How to work with an editor
Getting professional feedback on your work
Nothing has improved my writing more than working with a professional editor. This newsletter highlights the help available to you right now and what to do with that all-important feedback once you get it.
EDITORIAL: Manuscript Assessments
Did you know we work with some of the leading editors in the world? We’ll hand-match you with commissioning editors; ex-agents; acclaimed authors and tutors who will read your full manuscript and give you a detailed report on how to take your writing to the next level. We’re always blown away with just how career-changing this can be!
Spotlight
ORION UNCUT: Commissioning editors explained (FREE for members)
We interview ‘Big 5’ Commissioning Editor Francesca Pathak to find out how editors work with authors after they land a publishing deal. It’s eye-opening stuff!
NON-MEMBER LINK
BLOG: How to choose a literary consultant
How do you choose the best editor to work with? This blog reveals the different kinds of editors available and how to choose the best one for your work.
EDITORIAL: Welcome to our new editors!
We’ve just added four new editors to our list: Ultimate Novel Writing Course tutor Wes Brown; Australia-based Liz Monument; US industry wiz Alma Alexander; and creative writing teacher Natasha Bell.
How to use feedback from a professional
It wasn’t until I landed a literary agent that I ever worked on full-manuscript feedback from a professional. And let me tell you – it was a bit of a revelation.
By that time, I’d written and self-edited four novels and I thought I’d got the process down. But professional feedback doesn’t just open your eyes to the stuff you’re doing wrong in one book – it shows you how you can avoid making the same mistakes in every single thing you write from then on. It helps you understand your voice; refine your storytelling and look objectively at your story as a machine that needs all parts to shine in order to work.
Because this feedback is from a ‘professional’, it’s tempting to take their word as gospel and make changes to the letter. Many writers end up getting stuck if they do this. Sure – there are some suggestions you’ll read that will make perfect sense to you. But others you might not be so sure about.
No editor wants you to make changes that don’t feel right to you. Instead, take their feedback as proof that something in your work isn’t working and try to nail down what that is. Do you just need to be clearer? Is there another change you could make that would fix the issue, without unravelling the rest of the story you’re trying to tell?
Once you’ve found the right way to work with a professional, editing becomes a fantastic learning experience. Have you worked with an editor before? How did you find the process? Sign up for free and share in the Townhouse here.
Sarah J x
Plus, don’t miss:
Grab your copy of ‘52 Letters: a Year’s Worth of Advice on Writing’
Our second published book has just landed. Grab your copy of Harry Bingham’s “love letters to writers” featuring advice from his 20+ years in the business.
Under-represented writers are invited to apply for a free place on September’s Self-Edit Your Novel tutored course, with one-in-four alumni now published. Closes 31 August.
Summer Festival Latecomer tickets (Discounts available for members)
Join 1,000 writers from all seven continents around the world for just a fraction of the price, with our discount latecomer tickets now available.
Wonderful information.