EDITORS UNEDITED: Rosie Fiore

It’s week two of our EDITORS UNEDITED series, and I’m delighted to introduce you to the multi-talented Rosie Fiore. Rosie would be delighted to work on your historical fiction, contemporary commercial fiction, or high concept romance.

Rosie crosses genres both as an editor and in her own writing – she’s tackled romance, historical fiction, commercial books, and even books containing robots. As if that wasn’t enough, she’s worked across theatre, television, and more. We love keeping up to date on Rosie’s writing pursuits whenever we send her your manuscripts.

Here’s what she had to say:

Q: So that we can learn a bit about you, tell us about one writing-related thing you’re proud of, and one non-writing related thing you’re proud of.  

In terms of writing, I’m proud of my novel The After Wife (written as Cass Hunter), which struck a chord with readers around the world. It was a simply bonkers idea about a robot which offers comfort to a grieving widower and his daughter, but somehow it connected with people. I knew when it made me cry while I was writing that I’d got it right.

In terms of not writing, I’m proud of my two beautiful sons, Matt (29) and Ted (12). They’re not only creative and clever, they’re kind and funny. They’ve turned out as two splendid people I love to spend time with.

Q: What brought you to the world of writing? What keeps you writing?  

I trained as an actor, but straight out of drama school, wasn’t getting any work. I was working in a restaurant, and my then agent suggested I write a play about out-of-work actors working as strippers. Something about the idea appealed and I took a job as a food and beverage manager in a strip club (aged 21!) and wrote the play. It was shortlisted for an award, and that was that. I had the writing bug. I’ve worked as a writer in theatre, television, journalism, commercial copywriting and as a novelist for more than 30 years. I don’t know how to do anything else!

Q: Tell me about what you’re currently working on.  

I have two novels out on submission with publishers, one historical and one contemporary. I used to have fingernails, but they are all chewed away right now! I plan to spend most of the rest of this year working on my playwriting. I hope to see the first ever professional production of one of my plays in 2022.

Q: You’ve just received a new manuscript to critique: what’s the first thing you do? Walk us through your editing process.  

I read the note from the author to see if there’s anything in particular they want me to focus on, and also to get a sense of what they hope to achieve. Are they looking to self-publish, or to go the traditional publication route? If it’s the latter, I’ll focus on ways to make the book commercially appealing and ready for submission. Then I read through the manuscript, making notes as I go. After a while, I get a sense of the main areas which need work, and I start to group my notes under headings. These might include plotting concerns, pacing, character development, dialogue and so on. I also keep a list of small niggles: typos, misspelling, formatting issues and other quick fixes.

I do some research into the genre of the book and offer suggestions for genre categories they might suggest to potential agents, as well as good comparative titles and authors.

Then I go through all my notes and arrange them into categories, and write each section of the report, drawing on examples from the text. I’ll give the book one more go-through to make sure I haven’t missed anything, then I finesse the report and add an introduction and conclusion!

Q: How do you manage being on the other side of the editorial process – when your own writing is being edited? What should an author who is receiving critique for the first-time be aware of? 

I’ve been edited for many years in all my guises as a writer. I’m used to it, but still, every time I get criticism, I have a moment of outrage and resistance. “What? You mean my baby isn’t perfect?” The truth is, that’s my ego. We all take it personally, no matter how experienced we are. That’s just human nature. So, I close the document, walk away and let myself feel that bruise. Then once I’ve got over myself, I come back and do the work. In twelve novels, every editorial process I’ve gone through has made the work much, much better. So, my advice is − listen to the notes and really, really engage with the edits. Don’t just say no because you have a vision of what your work is and it can’t change. You don’t have to say yes to everything, but pick your battles.

Q: What writing do you get most excited about working as an editor on? What really makes you intrigued by a submission?  

I want to be grabbed from the beginning with a compelling opening. I like writing that’s driven by well-developed characters. I also like writers who are brave about writing the big, dramatic scenes. It’s a common mistake among less experienced writers to dodge climactic scenes or skip over them. Don’t do it. Launch in! Give me every detail of the reunion, the love scene, the murder. Write the hell out of it!

Q: What do you read for pleasure? Is this different to the writing you enjoy working on?  

I read very widely: I love crime and historical novels, as well as contemporary fiction and family sagas. I’ll literally read anything. There’s always something to love and learn from. My favourite authors include Sarah Waters, Susanna Clarke, Hilary Mantel, Elizabeth Strout, Anne Tyler and Joseph O’Connor. All of these writers write very detailed, character-driven work. They invite us as a reader into their worlds.

I am just as eclectic in the books I enjoy editing. Of the forty or so manuscripts I’ve edited for Jericho, the ones that have stayed with me cross many genres. What they have in common is a vivid world which I was able to inhabit fully.

Q: Finally, if you could only give one piece of advice to all aspiring authors, what would it be?  

Writing is hard, but getting published is much, much harder. You’ll need to be brave, resilient and very, very patient.

Believe me, it isn’t always the best writers who make it. It’s the most dedicated, the most willing to learn, the most downright stubborn. So, if you’re serious about this, pull on your armour and prepare for battle. I wish you luck!

Is your manuscript ready for a professional critique? Rosie is one of 70+ Jericho Writers editors, so we’ll always find your perfect match.

Head over to our editing hub to see the services that we have on offer. Not sure which service to opt for? Drop an email to info@jerichowriters.com and we’ll be happy to discuss which service would be right for you and your manuscript.

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