To Change Or Not To Change

In the past, I’ve stressed the importance of having a manuscript professionally edited before publishing it. In my opinion, that is the single-most important thing an author can do (and spend money on). Many a good story has been ruined because it was poorly edited. It doesn’t matter how well you can self-edit, you should never skip this step.

That being said, it’s really hard to find a good “professional” editor. You can find folks who tout themselves as “editors” just about anywhere. Some authors think that because they are multi-published and have worked with their own editors, they are qualified to edit the works of others. This isn’t always the case, as I’ve discovered.

I’ve self-published three full-length novels and I’ve been published in two books of short stories, both of which were editor by in-house editors at the publishing company. I was not given the opportunity to edit my own short stories. After I submitted them, they were changed as the publishing house’s editor deemed appropriate. Kind of weird, but that’s what happened.

My novels, on the other hand, were my own works to protect and perfect as I saw fit. I’ve worked with three different editors, a different one for each book. Why? Well, because I wasn’t really completely happy with any of the three. All offered good advice – mostly. All treated me professionally and with respect. All were recommended. I just didn’t feel like any of them were a good fit for me and my personality.

Some editors I’ve worked with felt the need to re-write almost every sentence. So much so, that I felt the book completely lost my “voice,” and took on the voice of the editor. I know the manuscripts I submit to these folks are not so bad that they need complete re-writing. I’m a better writer than that.

One gal I worked with was very efficient and offered some good advice, but she also made some comments that didn’t sit right with me. For instance, in one of my books I made reference to my heroine wanting to check out the hero’s collection of music cd’s. The editor made a margin notation that said, “Nobody listens to cd’s anymore.” I read that notation as I sat at my desk listening to a cd on my stereo with a stack of my favorite cd’s on the table next to it. After reading the notation I said to myself “I’m nobody.”

Another gal (I chose female editors because my books lean toward the romance and I feel women better understand this genre than men, but that might be sexist – sorry) advised me to change some words for various reasons. In one instance she said, “that isn’t a word,” when in fact, it is a word. Not only is it a legitimate word, it’s the word I specifically intended to use. I don’t think people understand how much time writers spend searching for just the RIGHT word. We agonize over words.

Now, I have used the wrong word several times in manuscripts and was thankful my editor pointed it out. For instance, one time I used the word “solidarity” when I should have used “solitude.” I know what both words mean, and that they are not interchangeable, but when I wrote it in the manuscript it seemed right at the time. It wasn’t until she pointed it out that I realized what a bonehead I’d been. Hey, it happens. That’s why we need editors.

My point here is that if an editor makes a suggestion, or points something out as “wrong,” don’t just take it for granted. Look it up. Check it out. Most authors are under no obligation to make every single change an editor suggests. Unless you’re working with a large publishing house, then perhaps you are, but in my case, I have the final say.

I know I need help with a lot of things grammatically. Some things I honestly just plain don’t care if I ever get right; like the proper usage of “lay / lie.” Oh my gosh, the amount of time I spend arguing with myself over those two words. I avoid them whenever possible. That’s when my handy dandy thesaurus is my best friend; to avoid those words. I never lay / lie anything on the table. I set it there.

I also couldn’t tell you what a dangling modifier or hanging participle is. And honestly, I don’t care. I usually don’t end up with them in my manuscripts because – well – I guess because – I just automatically know something’s not right when I write them. Those are not the kinds of mistakes my editors ever find and thank the good Lord for that.

Usually, my editors offer suggestions for stronger verbs or better metaphors, for which I am very grateful. There are lots of things I rely on an editor for, but I have learned to double check things before making all of their suggested changes. Half the time, I’m right, but only because I’ve taken the time beforehand to look it up and make sure I was using words or phrases correctly. Google is my friend.

The point is, just because you hire an editor, doesn’t make that person automatically right in every instance. As a writer, you must do your part by checking something out if what your editor “fixes” doesn’t feel right. I’ve learned this from experience.

How about you guys, do you cringe when you find mistakes in books? If you’re a writer, do you do your own self-editing? Have you had problems with editors in the past?

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Word of the Day: Gremial

Fun fact about me: I think some people just have better language skills by nature than others. Writing has never been a problem for me.

Original post by Jansen Schmidt, April 2022. Images by Google and giphy.com