Recipe for a Healthy Author-Editor Relationship

By Lorraine Zago Rosenthal

After a book deal is signed, the next step on the path to publication is developmental editing, during which an editor gives feedback intended to strengthen the novel. The goal of every fiction editor should be to enhance an author’s writing while maintaining the author’s voice and vision. 

Fortunately, during the editorial process for my four novels, I worked with talented, insightful, experienced editors whose enthusiasm for my books equaled mine. They provided valuable and constructive suggestions while fostering a mutually respectful environment of creative partnership. But how do authors achieve such a successful relationship? Here are four tips:

• Do Your Research

The publishing world is competitive. Typically, it’s difficult and time consuming to find a literary agent who wants to represent an author’s work. Even after an author survives querying and becomes the client of a fabulous agent, the stress continues with a grueling submission process, during which a novel might linger for months (or years!) before a publisher offers a deal. 

There is no guarantee that a deal will ever come, which is why many authors—blinded by relief, joy, and gratitude—snatch up the first one without thoroughly vetting the offering editor. Before rushing to sign on the dotted line, authors should investigate the editor’s qualifications, including education, experience, and track record. 

It is often said that it’s worse to have a bad agent than to have no agent at all—and the same is true for editors—so make sure you’ve landed a great one. Always do your research. Scour the internet. Request a list of authors with whom the editor has previously worked, and feel free to contact them. Never be afraid to ask questions.

• Interview Your Editor

After you’ve learned all you can about your potential editor and are pleased with the results, the next step is to request a real conversation. Although the majority of communication between authors and editors is through e-mail, it’s important to launch a working relationship with an in-depth discussion—via a phone call, Zoom, etc.—about the editor’s plan for your book. 

Generally, editors offer contracts only for novels that, in their opinion, don’t require a great deal of revision; however, this is not always the case. While one editor might merely suggest adding to the protagonist’s backstory or increasing the conflict in a few scenes, another editor could insist upon cutting a major character, deleting a chapter or two, and/or relocating the setting. 

Carefully consider the editor’s ideas but move forward only if you truly believe the changes will improve your novel. Trust your instincts. It’s crucial for you and your editor to be on the same page. 

• Take a Step Back

While reading an editor’s revision notes, remember that the editor’s perceptions might not match your intentions. As an author, you know exactly what you and your characters are trying to convey—but an editor (and readers) might have a different view. 

Most likely, you’ve endeavored to create a sympathetic, relatable protagonist endowed with appealing traits such as compassion, kindness, and generosity. You love your MC’s bravery and candor, and you’re sure that readers will too—especially during a compelling scene in which she stands up to her older sister. But beside the scene in your manuscript is a note from your editor: 

“Can we soften this a bit? MC seems rather harsh and arrogant here.”

Arrogant? Harsh? That isn’t what I meant! No, you didn’t—but your protagonist is now being judged through eyes other than your own, and an effective editor will point out landmines that an author is too close to see. Take a step back and look at your work from an alternate point of view. Fiction writing is a highly subjective business, but an author should strive to be objective when working with an editor. 

• Speak Up

Although authors should be open-minded, they shouldn’t be oppressed by a dictatorship in which their opinions about their own work are invalidated, ignored, or dismissed. Authors aren’t the only ones who should be receptive to feedback—editors should be too. 

If you strongly disagree with some parts of your editor’s revision letter, never hesitate to speak up. Don’t assume that your editor is always right or that you shouldn’t rock the boat. Recognize that your editor is your partner rather than your boss. 

Set up another phone call or Zoom and state your case in a clear and professional manner. You might change your editor’s mind; the editor might change yours; or you could brainstorm together and come up with new and better ideas that appeal to both of you. 

Communication, collaboration, and compromise are the key elements of a healthy author-editor relationship. Ultimately, the book is yours—and a good editor will want you to be happy with it. Writing a novel, securing a publishing deal, and completing the editorial process aren’t easy tasks, and those who successfully reach their goal deserve a final product they can release into the world with confidence and pride.

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Lorraine Zago Rosenthal is the author of four novels. Her debut, Other Words for Love, was published by Random House (Delacorte Press). New Money and its sequel, Independently Wealthy, were published by Macmillan (St. Martin’s Press). Lorraine’s latest novel, Charmed, was released on October 22, 2024. Further information can be found on Lorraine’s website and social media. 

Website: www.lorrainezagorosenthal.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/lorrainezago

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorrainezago/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4023658.Lorraine_Zago_Rosenthal

CHARMED

Charmed “addresses a range of difficult issues” and is “engaging…full of drama…a compelling love story with flawed characters and complex family dynamics.”

~Kirkus Reviews

Prisca Weld expected to become Mrs. Nick Fontaine before any of her friends walked down the aisle. Nick worked for her father’s lucrative construction business, and he and Prisca planned to start a family in her upscale Brooklyn neighborhood. But she’s heading into her late twenties, and she hasn’t achieved her most cherished goals.

Years ago, Nick abruptly abandoned Prisca and ran home to Las Vegas, leaving her with nothing but questions about what went wrong between them. Since then, she has struggled to forget him, and she hasn’t found anyone she can love as much as she loved Nick. All the best men seem to be out of reach—including Tim Aldrich, a family friend who has recently returned to New York after launching his career in California. Prisca has been drawn to Tim since they were kids, although she believes her attraction to him is as futile now as it was then.

But she still hopes to fulfill her dreams, and she also wishes she could resolve the endless conflict between her traditional father and her unconventional brother, whose childhood scars from his and Prisca’s parents’ contentious divorce are still fresh. Prisca has wounds of her own, and she tries to heal them while attempting to unravel old secrets that have been hidden for too long.

BUY HERE  

 

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Category: How To and Tips