What is a book editor?

How-to’s abound in the writing world: How to become a writer, How to Write a Book Description: The Ultimate Guide to a Best-Selling Book Blurb, The POC Guide to Writing Dialect In Fiction. One how-to is conspicuously missing: How to use a book editor.

Since I’m an editor and related services provider, I’ll share my perspective. If any of what I say inspires questions, please comment below, and I’ll do my best to answer them.

Before we start with the how’s, let’s address the what’s and the why’s.

What is an editor? At the most basic, an editor is a trained professional who prepares something – in my case romance novels – for publication. Editors do this by refining the plot, structure, word usage, grammar, style, punctuation, pacing, and additional elements of a story. This work can involve as many as seven editorial roles: book coach, beta reader, manuscript evaluator, developmental editor, line editor, copyeditor, and proofreader.

Why do authors consult that many people and spend that much money? At the most basic, the editor’s mission is to make the reading experience as smooth and immersive as possible for the consumer. Editors also know genre conventions and reader expectations, they’re trained to complement your strengths, and they’re skilled in making your writing clear and impactful.

OK, that’s nice and all, but how will YOU benefit from an editor, especially when earning back your investment through book sales isn’t guaranteed?

It’s a little-known fact that editors are in the business of education. It’s easy to think of us as being correction tools – living, breathing versions of Grammarly – but that would be ignorant of our true calling, the purpose to our mission. At every stage of the process, we provide education to help you become a better author. Here’s how:

1.      Book coach – Sometimes called a story coach or writing coach, this is the person you hire when you want to write a book but you don’t know how. Through regular meetings, the coach will guide you in planning your content, getting it written, and making its way through the revision process. While many coaches can take on other editing roles, they might ask you to hire another service provider, someone who’ll have a fresh perspective on your story, to work through the rest of the editing process.

2.      Beta reader – Marketing agencies host focus groups to gather opinions about their clients’ products or services. Beta readers are essentially personal focus groups for authors. These are the folks who give you early reviews of your book so you can be confident you’ve written a solid story that readers will like. They’ll also tell you what they don’t like, and you can update your story accordingly. Many beta readers work free of charge, but you get what you pay for; I’ve heard too many authors lament being ghosted by volunteer readers. I wrote about working with beta readers here.

3.      Manuscript evaluator – As the name implies, this person will evaluate your manuscript. Sometimes these folks use the words assessment or critique. Whichever word they use, they’re concerned with the same things—the big issues, like a beta reader, but more detailed, like a developmental editor. In fact, sometimes this is called a light developmental edit. You can expect to receive a short report from the evaluator, or sometimes they’ll comment in the margins; they usually don’t do both.

4.      Developmental editor – Next to the book coach, the DE is the person who does the most educating. The DE takes an overarching view of the story, points out the plot holes, flags problematic pacing, critiques the character arcs, evaluates the world building, and so much more. Along with each point they raise, the DE will usually include an explanation of what needs to be improved and why, either in comments or in their report, which can reach up to 20 pages. They’ll also provide recommendations for further reading so you can fully understand concepts and become a better author. Additionally, some DE’s create book maps, which lay out all the plot elements in order so you can get a better idea of what’s happening when and what might be missing or unnecessary.

5.      Line editor – If the developmental editor takes a bird’s-eye view of your book, the line editor does the opposite, going line by line to examine your word choice, sentence construction, repetition, and cohesion. Does every sentence contribute to the story? Is each point of view restricted to its own character, avoiding head hopping? Is the prose overwritten and liable to weary readers before they’ve gotten past the first chapter? Line and developmental editing can be completed simultaneously in what’s called a structural edit.

6.      Copyeditor – Line and copy editing can be combined, often called a heavy copyedit. This is the space where I work most often, checking spelling, grammar, punctuation, verb tenses, and adherence to the Chicago Manual of Style, 18th Edition. I primarily use the (poorly) searchable online edition. I also consult The Chicago Guide to Copyediting Fiction by veteran editor Amy J. Schneider and my absolute favorite, The Magic of Fiction—Crafting Words into Story: The Writer's Guide to Writing & Editing by Beth Hill. Copyeditors can do light fact-checking, and they create style sheets as a way to ensure continuity of character descriptions, word choice (“naïve” versus “naive”), comma preferences (serial or no?), and other details that probably seem like minutiae to authors but contribute to a better-looking book. Copyediting is sometimes called mechanical editing.

7.      Proofreader – The terms “copyeditor” and “proofreader” are often interchanged by authors, but they perform different roles. This person has the responsibility of being the last stop before publication. The proofreader doesn’t work on the manuscript; they carefully examine the formatted book, whether destined for print or electronic distribution, and compare it to the copyedited manuscript to ensure intended changes were made and that no errors were introduced to the text. Proofreaders also looks for things like widows, orphans, and rivers and missing information (chapter headings, page numbers, copyright date).

All that to say, while you might be a great writer and an excellent grammarian, hiring editors can make your book a professional product you can be proud of. The pros bring educated, knowledgeable perspectives to your pages, identifying issues you might not see because you’ve been working on your book for so long you’re seeing things on the page that aren’t there.

When you use editors, keep a few guidelines in mind:

1.      Contracts are your friend, but terms agreed upon in email are just as valid. Editors like clarity, so their contracts and service agreements should be thorough and understandable. If you have questions about anything in the offered contract, please ask!

2.      Nondisclosure agreements aren’t necessary. Editors are bound by professional standards to protect their clients, so they maintain confidentiality throughout the entire editing process, starting with the initial contact. If they like your book, many editors will be happy to announce its publication on their social media accounts.

3.      Schedule in advance. Many editors fill their calendars months or years in advance, so when you know who you want, sign the contract, pay the deposit, and set a day to submit your manuscript. Then, be ready to send your manuscript as expected and be prepared to pay your balance on time. (Some editors offer payment plans.) Editors might be able to be flexible if your progress is interrupted by illness, but check to see what your contract or service agreement says about rescheduling.

4.      Editors are readers! They enjoy working on good books. Editors also know what readers like and what they expect from books like yours. Trust their advice in their edits, and carefully consider why you reject a suggestion: Is it ego or is it expertise?

5.      Ask your editors to help you with marketing materials like author bios, Amazon descriptions, back matter, social media posts, website design, and more, and be prepared to compensate them for their expertise.

6.      Communication is key. Make sure you understand what you’ve agreed upon regarding services and timing, but once the professional has your manuscript in hand, step away from the keyboard. Especially during developmental edits, which can take a month or more to complete, it’s tempting to check on progress. Don’t do it! Every time an editor has to respond to your questions, they’ve had to stop working on your book. If they have questions, they will contact you; please respond quickly so they can get back to work.

7.      Tell your friends about your editor! You may have learned about your editor from a friend or colleague, so return the favor by telling someone else about your pro. Some editors offer referral programs, and others will owe you a debt of gratitude for helping them find more work. Similarly, if you need a referral to another pro, ask your editor.

I hope these lists have demystified the editorial process for you and informed you how to use a book editor. We’re not here to judge you or scold you; we want to see you succeed, and the best way to do that is to provide the support you need.