The Rewards of Being Edited

The email arrived in my inbox. It was from my editor. I was both excited and scared to see what lay waiting for me in that attachment. It was my manuscript, but with someone else’s corrections and comments. I had read the horror stories of demands to cut main characters, revamp plots, or change other major elements of stories. What would my editor ask of me? What did she think of the book? Obviously, it was perfect and in no need of revision since I’d read through it a million times…

Haha, no.

I scanned through all the comments with that feeling of dread that the next one would be the BIG one, but it never came. There were some things that I didn’t want to hear, but the earth-shattering request wasn’t there. I had dodged that bullet, but there would still be painful work to be done.

I had also read the advice to wait a day or two before diving in to revise, so I did. Even so, once I started, it wasn’t long until my feelings of resistance bubbled up. It was my story. I would write it the way I wanted to. Who was this person to suggest these changes? Those thoughts crossed my mind, but I got over them. I asked for clarification and explanation, and it was provided. I still didn’t like it, but I understood, and I saw the wisdom behind the requests.

I had the benefit of taking critique over many years. I can’t say I would have had the maturity for this process when I first started writing. It was hard enough to talk to my wife about changes she suggested on my first book! But, I’ve gotten better over time. I also had the very recent experience of helping to edit another author’s work. I wrote about that in my previous post. Her response to my critiques showed a maturity and professionalism that was inspiring, and I committed to embody that same spirit when my turn came.

So, as I made changes and figured out how to incorporate the revisions my editor had asked for, I became increasingly convinced that those changes would result in a better book. By the end of the process, I’d developed a lot of respect for her. I’d learned many things about my writing. I’d learned many things that I didn’t know I didn’t know. I should be clear; I never viewed her as an adversary. From the beginning it was evident that she had my best interests at heart. It just took me a while to get on the same page and appreciate it.

I don’t know what all editors are like. I’ve only worked with one, but she is an expert in her field, and she pointed out numerous ways to improve my story. I’m thankful that I was assigned to her. The things I’ve learned have improved this book, but they’ll apply to my future writing as well. The road to becoming a better author is never-ending, but thanks to her I’m heading in the right direction.

Of course, that was round one. We’ll see what she has to say after reviewing my revisions…