Editor’s Feedback
This was the first time I’d ever paid a real-life professional to edit something I’d written. When I belonged to a writer’s group over 20 years ago we would give peer feedback to others in small groups, but this was a new experience for me.
This editing was an overall look at the book - continuity, plot, characters, etc. It was not a proofread or a formatting edit, since those would naturally come later. My editor provided back to me a multi-page document with what worked for her and what didn’t, inline comments in the document, and an hour conversation for me to ask questions and discuss some thoughts on what to change.
To say it was an enlightening experience would be an understatement. I think what was best was that I’d had those nagging little thoughts in the back of my mind about some aspects of the book, and my editor called them out in a way I hadn’t been able to. For example, in the middle section of the book the main character is alone in space, in danger, and has to work his way out of it. My editor said (in a nice way) that it seemed like he was a different character and there wasn’t anything in the first part of the book to make a reader think the character could do what he did. Her spotlighting that defined the little tickle in my brain - knowing something wasn’t right but not able to pinpoint it.
Having the book edited was extremely valuable. Like a lot of writers, I resisted it because it costs money. It’s not cheap to have someone read through your book and give you detailed feedback. It’s also not cheap to have it proofread or formatted, unless of course you are fortunate enough to get an agent and a book deal with a major publisher. For those of us going the independent or self-publishing route they’re all out-of-pocket expenses. Everybody’s in their own financial situation, and I know it’s just not possible for everyone to pay an editor. All I can say is: if you’re on the fence about whether or not to pay an editor to evaluate your manuscript and you have the financial means to do so, then do it.
More on the editing experience next time.