Over to Mickey now...
My Editor Hates Me
by
Mickey J. Corrigan
Over
the years, my work has been published in various forms: mainstream nonfiction, textbooks,
kids' educational books, literary fiction, steamy novellas, how-to magazine
articles, news reports, and a novel. So I have worked with a variety of
editors. And I'd have to agree with Theodore H. White that: "There are two kinds of editors, those
who correct your copy and those who say it's wonderful."
Still,
I am indebted to my editors. In my early publishing days, these were the people
who taught me how to write. By going through my work with a fine eye for
grammar, punctuation, structure and detail, my editors showed me how to improve
my work. How to be tight. How to get the sentence structure right. And get to
the point. How to hook the reader. Be clear. Say something new, say it in a new
way. How to let my real voice shine through.
You
know the drill.
My
editors made me work and, because of them, my work got better.
Over
the years, some of my editors became my friends. Some couldn't wait to be done
with me. A couple made my life miserable. One time I asked a publisher for a
different editor because the person to whom I had been assigned wanted to
rewrite my work in her own words. This doesn't work—even if the editor has a
better way to say every single sentence. And this particular editor seemed to
think she did!
So
yes, there are good editors and great editors, fun editors and mean editors,
and some really bad editors. But the thing about editors is, we writers need
them. They make a huge difference in our lives. In fact, they are responsible
for transforming our manuscripts into books.
Recently
I worked with an editor who did not like my characters. This is not a big
surprise. I write about women in tough situations, kickass women who are not
nice. And I write about silly women who need to get their asses kicked! But
this particular editor really came down hard on my manuscript because she
wanted to like my protagonists. This made me rethink their personalities. It
helped me to soften their edges and, hopefully, please more readers.
Editing
is a difficult and demanding process. But an important one. I work as a professional
editor and I hear it every day from my clients: This is really hard work!
Yes,
it is. And the results are better books--and better writers.
Mickey
J. Corrigan is the author of a handful of novellas and the novel Sugar
Babies, a sexy thriller. Her newest novella is the second book in The Hard
Stuff Series from The Wild Rose Press. Vodka Warrior is
a crazy story about a lonely divorcee
who drinks too much, and the body god who moves in next door. A rollercoaster
ride of screw-ups, lust and love, Vodka
Warrior is a fun, sexy read. (And the editor for the series is fantastic!)
Visit Mickey here:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5828647.Mickey_J_Corrigan
Mickey's latest release is:
VODKA WARRIOR
The Hard Stuff: Book #2
A lonely divorcee living in a tacky development in Dusky Beach, Florida, Theresa Tierney is an educated hick and her own worst enemy. She has a wild streak and a bit of a drinking problem, both leading to a few too many bad choices.
When her neighbor’s new roommate arrives, a good-looking body god, Theresa is both curious and disgusted. A brash New Yorker, Vario Fumesti says what he's thinking and looks sexy as hell doing it. The brawny mountain of pumped muscle is mega alpha male. But his frequent hot tub parties with friends from a local strip club fire up Theresa’s anger. In fact, Vario continually makes her feel and do things she isn't expecting.
A series of screw-ups, lust, and love set Theresa on a rollercoaster ride that’s out of control and threatening to jump the tracks.
Read Reviews
Mickey's latest release is:
VODKA WARRIOR
The Hard Stuff: Book #2A lonely divorcee living in a tacky development in Dusky Beach, Florida, Theresa Tierney is an educated hick and her own worst enemy. She has a wild streak and a bit of a drinking problem, both leading to a few too many bad choices.
When her neighbor’s new roommate arrives, a good-looking body god, Theresa is both curious and disgusted. A brash New Yorker, Vario Fumesti says what he's thinking and looks sexy as hell doing it. The brawny mountain of pumped muscle is mega alpha male. But his frequent hot tub parties with friends from a local strip club fire up Theresa’s anger. In fact, Vario continually makes her feel and do things she isn't expecting.
A series of screw-ups, lust, and love set Theresa on a rollercoaster ride that’s out of control and threatening to jump the tracks.
Read Reviews
I've had several different editorial experiences, some definitely better than others, but overall I am so grateful for the good ones--they've helped so much!
