Quick links, bringing you great articles on writing from all over the web.
Hopefully if you have already published you know the answer to this question, but if you have never worked with a book editor Blake Atwood at The Write Life shares his experiences.
~ * ~
What It’s Actually Like to Work With a Book Editor
by Blake AtwoodMany aspiring authors often ask, “What’s it like to work with an editor?”
The short answer to this question is: It depends on which editor you’re working with.
For instance, some editors would strike that last sentence because it ends with a preposition.
Some editors would strike this entire introduction because I’m not getting to the point fast enough. In fiction, this is akin to belaboring the backstory before getting to the real action. (Free tip: unless you’re an experienced writer, you can often kill the first 10 percent of your first draft to find the real beginning of your story.)
One of the hardest characteristics to gauge when it’s your first time to work with a particular editor is knowing where they draw their editorial lines.
In other words, how severe will their edits be?
Of course, this depends on the kind of editing you’re looking for. A developmental editor, who looks at your manuscript as a whole for big problems like plot holes or poor narrative flow, may suggest massive changes. A copy editor may only ask that you delete a few commas. (You’ll be lucky if that’s all they ask of you.)
But even moving a few commas can cause an author to fight back.
This is where you, as the author, learn what your editor’s line is.
The kind of editor you want
Read the full post on The Write Life