Why Hire an Editor?

There are times I get all cocky and tell people I used to be an editor, so what do I need to hire one for? I have a firm grasp of the English language. I know how to put sentences together. I have programs that help point out usage that I might have overlooked. And did I mention I have a stellar critique group? Well, here's the thing.

Nobody's Perfect

This is especially true when it comes to reviewing your own work. Humans are flawed, and as such, mistakes will be made. Even with top-notch skills and a strong support group. Things get overlooked. Threads get dropped. 

As I prepare my next Hillendale novel for publication, I'm addressing comments I got back from my editor. The one I hired. Because she sees all the things I miss. Is she perfect? No, but her input elevates my work. As an example...

• I have a thread in the current novel that isn't neatly tied up. "What happened to that one person?" Truth be told, I knew it was hanging out there, but I'd sort of thought maybe no one would care. That was mistake number one. If I don't care, that means my character doesn't care, and that makes her uncaring. Forget the fact this is a made-up person in a made-up world. People should care what happens, especially people we are willing to take the time to invest our energy and emotions into. "That one person" has now been taken care of.
  
  
• Wasn't this different in the last book? See, that's the thing. I keep a series bible. In fact, I wrote a program to make it easier, but in order to keep the facts straight, I have to refer to them. Often. Example #1 is the backstory I presented at the end of Interrupted Magic which "magically" isn't the same as what's presented in this next installment. Well, heck. That isn't going to work, and thinking my readers won't pick up on it? That's just careless. My editor, who has been with me through 17 books now, keeps track of all that stuff. And speaking of continuity...
  
  
• What was the name of that place? Yes, this is also in my series bible, and I KNOW I've referred back to it more than once, but wouldn't you know I STILL wrote the wrong name? Rock Falls/Rock's Edge. And speaking of series bible, here's something you might not know. When I was writing Brian Benson's book for the Epitaph series, I misspelled his name. For 6 books, his name was Brian. Now that he's taking center stage, he's suddenly Bryan. How does that happen?? Well, my editor was on top of it.

As an editor in business, we were often told that internal controls meant you didn't edit your own work. You handed it off to someone with fresh eyes. The three examples I cited are prime reasons that this is good practice. It doesn't matter how good you (think you) are. The main problem with checking your own work is that you become blind to the mistakes. The value of an industry professional with specialized knowledge is well worth the investment. 

I'm expecting ENCHANTED MEMORIES (Hillendale 5) to release on August 3. It should be hitting the stores for preorder this week. Here's the first look at the cover.

Buy it here

Editors and deadlines

A funny thing happened on the way to finishing the fifth Hillendale novel. My editor's schedule filled up, so the release date was going to be later this year. I decided to adjust my writing schedule accordingly. Well, sort of. I always write on a schedule, but with new babies arriving over the next two months, I wasn't going to rush myself. As quickly as I'd decided to slow the pace, she found an opening. Now I'm on deadline!

I've been working with my editor for... I think this might be 18 books now? A bunch of years tied into that. I first started working with her when I wrote LIVING CANVAS.  I'm grateful when she's able to squeeze me into a tight schedule, and part of that comes from her trusting the quality of work she'll get from me (or so she says) and the fact she likes my books (or so she says). I feel very fortunate to have found her. People will tell you when you sign with an agent or an editor that they need to be your advocate, which means you should be "work" friends. I definitely feel that with my editor, and from the very first sample of my work when she pointed out things to work on (and I immediately fixed them), she told me she was impressed that I not only took the notes, but applied them. She's there to make my work better, and I appreciate that. 

So now I'm on deadline. I'm nearly finished with the first draft of Hillendale 5 (as yet untitled), but with my timetable moved up, I need to not only finish it, but make sure it's editor-ready (or at least close!). 

Anyone want to suggest a title? Here's the deal. Brynn got her happily ever after in Hillendale 4: INTERRUPTED MAGIC, and moved away, but Madeleine bought Brynn's house. Seems the people of Hillendale sort of like having a witch around. Madeleine's magic is a little different than Brynn's, including a gift for the power of suggestion. Madeleine has a history as a psychic detective, but a recent incident left her "gun shy." She dips her toes back into the water with a "not really missing" person and sees that investigation through, but the case that scared her off isn't closed yet, and the bad guy is looking for her.

I'm thinking "Forget Me Not" (for a variety of reasons) but not sure that sounds witchy enough. It might work with a witchy cover, though. What do you think? Any alternate ideas? If I choose your title, I'll give you credit in the book and gift you a copy of the finished book!

PS: Don't know who Madeleine is? You can meet her in INTERRUPTED MAGIC!

Writing Boom and the value of a good editor

When I made my appointment with the editor for my next book, she told me there has been a writing boom. Every author or would-be author has been taking advantage of the enforced downtime to be creative. Getting onto her schedule has required more planning than in the past. I'm delighted for her (she's an excellent editor). For me, that means working to a deadline more than I have in the past. Normally, I'm ahead of my deadlines anyway - a good position to be in. Now I actually have to figure out how long it will take me to write the next book and "book it" months in advance.

I have been with my editor through "sweet" sixteen books. I've tried other editors randomly, one at the beginning (we were NOT a good fit) and another one somewhere in the middle. The thing about editors is having a relationship where you trust their judgment and their industry knowledge. I have an excellent critique group that frequently catches my miscues and has helped me refine my craft, but we are a diverse group. We write different genres, so some of the comments I get don't "cross genres." As with any form of criticism, I often furrow my brow and grumble under my breath until I realize the value of what they're trying to tell me, but sometimes they're just flat out wrong. How much of that is arrogance on my part? That right there - that's where I value my editor the most. I've been writing long enough to know when a critique is spot on (whether I like it or not) and when to disregard the comment. Then there are times when I second-guess myself, and having an editor in my genre who knows "the rules" I'm supposed to abide by is invaluable. For those comments that make me grumbly and I disagree with, it's nice to have validation. 

Editors provide different services, and the other thing about finding "the right" editor is one who complements your skills. No one person is infallible. I have been known to make mistakes, as one of my former coworkers so kindly pointed out on one of my previous blog posts. Editors fall into that category, as well. As a proofreader at the day job, I often ran across instances where five different people overlooked the same mistake. It happens. For that reason, I proof my books several different ways - on screen, on paper, with a narrator. And when I'm done, I read it again. Almost every pass, another mistake will pop up. It happens. I like to believe the multiple passes with the varied ways to force myself to either see or hear the words instead of skimming (because I know what it's suppose to say) help to eliminate the majority of them. Proofreading is a strength of mine. I lean on my editor for different skills - developmental editing and industry knowledge. As a matter of course, she will point out the mechanical errors as well, as she runs across them, but I don't rely on her to catch that stuff. She becomes "the second set of eyes." 

With all that being said, I can say without any hesitation that my books are better for having a professional editor. Thanks, Kelly. And happy sweet sixteen.