ReplyDeleteCongrats, Mickey! And I agree about editors. There are good ones who push you to be a better writer, and there are bad ones that'll hold you back (hopefully without meaning to). It can take some time to know the good from the bad, but finding a good one can make all the difference.
ReplyDeleteI'm lucky to have an amazing editor who not only helps me but understands me. Recently she allowed me to take extra time to go back over my story and didn't penalize me for it. And she's the first editor I've ever had!
ReplyDeleteEditors really are great. They make us want to pull our hair out at times, but in the end, they make us better writers. :)
ReplyDeleteHi Mickey. Such an interesting insight to everything authors deal with to give us, the readers, a story. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteA good editor is truly priceless! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the comments. And I agree: good editors make a difference in the quality of our work. Is there a National Editors Day?
ReplyDeleteGreat post! My editors have been quite amenable so far. I accept their changes about two-thirds of the time - but sometimes I draw the line. No one's every tried to rewrite my work though. Yikes!
ReplyDeleteCongrats and best of luck to Mickey. Vodka Warrior - awesome title!
ReplyDeleteThanks! My editor came up with that title!
DeleteHi Kelly! Hi Mickey! It would be lovely to be at the stage of having a novel accepted for publication and to be allocated an editor. Does this still happen? Or is it rare these days?
ReplyDeleteA new book already Mickey? I just finished Whiskey Sour Noir.
Denise
Hi Denise: Yes, editing still happens. If you choose not to self-publish, you will work with several editors on the way to a finished product. It's an important but sometimes grueling process! And if you self-publish, it's a good idea to hire an editor. Some of the best known bestselling authors work with a private editor before submitting a new manuscript to their publishers.
DeleteHi Kelly and Mickey - not being in the process of looking for an editor - but I keep reading and understanding their value .. we all need to be honed down sometimes ... Fascinating read - thanks - Hilary
ReplyDeleteIn addition to being a novelist, I have my own freelance writing business, writing 20-30 articles a week most of the time. Yes, I would definitely say being edited is painful. I compare it to lifting weights at the gym. You have to tear that muscle so it can grow back stronger! It's best to take the overall comments, step away, ruminate on it, then come back. Then tackle one suggestion at a time. It hurts...very painful sometimes and sometimes you want to argue (yelling at your screen is okay!), but 99.9% of the time, you realize once all is said and done that the editor was 100% right!!!
ReplyDeleteAlso, I regularly get offered editing jobs from freelance clients and I turn it down every time. I explain editing is a talent all in itself and they need to find someone who specializes in that. They almost always do not understand. They think if you write, you should be able to edit. They are two separate talents--sometimes people possess both, but almost always a good editor is better at that than writing.
Wow, 20-30 articles a week? How do you do it?
DeleteI agree that some people work best as editors, others as writers. But once you have been edited for years, usually you've learned how it works so you can turn around and offer helpful editing to others. Like a muscle, the editing skill builds with time. And you are right: no pain, no gain!
Editing is really hard work. You have to pay attention to details and have analytical mind that can suggest things to make a manuscript better.
ReplyDeleteAh! I'm with the program. It's nice to have people read and say, "I like it." But it's not helpful. My favorite editors are the ones who understand my vision, aren't afraid to tell me I'm being an idiot, but are patient with me while I fumble through revisions. They make a world of difference.
ReplyDeleteTrue Heroes from A to Z
'One time I asked a publisher for a different editor because the person to whom I had been assigned wanted to rewrite my work in her own words.'
ReplyDeleteGood on you! That takes courage and spine. And being centered.
Just wanted to stop by and thank you, Kelly, for visiting my blog. I especially like that you are so willing to showcase other authors. Kudos.
ReplyDeleteHmm, interesting and thought provoking, I guess I've never really thought much about the part an editor plays.
ReplyDeleteEditors are so important. I am learning so much from my editor and having her feedback has helped me make my story so much stronger. :) Great post!
ReplyDeleteI have nothing but admiration for editors and writers – without them, I would have nothing to sell! I thoroughly enjoyed this insight into your world.
ReplyDeleteI've done some first edits for an editor, but I had no personal relationship with the author. I've only edited for one author directly and she was fantastic to work with.
ReplyDelete