Now for something completely different.
I’m going to tell you about my job.
I’m a freelance editor for a small, independent publishing company. No names, I’m not paid to advertise ;)
What I AM paid to do is take a manuscript in hand and ‘work my magic’ on it – I must stress, these are not my words, but I do like them.
Just recently, I was asked to proofread a client’s book.
As I progressed through the ‘proofread’ it became clear the ‘editor’ had either not worked on it at all, or done an abysmal job of it. (I later found out, she’d done an abysmal job of it, putting in MORE errors than it had to start with.)
The book came to me in quite a bad state and I couldn’t possibly allow it to be published.
My books in a friend's shop
Yes, that kinda IS my call. I like the publishing company and I wouldn’t like anything to impact or harm the reputation. Publishing that book would not have enhanced the reputation. I rang the owner of the publishing company and explained what I’d found. He told me to get it all sorted and I quoted him a couple of days. Oh boy, was I wrong about that!
It took a little short of a week. In that time, I worked on my blog posts, here on Steemit.com and then went to work on the book. That week, I worked twelve and sometimes fourteen hour shifts to get the book back to the client. I was shattered!
I do NOT usually criticise editors or authors, but this one has let down her client and charged like a bull to boot! The client is not pleased with the service the original editor gave.
I did what I could with the manuscript and advised the client to go back over it to make it perfect. Speech and names etc needed doing and I didn’t think I had the insight to do it all.
Apparently, I was wrong on that count. The client contacted me and it would appear, is unable to work on the manuscript because of illness and I have been asked to complete the manuscript to get it print-ready.
I’m delighted to do this, but I asked for ‘carte-blanche’ on the project.
That’s the reason I’m being quiet in the afternoons and evenings. I’m working on this manuscript to make sure the client is not worrying about the book.
I can’t tell you anything about the book because of confidentiality, but if you’ve been following my Daughters of Le Fey series, you’ll know a little bit about what I do.
My tasks include
Fact-finding - making sure dates of real events correlate in the book
Character development – endearing the character to the reader for better connection
Plot holes – if something doesn’t seem right, you can bet the reader will pick up on it, so I have to pick up on it first
Continuity – events, characters, details all have to match with each other
Suspension of disbelief – I made this one up, but it fits. Even in different, magical worlds (for example) physics has to be explainable or the reader will not be able to believe it and that will spoil the story
There are plenty of other tasks I perform in the edit too.
Making sure strong visual sentences don’t get repeated – one author I worked with had the character’s ‘moustache twitching’. I thought that was a great visual. It planted the reader right there, in the audience, watching the aforementioned moustachioed character.
Unfortunately, pretty soon after, it became clear the author also loved the visual because it was put into the story again… and again… and… again.
“You get one of those, per book,” I said to the author. Sometimes, if the sentence and visual is SO strong, you get one per series.
I also guide authors in other matters, sensitive matters.
One author wrote a disturbing dystopian story where a character is raped, graphically and horrifically. She survived but the author then wrote about the woman fantasising about the rape later in the book.
NOPE! Not on my watch! “You’ll get strung up for that one!” I advised. The piece was removed (thankfully).
Then you get authors getting carried away into a scene and again, advice on what is and what isn’t possible has to be made.
If a character is dead with a sword sticking out of his chest, pulling out the sword shouldn’t cause a great gout of blood to come spurting out of the wound. The character is dead, the heart is no longer pumping and therefore, the blood inside the body is no longer under pressure and will not ‘spurt’ anywhere, especially not across the room.
I have to get to know the characters, almost as well as the author (and sometimes better). I have advised that a particular character would not be meek and mild in the face of his/her children being threatened because he/she had already taken out someone that threatened his/her animals, earlier in the story. Forgive me for this assumption, but offspring are usually more valued than livestock.
Hair does not continue growing – especially for years after, especially in this world, not a fantasy realm.
