The Perfect Fit: Laying the Groundwork for Effective Collaborations
When working with editors, you get what you pay for...right?
We all recognize a red flag when we see one. Well, okay, not always. But if most artists charge $800+ to design a cover, you know to tread lightly if someone offers $1000 art for $50.
Same with editors. If the level of editing you want normally costs $1000, you’ll hesitate to work with someone charging a fraction of that.
But what happens when you reach out to someone who charges “normal” rates and has thousands of followers on Facebook? What if the editor you’re considering spent a decade working for a publisher? Or they edited self-published books you admire?
You’re safe to hire them without much thought, right?
You Get What You Pay For?
A comic writer recently asked me to edit a series of scripts he’s working on, so we hopped on a Zoom call to see if we were a good fit for one another. When we discussed my fees, he said they lined up with what he’s paid other editors.
During our conversation, he said he reached out to me because he wants to work with someone who’ll challenge him to make his story more compelling. He heard I provide more than just a light peer review, which is what he’s received from other editors who gave him little more than general feedback.
Something’s in the air, because I’ve heard similar stories several times over the last few months. I’ve also heard about unresponsive agents and artists who didn’t live up to expectations.
Unfortunately, this is nothing new. I’ve been burned, too. I paid $1200 for an edit, and the editor gave me less feedback than what I’ve been providing in my beta reviews. (Of course, less doesn’t always mean inferior.)
I once reached out to an editor with 1000s of Facebook followers and a successful podcast about comics. Let’s just say his feedback left me wondering how he managed to get any followers at all.
I’m in no way suggesting malicious intent here. And I’m not saying you need to pay top dollar to get a good edit. Instead, I’m suggesting you set expectations to give your collaboration a better chance of success.
Note: I wrote an ebook called Working with Editors: A Fiction Writer’s Guide to Crafting Collaborative Success. It’s probably due for an update, but some of the points below are similar to what you’ll find there. Download it for free.
Setting a Strong Foundation
I’ll admit, I’m disappointed when I hear about bad writer/editor experiences. I just don’t know if I’m upset at the editors for charging more than their value or at the writers for not doing more to ensure they get what they pay for.
No, I’m not here to sell you on my editing services. Instead, I want to help you find better results with any editor you’ve had your eye on.
To set a strong foundation for any collaboration, you need to understand the basics like fees, schedule, etc. But there are two other important questions you need to ask. One for the editor, and one for yourself.
What’s Their Editing Style?
Knowing what the editor will provide helps you set expectations so you don’t feel let down later on. When it comes to being edited, there’s nothing worse than expecting a thorough line edit only to get a short bulleted list of items to fix. (Then again, expecting a short list but getting thousands of suggestions might be worse.)
Here, I’m talking about something deeper than asking if the editor provides inline editing (adding notes or making changes in your manuscript) or an editorial report that summarizes big-picture storytelling problems.
Instead, I suggest looking out for other approaches they might have. For example, some editors mark up your manuscript and disappear. Others are available for follow-up questions via email or a virtual meeting.
Some will guide you with a gentle touch, acting as patient mentors and teachers. Others won’t care about hurting your feelings, acting more like drill sergeants.
Some point out the positives to build upon, while others only focus on what needs improving.
In other words, there’s an infinite number of ways to be an editor. But knowing how editors do their job only helps if you know what you want…
What Type of Editor Do You Actually Want?
I think the world needs a little more honesty. And that starts with being more honest with ourselves.
Do you know what you want? Like deep down, scared to admit it to anyone, maybe not even to yourself, type of want.
I’m not talking about asking yourself if you need a developmental edit or a proofread. Instead, I want you to look deeper.
I’ve worked with writers who want to learn everything. They soak up feedback like a sponge and diligently practice to improve their craft.
But you know what? I’ve also worked with writers who don’t really care. They want to fix the easy stuff and hurry on to the next project, expecting (hoping?) they get better through experience.
You might not want a thorough edit. You might just want an editor who nods and says it’s great. If that’s you, accept it. There’s an entire group on Facebook that thinks a $50 beta read from a friend is all you need, as long as you keep writing.
A key component is understanding if it’s fear sending you one way or the other. Obviously, that’s beyond the scope of this little post about collaborations and editing, but understanding your mindsets, beliefs, and intentions will always be a valuable tool for you.
Personally, I think you’re doing a disservice to your readers and to future you by not challenging yourself to improve. You can do that with any budget and skill level. But that’s me. You be you. There’s room for all of us.
I know schedules and fees play a role in all of this, but it’s important to understand yourself. What traits are you drawn to in another person? What type of person is going to make you energized to be your best, and which type is going to stifle you? Do you want to spend time improving or would you rather move to the next exciting thing?
Knowing yourself and understanding the editor’s style are crucial for a strong collaboration. But you might not be able to learn all of this through a few email exchanges, so there’s one more thing to do…
Meet First
Hands down, the best way to learn if you and the editor (or agent, artist, or even the letterer) are a good fit for one another is to meet and talk about the project. With Zoom, Teams, and Google Meet, it’s easy to chat with anyone in the world.
You can learn so much in 30 minutes. It’s the fastest, easiest way to share information and get to know another person.
Each of us has a certain energy we give off. Sometimes you’ll realize a perfect fit on paper doesn’t manifest itself in real life. But other times, you hit it off immediately, and you can’t wait to share your art and work together.
A lot of it is simply listening to your intuition. If the more technical aspects are a match (schedule, fees, etc.), and when you finally meet “in person,” you feel yourself excited to create? Or maybe you experience that calm, peaceful sensation that feels right for you? Then you might have a match.
Sure, the collaboration might still be a struggle, but these three elements will help you get started on the right foot.