editing wizard, despite the
hat. I just do my best to be attentive to the work and the author’s
intentions.”
I thanked Master Haughian, and then I thought that maybe next time, I'll submit my manuscript to an editor of fantasy novels instead.
