A Beginner’s Guide to Working with an Editor: Part 3 (Process)
So you’ve chosen an editor. Now what?
After you accept a quote and confirm that you want to move forward, your editor will likely provide some sort of contract or written confirmation of the scope of work, anticipated timelines, and deliverables. They may also ask for a deposit before they begin work on your project (up to 50 per cent of the total anticipated fee). This provides some security for the editor if the project takes longer than expected or if a client (not you, of course) declines to pay the final bill.
Just like with the quote, make sure you review the contract carefully and ask questions if there’s anything you don’t understand—or if anything appears to differ significantly from the quote. Note that, if you took a while to make your decision, your editor’s availability may have changed since they issued your quote, which could affect their timelines for starting and completing your project.
Embracing the waiting game
From the author’s perspective, the editing process can be a bit of a nail-biting experience. You hand over your writing and wait. Try not to imagine the worst, though. And definitely try not to go back and revisit your manuscript. You will almost certainly want to fiddle with it, but that will only confuse the editing process.
This waiting period is a great time to start working on another writing project, clean your office, or focus on some other task that you put off to finish your draft. Or, if you’re planning to publish your manuscript, this would be an excellent opportunity to work on some marketing materials or fill in some gaps in your understanding of the publishing process.
How long does editing take?
How long the editing process takes will depend on the type of editing required, the length and complexity of the manuscript, the state of the manuscript, and the editor’s schedule, among other things.
Editors Canada provides some broad guidelines for how long different types of editing typically take (note that when referring to pages per hour, Editors Canada is talking about a standard 250-word page). The earlier stages of editing generally take the longest, as they require more thinking and problem-solving. However, even proofreading (the final stage of editing) takes time—much longer than simply reading through the manuscript.
Your editing contract should specify an anticipated date for completing the project, but remember that the editor’s ability to meet those timelines depends in part on your ability to submit the manuscript, respond to any questions, and review each round of edits in a timely fashion.
You may wonder why your editor needs two weeks to complete a project that they expect will take 10 hours or so. Can’t they do it in a couple of days? Maybe, if you’ve agreed to a rush fee. It is likely that your editor is working on several projects at once, not just yours, and they are likely not editing for eight hours a day. Editing requires a high level of focus, so most editors limit their actual editing time to four or five hours a day to ensure they can maintain the quality of their work. Switching between projects every couple of hours also helps maintain focus.
Editors generally work hard to meet their deadlines. Sometimes, though, a project can become bigger than anticipated, requiring a revision of timelines to allow for additional work on the editor’s part and yours. What started as a straightforward copy edit could stray into structural editing if the editor identifies a major plot hole or a gap in logic that would be best resolved with the addition of a new chapter or section. Of course, the editor would need to seek your approval for any significant change in scope, timeline, or budget. In the end, it’s up to you to decide whether addressing the issue or respecting a deadline is more important.
What does editing look like?
Whether they are working with MS Word (preferred by most editors), Google Docs, or a PDF, most editors will provide their feedback using a combination of Track Changes and comments.
Track Changes are used to propose additions, deletions, or modifications to the text itself where there is one clear or preferred solution. As the author, you have the option to accept these changes, reject them, or modify them.
Comments (often referred to as queries) are used when there’s no clear fix or when the editor needs your input. More specifically, comments or queries are used
- to explain a proposed edit and offer alternative solutions where relevant
- to make broad or global suggestions that require the author’s input
- to ask questions where meaning is unclear or where the editor needs more information before they can propose a fix
- to draw the author's attention to a proposed change in the text
Depending on the stage of editing and the agreed-upon deliverables, your editor might also provide a written summary of their proposed changes and some general suggestions or observations that you, as the author, can consider and act on as you see fit.
Reviewing the edits
It can be a heart-stopping moment when you get your edited manuscript back covered with “red ink” (i.e. Track Changes and comment boxes). It’s normal to feel a wave of discouragement, but don’t let it knock you down. Remember, your editor isn’t your English teacher. They’re not there to judge you; they’re part of your team. All those changes and suggestions are there in an effort to help you get your writing to where you want it to be so that you can achieve your goals, whether that’s personal satisfaction, formal publication, or getting a message across.
If you’re nervous about reviewing your editor’s feedback, the best path forward is to just dive in. It’s likely not as bad as you think. Don’t try to deal with anything upon first read. Just skim through to get a sense of what the edits are and how much work you have ahead of you.
That’s right. You have work to do. Your editor can recommend changes, but ultimately, it’s your manuscript, and you get to (have to) make the final decision as to what it looks like. Expect to spend some focused time and brain power working through the proposed changes and comments, especially if you’re earlier on in the editing process.
If your editor has asked a question, be sure to give a clear answer (ideally by replying to the comment), as your editor needs this information to move forward in the next round. Leaving questions unanswered, providing ambiguous answers, or failing to make decisions on proposed edits will just prolong the editing process, adding to your timelines and cost.
If you’re not clear on the reasoning behind certain queries or changes, or if you don’t like a particular solution but can’t figure out an alternative, make a list and ask your editor how they would prefer to discuss your concerns once you have finished your review. Try to avoid contacting your editor with each question individually. They likely haven’t allowed time in your contract for that much interaction.
Your role as author
Editing is a partnership. And while you are the client, you still have an important role to play in ensuring the success of the editing process and, ultimately, your manuscript. Here are a few things you can do to help the editing process go smoothly:
- Be clear upfront about what you want your editor to do. If there are specific things that you want them to pay attention to (e.g., the introduction, verb tenses, timelines, transitions) or if there are specific things that you don’t want them to touch (e.g. an uncommon turn of phrase or non-standard capitalization), tell them before they get started.
- Be timely in providing your manuscript, answering questions, and providing feedback. Your editor’s ability to respect your timelines depends to some extent on you.
- Be considerate of your editor’s time and schedule. While it’s fine to check in for a progress report on longer projects, your editor will appreciate you (and be more efficient) if you limit interruptions and unnecessary communications that fall outside the agreed-upon scope of work.
- File management: Before you start going through the edited manuscript, save it as a new file with an appropriate file name (for example, mybook_copyeditv1_authorcomments). If you’re going to send your manuscript back for another round of editing, make sure you turn on Track Changes before making any changes to the edited version so that your editor can easily see what you’ve done.
- Providing feedback: Accept any Track Changes from your editor that you are comfortable with before sending back the next version. If you don’t like a particular change, don’t just ignore it. Leave a comment to explain why you rejected or modified it. This will help your editor adjust future rounds of editing to better align with your preferences, if need be.
As with so many things in life, clear and timely communication with your editor will make all the difference to your editing partnership.
Writing can be deeply personal, and working with an editor can feel intimidating. But many editors are writers, too, and they understand only too well what you’re going through. Editors on the whole are a humble, friendly bunch. Don’t let your fear of feedback get in the way of achieving your goals.
Still got questions about the editing process? Unsure what kind of editing you need? Contact us to set up a free 20-minute call!