EDITOR@WORK: finding an editor

Showing posts with label finding an editor. Show all posts

Saturday, September 17, 2011

You need a good editor

I was asking my freelance writers and editors group who they get to edit their stories, and I was shocked. One of the writers said that she didn't need an editor. She's a good writer and self-editor and doesn't make spelling or factual mistakes.

Naturally, I was shocked. I'm a good writer and terrific self-editor, and I always feel nervous when I throw my blogs out there with no one reading them in advance. I constantly write with instead of who or that instead of than. I flip-flop words or transpose letters in a single word. Even though I push tight writing, I get wordy. I can't help it; I'm human.

In the 1990s, I was the auto-racing writer for a newspaper, and on Saturdays I'd be given the auto-racing page to design. Naturally, my column would go on that page, and I would ask nearly everyone in the sports and news departments to read it. I make mistakes, and I need an editor.

And that writer needs an editor, whether she thinks so or not.

Another writer on the freelance network has family members edit her stories or articles. She says that they're all educated and have a writing background. I can understand this writer's feelings, since I have my wife read my magazine or newspaper stories for errors. Of course, my wife was a copy editor at the local newspaper. Different kettle of fish.

My advice: Find a good editor, whether it's a family member who has a degree in English or a professional like me. Don't take chances.

EMAIL: tgilli52@gmail.com BLUESKY: PROFILE

MORE EDITOR@WORK BLOG ENTRIES

• You really DO need an editor

• Reminders for would-be novelists

• What I do when I'm editing

• What I charge (it's a deal) and what I edit

• Slogging through the Internet

• J-school: More eyes on your stories

• J-school: Go out and learn

• Rookie mistakes for magazine writers

BLOG ENTRIES BY TOM GILLISPIE

• Resume for a writer and editor

• An editor's views on powerful writing

• Advice for be and would-be novelists

• Links to TG's stories online

• Favorite quotes

• What I do when I'm editing

ANECDOTES BY TOM GILLISPIE

• Wipeout at Death Valley

• Days with rainbows

• A desperate writer working in the dark

• Yer OUTTA there!

ENTRIES FROM THE DOG BLOG

• Katie cried

• Growl and pull

• 13-plus years with my dog Lady

• ... said the spider to ...

• The Dog Diary (2014)

• YIP! YIP! The stereo-sound huskies

• What Lady and Michael Jackson had in common

BLOG ENTRIES FROM THE AUTO RACING JOURNAL

• Angel in Black: Remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr.

(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)

• Then Junior Said to Jeff...

(the book of great NASCAR stories)

• My best day as a sports writer

• Jeff Gordon's milk toast to Dale Earnhardt

• Wayne Auton: A life in racing

Sunday, May 29, 2011

You need an editor

SOME PEOPLE AREN'T SURE they need an editor. One "professional" writer once told me that she didn't need an editor. She could spell and write, she said.

That's frightening to me; everyone -- everyone from Joe Schmoe to a great writer like William Faulkner or Ernest Hemingway -- needs an editor. I doubt that this woman is a Schmoe, but she's probably not a Faulkner or Hemingway, either.

And people wonder if I'm the kind of editor they're seeking. You don't edit books about spirituality, do you? Well, yes. I edited a novel on spirituality two years ago, and I edited a non-fiction book about spirituality last year.

You don't edit books about cosmetics and nail / toenail care, do you? I edited an ebook about nail / toenail care, and she seemed very happy. I had a lot of work to do, and the book was greatly improved.

Do you edit for businessmen? Yes, I've done editing for a restaurateur and a lawyer, plus a businessman in Australia who is looking to change the world.

I edited a doctoral dissertation last year, and I've even edited individual articles before they were sent to online magazines.

I've also done other editing and proofreading, including several novels and lots of non-fiction books.

If you're not sure, just ask. One novelist wasn't sure -- people said she wrote like Faulkner -- so I suggested that she pay for one chapter. If she liked my work, we'd continue. I've edited most of two of her novels, and I was pleased to learn that my editing skills work well with fiction. She's becoming a better writer, and she's interested in me editing a third book.

Another writer wasn't sure, so she asked for references. I gave two names and email addresses (including the William Faulkner clone), and she came back the next day; she wanted me to edit her book. I think it went well.

Last fall, a would-be novelist found me, and we're both glad he did. He's improved by leaps and bounds as I've edited his book a second time.

When writers tell me they don't need me, I don't back down. They need me; they just don't know it yet.