A while back, I spent a few weeks talking about agents and query letters. To follow it up, I thought we could talk about what it looks like to be a contracted author working with an editor at a traditional publishing house.
As a refresher, agents acquire projects they believe they can sell to publishing houses. Once the author and agent enter into a working relationship, it is the agent’s job to represent the author and their book to potential publishers.
The agent’s point of contact within a publishing house is an editor. If a publishing house offers you a contract, it’s because an editor has fallen in love with your book and has worked to grow support within the house.
Most editors cannot offer a publishing contract without getting a ton of other people onboard. First, they have to convince the other editors on their team that your project is worth buying. Once they’ve done that, they have to convince the sales and marketing folks and whoever else makes up the house’s acquisition team.
Before you’re ever offered a contract, your editor has done a lot of work on your behalf. And now it’s your turn to reciprocate.
While your editor will continue to be your biggest advocate within the publishing house, her primary job is to help you get your book polished up and ready for the shelf. Edits are done in several rounds and while there is some variance from house to house, the process is generally the same.
Substantive Edits
Once your editor has read (and reread) your manuscript, she’ll put together a document called an editorial letter. Most of the time, this letter opens with all the things she loves about your book. Depending on your editor’s style, this may feel like flattery, but it’s about so much more than making you feel good. All these things your editor loves? They’re the essence of WHY she simply had to have your project–incredibly helpful information as you begin to edit.
The rest of the letter is comprised of your editor’s ideas on how to improve your story. In this first round of edits, your editor is dealing with big picture items: plot, structure, tense, perspective, character development, theme, etc.
Once you’ve had a chance to review the letter, an opportunity is often given to discuss any questions or concerns you have before you get to work. You’ll also be given a deadline for these revisions. Do your best to hit it. Missing a deadline isn’t a good look and it sets the entire project back. If you do need more time, discuss it with your agent first. He or she can help you negotiate an extension.
Substantive edits may take a few rounds to complete–two or three back and forths with your editor. This is dependent on the editor’s style, your process, and a zillion other variables.
Line Edits
The next round of edits drills down to the paragraph and sentence level with an emphasis on the content of your words. Here, you’ll be asked to address dialogue and pet words, repetitive phrasing, word selection and the mood those words convey. Your editor will point out clunky sections and ask you to rewrite or streamline.
At times, your editor may have suggestions about how to address these problems, and while you may not take all of her suggestions, this round can grow your writing exponentially if you’ll let it.
Learn from your editor. Tuck away tidbits that will help you down the road. Nothing grows an author faster than prepping a book for publication.
Copyedits
Oftentimes, your editor will pass this round off to someone entirely new. Copyeditors have a very specialized skill set and training. They need to have a thorough knowledge of grammar rules and American English, as well as a grasp on industry standards.
Similar to line edits, copyedits drill down to the paragraph and sentence level, but instead of focusing on the creative content of your words, the copyeditor is ensuring that your writing is technically sound.
Among other specifics, copyeditors correct or flag spelling and syntax issues in the manuscript, punctuation and grammar problems, and the proper usage of numerals and capitalizations. They also keep an eye out for inconsistencies in the story–something you’ll appreciate. After so much time in your project, it’s easy to overlook the small things.
Once your copyeditor signs off on this round, your book will be typeset and likely read by a handful of proofreaders. You will also reread this typeset version, flagging any problems and making any final adjustments. At this stage, any edits should be minor.
While you’re working on your story, your editor continues to represent your project to her co-workers. Because she knows the story better than anyone in-house, your editor provides crucial information to the sales and marketing teams as well as the publicity and book packaging folks (including your cover designer!).
It’s such a fantastic payoff–to emerge from your writing cave and see all the exciting things your words have started in motion. It won’t be long before your book is finished, with a fitting cover designed by a skilled artist, and a book professionally edited to show off your story in the best possible light.
And all because an editor fell in love with your manuscript.
Your working relationship with your editor is of paramount importance and I’m sure I’ve left some questions unanswered. What else can I tell you about working with an editor at a traditional publishing house?
Shannon Dittemore is an author and speaker. Her books include the Angel Eyes trilogy, a supernatural foray into the realm of angels and demons, as well as the fantastical adventure novel Winter, White and Wicked. Its sequel, Rebel, Brave and Brutal is due out January 10, 2023.
Shannon’s stories feature strong female leads grappling with fear and faith as they venture into the wilds of the unknown. She’s often wondered if she’s writing her own quest for bravery again and again.
It’s a choice she values highly. Bravery. And she’s never more inspired than when young people ball up their fist and punch fear in the face.
To that end, Shannon takes great joy in working with young writers, both in person and online at Go Teen Writers, an instructional blog recognized by Writer’s Digest four years running as a “101 Best Websites for Writers” selection.
For more about Shannon and her books, please visit her website, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest.
I always love hearing more about this all, and putting myself into it 😉 I think my main thing is I rarely reread anything, and with my own stories, one of the reasons I try to write the first couple drafts quickly is so I don’t get bored and too excited for the next project. But … it looks like if I ever get published I’ll have to be reading through my book OVER AND OVER AND OVER AND OVER. lol. I love editing, though, so that won’t make it so boring, but still ;p
keturahskorner.blogspot.com
You will most definitely be reading your book over and over again. Write characters and worlds you absolutely love. If you don’t, you will hate them by the time your book pubs.
This is very helpful! It gives me a great idea of what to expect if I pursue publishing my book. Thanks!
Of course! Thank you for reading.
If you go through a traditional publishing house (with agent, editor and the whole thing) is it possible to have a choice of who does your cover art? Or do they get to pick and orchestrate that?
Cover art is entirely up to the publishing house. I do know an artist who designed her own MG covers with Random House but it was a very unique situation. She was an author/illustrator and the novel included some of her own drawings as well. The good news is that your publishing house has a great interest in keeping you happy as their author. They work hard in that endeavor, but unless your agent gets them to include a clause in your contract that says you have final say on covers, that decision usually falls to the house.
I’m wondering just how much freedom an author is allowed in substantive edits. Do you have to take the grand majority of the editor’s suggestions, or can you push back on some things? Obviously I hope that I don’t have reason to push back too much, but if there’s something in substantive edits that I don’t want changed, how much can I refuse before it just looks badly stubborn?
Also, thanks for the post, I’ve been thinking about this sort of thing for a while now.
You can definitely push back. Your editor’s notes are suggestions for the most part, but they are suggestions based on their knowledge of the industry, etc, so before you push back, give it all a good think. Consider why they’re suggesting what they’re suggesting and think about how that problem can be solved in a way you’re more comfortable with. If a suggestion is minor and doesn’t seem to change the story much, you can choose to ignore it outright, but be prepared to answer why if asked. It comes down to caring properly for your working relationship with that editor. It is your story, yes, but she’s invested a lot of time and energy in it as well. It’s important to respect that.
Ooh, I loved this inside look at the editing process. Thanks for sharing!