Then, my absolute favourite…
He stood to his full height…
If he is being written as intimidating, he’d hardly stand before his foe at a stoop… plus, who else’s full height would he stand to?
That’s something to think about… when you next read a book, imagine what the Editor removed or changed to make it a good read. Then see if there’s anything the Editor could have taken out or changed, to make it a better read.
No editor is perfect of course and editing is subjective too.
Pictures from Google Free To Use Images
Good to know. Following you. You're on my automatic upvote list. Kindly pay a fellow writer a visit.
Excuse me, but...how do you make an automatic up vote list? I didn't know that was even possible on here...that would be much easier than trying to scroll through all the posts on my feed. :D
You can set up an account on streemian.com to set up auto-voting and to follow/participate in curation trails.
I'll have to check out streemian.com to see if its idiot proof enough for my non tech savvy mind to set up. :D Thanks for taking the time to answer. :D Have an awesome day! :D
We delve deeper into the mind of Michelle Gent, it's fascinating seeing your skill sets and how you utilise them when writing, editing and polishing.
You are an excellent writer. You have the knowledge, the passion for the written word as well as the compassion to be a formidable editor. Your opportunities are only growing in the literary field. It is a pleasure to get to know you here on Steemit.
I am sure you will surely be a good and great writing editor, because you are a writer, the spirit is sincerely yes
So is not a walk in the park as I suspected :) You seem to be quite passionate about it
As an Editor, I really am passionate about helping Authors polish their book. Because I'm also an Author, I can have a different point of view and I know how critical advice comes across, so I'm aware of how I say and write advice.
No, it's certainly not a walk in the park ;)
Good job @michelle.gent
@michelle.gent, that's great that you edit as well as proof reading for clients, good job, you now really use your natural skills. It's also very helpful for other authors specially new comers in this field. I appreciate your passion and hope for best wishes.
You've got my dream job! Seems tiring as hell from your post, but you still seem to get great content on here as well! really inspired by you right now :D Keep it up @michelle.gent :D
Certainly a skill that I would love to learn more @michelle.gent.. Great job!
you definitely have to love words to go into editing as your main source of income. granted my editorial tasks are more geared towards small business blogs (pest control, start up law firms, catering companies, etc.), i still run into a lot of the issues that you're stating here.
it's a labor of love for sure, though i don't know how well i'd do with editing a writer's book as my day job. i know we writers are fickle, fickle creatures and, too often (myself included), we LOVE our little darlings and refuse to kill them based on...what? ego? pride?
either way, that's gotta be a tough call sometimes, telling an author you can't move forward, even if all the issues are glaringly obvious and in desperate need of fixing.
I always thought editor are spending much time shift nightes working on their books to well done. that what i apperciate their efforts as I apperciate your effotrs for writting this nice article. I am not English speaker and I all the time enjoy reading your articles and follow your adice. as you are a freelancer i think you can make good income on upwork and fiver websites. thanks.
UPVOTED @michelle.gent
If you don't mind plz upvote my introduce myself. It's also nice
https://steemit.com/introduceyourself/@kazalmahi/to-introduce-myself
I guess no NaNoWriMo for you then ;)
https://steemit.com/writing/@lennstar/nanowrimo-writer-s-heaven-and-hell
@michelle.gent you are working very well
I really support your work
in this post there are people with mustaches, nah ,,,
I am also a person who has a thick mustache, does everyone like a mustache?
thank you for posting this
You forgot to say that you also do this under some incredibly tight timelines as well. You are passionate, highly skilled, multi-talented and all around awesome, and I have so much admiration for you! xox
You're a wonderful writer and editor and you're great at your job. Not everyone is gifted at editing like you are, the editor you spoke about is a good example. I hope to learn a lot from you and perhaps in the nearest future, I could write a book with you. I'd be honoured (its on my bucket list) lol
you are a good teacher
very nice post Please upvote my posts and Follow me miss im wtg