“Do you think I might be over editing?” an author asked me the other day.
It was not the first time I’ve been asked. Many of us ponder that same question while going back through our manuscripts one last time, making just a few final revisions—again.
At times we feel like Dorothy Parker: “I can’t write five words but that I change seven.”
Oscar Wilde expressed a similar view: “I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again.”
And Elmore Leonard commented: “If it sounds like writing, I rewrite it.” Many well-known writers have noted the value of revision. E.B. White said it succinctly: “The best writing is rewriting.”
At some point in any publishing project, however, that critical decision must be made: The editing process is finished. It is time to print books. How do you know when you have safely arrived at the moment?
It is not unusual for authors say they would like to change something in their books. Expecting a published book to meet every standard of perfection is not realistic. Your goal then is to end the editing process at the point of diminishing returns. Look for that moment when you know that any remaining imperfections will not significantly undermine your message or your goals for that book. If you were to spend several more hours on it, you might find a few more revisions you’d like to make. But if those changes are never made, or if they are made before the next printing, can you live with that?
Keep in mind that, as H.G. Well said, “No passion in the world is equal to the passion to alter someone else’s draft.”
Your response to the advice you receive from others is key. Following are three red flags that might signal over editing.
Trying to Incorporate Too Much Input from Too Many People
How many different people are offering edits? Don’t sidetrack your project by trying to incorporate too much input from too many people. Select your trusted advisors in advance. Consider that once you have paid an experienced, professional editor to work on your manuscript based on the Chicago Manual of Style or other appropriate style guide, it might not make sense to disregard those recommendations when Cousin Judy (who proofreads her church’s newsletter) disagrees with the placement of commas or the use of capitalization. Is Cousin Judy an expert in the style guide used? If so, why did you pay someone other than Judy to edit your manuscript? If serious questions arise, consult with your editor who can likely explain the reason for the edits in question.
Allowing Revisions that Change Your Intended Meaning
Beware of suggestions that change your message. Once you have clarity and commitment to your vision, stand firm. Don’t let others distract you with concepts or wording that may be inconsistent with your intentions. An editor’s job is to help writers clearly and effectively convey their messages to readers. Sometimes, however, an editor may recommend an edit that is off base because the editor has misunderstood. In that case, reject that edit, but consider revising a different way. The meaning was unclear to the editor, so it may be unclear to other readers as well.
Obtaining a Deeper Level of Editing Than Needed
Don’t get persuaded to purchase a deeper and more expensive level of editing than you really need. It doesn’t happen often, but occasionally I receive a request for a level of editing that is beyond what we should do to that manuscript. A few manuscripts are so well thought out and carefully structured that offering input on content and structure would be a waste of time and money. Instead, a polish edit may be needed. It is a matter of integrity for an editor to suggest a lighter edit instead of potentially over editing. If you are uncertain about which level of editing your manuscript needs, get an editorial analysis.
Submitting your manuscript for an edit takes courage. It isn’t easy to let someone mark up your manuscript. Writing that truly affects others has not been over edited, but has most likely been produced with the help of a talented and skilled editor whose priority has been the effective delivery of the author’s voice and message.
“I admire anybody who has the guts to write anything at all” —E.B. White
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