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The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World…Word by Word

The Steve Laube Agency

The Steve Laube Agency

Helping to Change the World Word by Word

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Home » Editing

Editing

My Editor Made My Book Worse!

By Steve Laubeon May 16, 2022
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You just received a 15-page, single-spaced editorial letter from your editor. They want you to rewrite most of the book. But you disagree with the letter and are spitting mad. What do you do?

Or your agent took a look at your manuscript and told you to cut it in half to make it salable. What do you do?

Both examples are true stories and illustrate the universal challenge of refining your manuscript to make it the best it can be.

In the first example, there was great “gnashing of teeth.” But eventually my client, the longtime veteran author, and the longtime veteran editor saw eye-to-eye and made the book great.

In the second example, my client, at the time an unpublished author, said, “Okay, let’s see what I can do.” The writer did the necessary work, and we sold it to a major publisher. This author recently released their fourth nonfiction book.

Calvin Miller once told me he appreciated a firm editorial hand. He described it as flint striking a rock. Only when they clash is a spark created. I think he was right.

Sure, some editors have a heavy hand. But then your work may need it! At the very least, respect their editorial craft even if you disagree.

The next time you get a revision letter from your editor that makes your blood boil consider these ideas:

  1. Relax. This is normal.
  2. Keep anger to yourself. (See the article about “Burning Bridges.”)
  3. Hear today. Respond tomorrow. If you react emotionally, the outcome is unlikely to be beneficial.
  4. Remember the editor is doing the best job they know how. And often they have a lot of experience with manuscripts like yours.
  5. Remember this is a negotiation, not a dictation. Ultimately, it is your book; and the editor is providing suggestions, not requirements. (I’ve addressed this before in “The Stages of Editorial Grief.”)
  6. Remember that the suggestions with which you disagree may actually be valid.
  7. Communicate your frustration to your agent. We deal with this all the time and can help you understand whether or not the edit is unreasonable. Most of the time, the editorial suggestions are good ones. But some authors see them as criticism, not as helpful. I’ll often ask a client to write their “angry letter” but send it only to me. This action helps defuse the ticking explosion but also articulates the specifics—without the shouting.
  8. Communicate with your editor. Be respectful but firm if you disagree. You’ll find that editors have their jobs because they know what they are doing.
  9. BUT if the edits are out of line, unreasonable, or outrageous, then you have every right to object. One author was told to add a completely new subplot into a novella with a contracted limit of 30,000 words; it was already 28,000 words long. Another author had the main character’s name changed throughout the manuscript, without consulting the author. I could go on, but they are memorable because they are the exceptions.
  10. Decide which hills you will die on. A word here, a sentence there, a paragraph cut are not the place for the pitched battle.
  11. Every editor is different, just like every writer is different. If you’ve have the opportunity to work with different editors, you find out quickly their pet peeves and predilections. But realize that the editor has the same experience as you when receiving criticism!

Ultimately, the editor isn’t trying to make you look bad, only “just right.”

Your Turn:

Do you have any editorial letter horror stories to tell? (Please, no names or publishers.)

Do you want to take the opportunity here to praise your favorite editor? (Please use names.)

Leave a Comment
Category: Craft, Editing, Steve, Writing CraftTag: Editing, Writing Craft

When Editorial Errors Matter

By Steve Laubeon September 20, 2021
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by Steve Laube

Writers make mistakes. It happens. Often an editor’s job is to be the safety net and catch those tidbits that find their way into an early draft of a manuscript for any number of reasons.

The simplicity of “cut & paste” has created more opportunity for error than ever before. I've seen half sentences left in their original place because the writer failed to cut and …

Read moreWhen Editorial Errors Matter
Category: Book Business, Craft, E-Books, Editing, Grammar, Steve, Writing CraftTag: Editing, Errors, Writing Craft

Ancient Wisdom from an Ancient Editor

By Steve Laubeon May 17, 2021
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by Steve Laube

I came across a remarkable section in a book written around 124 B.C. The editor of the book wrote the following preface to help the reader understand his methodology and purpose. It shows the concern a good editor has for the ultimate reader. His job was to abridge a massive five volume work into an abbreviated 16,00 word document. Can anyone tell me where this comes from and …

Read moreAncient Wisdom from an Ancient Editor
Category: Book Business, Craft, Editing, Grammar, Writing CraftTag: Editing, Wisdom, Writing Craft

Will the Editor Catch My Error?

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 21, 2021
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Awhile back, an author asked if the editor will catch and correct inaccuracies. The best answer is no. Or a maybe. Fact-checking isn’t necessarily an editor’s job. Editing is their job. No author has a right to expect an editor to know every detail about every topic to make a story or nonfiction book accurate. For example, did you know that today is (among other celebrations) Thank You for …

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Category: Editing

Your Reader

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon April 8, 2021
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Not long ago, I met with a group of publishing professionals who broached the topic of audience. A couple of them discussed how their company envisions their reader. They went so far as to identify the reader by the name they had given her. They knew her age and discussed preferences that would dictate whether she would like a specific book. As a writer, perhaps you would be helped by working to …

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Category: Branding, Editing, Marketing, The Writing Life

What We Cannot Overlook

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon March 18, 2021
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Last week, I wrote about mistakes we can overlook when considering submissions. However, some mistakes we cannot ignore. Please avoid these: The wrong word count. Sending submissions with an inappropriate word count is the most common mistake we see in the slush pile. We have no current market for a 35,000-word novel or a ready market for books of 250,000 words. The only exception would be for the …

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Category: Book Proposals, Editing, Pitching

Proofreading: Tips and Tricks

By Steve Laubeon March 8, 2021
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[Since today, March 8th, is National Proofreading Day I thought I would re-post this article from a few years ago, with some revisions. I’ve left the comments attached below since so many were illustrative. Please add new thoughts as well.] I have regularly displayed my lack of proofreading skills in past blog posts. In fact, it got so bad I’ve had to hire someone to proofread my posts …

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Category: Book Proposals, Career, Craft, Editing, Writing CraftTag: Editing, Proofreading, Writing Craft

Talk Less, Write More

By Bob Hostetleron November 4, 2020
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The hit musical Hamilton has many memorable moments. One of my favorites is the moment when the title character first meets his colleague (and later, nemesis), Aaron Burr, who says, “Let me offer you some free advice.” “Talk less,” Burr says. “Smile more.”  It’s a great character moment for the two characters. It reflects Burr’s slippery politician ways and foreshadows one of Hamilton’s fatal …

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Category: Editing, The Writing Life, Writing Craft

A Writer’s “Voice”

By Bob Hostetleron October 28, 2020
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A couple months ago I asked some of my clients if there are terms they hear in writing and publishing that they wish someone would clearly and conclusively define. One said this: “Professionals say, ‘Find your voice,’ ‘Trust your voice,’ ‘Embrace your voice.’ I can recognize another writer’s voice, but I can’t for the life of me describe mine. Is ‘your voice’ something someone else has to describe …

Read moreA Writer’s “Voice”
Category: Craft, Creativity, Editing, Get Published, Pitch, Pitching, Writing CraftTag: voice, writing voice

A Self-Editing Checklist

By Tamela Hancock Murrayon October 1, 2020
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The “Your Questions Answered” Series __________ How about more tips on some of the pitfalls of writing? What are things to look for when you are self-editing? Here is a short list: Grammar. Most people seem to have fallen asleep during the class on plural possessives, for example. Its and it’s can throw a reader. Weasel words: Look for terms that bog down your writing without adding impact. Those …

Read moreA Self-Editing Checklist
Category: Editing, Writing Craft, Your Questions Answered Series
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