What I Learned from Working with An Editor

Editing.

That word strikes images of a white page with my ideas on it riddled with the cruel markings of a red pen.

You may remember one of my previous posts?where I shared the exciting news that one of my short stories is going to be published.

What I didn’t share was the terror that the line “We would like to publish it with some editing” struck in my heart.

My mind raced.?How much of my story will she edit? Would it still ring true to my original idea? Would I have to change the entire story??I had no idea what to expect.? This is my first time being published.

Well, this past weekend I got the email from the editor with suggested changes. I took a few seconds to gather my nerves before I opened the email.

To my surprise, the notes were positive and there were not that many edits.? The suggestions my editor made (I like how that sounds) were about redundant words and expanding my descriptions, like this:

She helped me clarify the action of one of my characters and made me laugh.? It took me maybe 20 minutes to make the edits she suggested.

It was painless. And guess what? The suggestions she made gave my story more punch.

Wow.

Now, I know this was a short story, and the editing process will be much longer and *gulp* more grueling when my novel gets accepted for publication, but this whole process made me realize that editors aren’t ruthless grammar nazis out to shred your writing soul to pieces.? They are people who want to take your story and make it shine for your readers.

When my novel is accepted for publication (yes, I’m putting that out there into the Universe), I look forward to working with my editor, knowing he or she is there to help my work shine — and not make me regret ever becoming a writer.

Have you worked with an editor? Share your experience with me in the comments.