Did Your Editor Really Say That?

After having their writing professionally edited, some authors may have reactions such as:

• My editor doesn’t get me.
• My editor doesn’t understand what I’m trying to do in this manuscript.
• My editor made these edits because she is personally opposed to my message.
• My editor rushed through the manuscript and missed the point I was trying to make.
• I can’t believe my editor said that!

Such initial reactions might be understandable. It can be overwhelming to have an edited manuscript returned to you filled with comments, questions, and colored markings. Before responding to your editor’s input, consider the following concepts that are fundamental to professional editing.

An editor’s job is to step into the shoes of potential readers.

Editors envision various types of readers who may be attracted to a book, and then offer feedback based on possible content interpretations and reactions of such readers. Define your target audience for your editor upfront, but also be aware that your editor may see the potential for a slightly different audience than you originally had in mind. One of the most important things an editor can do is to help you anticipate unintended reader reactions, possibly from readers you weren’t thinking of when you were writing. If something in your manuscript is likely to annoy, bore, or confuse some of your readers, wouldn’t you rather know before printing?

If a question or concern arises for an editor, the same question or concern is likely to arise for readers.

You know exactly what you intend to communicate to your readers; it is all perfectly clear to you. Keep in mind that your readers can’t read your mind, though, and neither can your editor. Yet, a good, professional editor will make every effort to understand your intended meaning if for no other reason than because he is being paid to do so. Your editor is being paid to invest the careful attention and time necessary to do justice to each and every manuscript he touches. In fact, his ability to attract future editing work depends on it. And reputable editing services include a quality assurance process. So, if your editor points out something that is unclear, readers will most likely stumble over that passage too. Readers are not being paid to read your book, so they will not necessarily be as motivated as an editor to discern your intended meaning. Readers may instead become disengaged and stop reading.

An editor helps to strengthen the appeal of a book for the targeted audience, and makes recommendations to help broaden the audience as appropriate based on the objectives of the project.

An editor makes recommendations to enhance a book’s appeal for the most appropriate and broadest audience possible based on her understanding of the author’s goals. So, if you choose to define your audience more narrowly, some of those editorial suggestions may not be relevant for you. An editor, however, will strive to alert you to aspects of your writing that might undermine reader engagement with your material. A truly professional editor reads your manuscript from various relevant perspectives rather than simply from his own limited, personal world view. How is that possible? Well, in addition to a high level of knowledge and competency in the field, excellent professional editors have a special talent—sensitivity to diverse individuals and their possible mindsets that may influence the way they interpret what they read. That sensitivity could turn out to be one of the most valuable assets your editor brings to your project.

Evaluate Your Interpretation of Your Editor’s Comments

Before becoming annoyed with some of your editor’s input consider the mindset you bring to the daunting task of sifting through editorial comments. Evaluate your interpretation of those recommendations. Did your editor really say that she disagrees with you, or did she suggest an edit based on a concern that some of your readers may have a different perception? Did he really rush through the edit and miss your point, or did he simply point out a potential stumbling block for readers? Does your editor really not get you, or is she trying to help you communicate your message more effectively to your audience?

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