Editing and proofreading can sometimes be the difference between a great
idea and a great book. Remember – editing is not a negative reflection on you
as an author. It’s your job as the author to be focused on the story,
characters, plots and scenes. If  you spend all your time on the mechanics
and technicalities of the English language you will never finish your book.
Even Editors who are writers invariably have someone else edit their works.

If you’re a writer who feels apprehensive about turning your work over to an
editor, you’re not alone. Editors have a reputation, after all, for being
merciless, nit-picky scrutinizers, on the prowl for transgressions of all
kinds. For the author, anxiousness can set in anticipating the gavel of judgment thudding
down at every turn: “Awkward!” “Unclear!” “Wordy!” “Not fit for
publication!” “Next case!”… The publishing industry is already famously
fraught with ways to intimidate writers to the point of writer’s block. You’d
think editors would at least try to be helpful, rather than adversarial, to
those brave enough to submit themselves to such trials–wouldn’t you?

Be assured: The best ones do. Good editors are advocates, not adversaries.

Advocates on whose behalf? Yours. And your readers. Both roles are crucial
and inseparable. As arbiters of clear communication, editors are trained to
intercept the blips that will irritate or confound readers and make them
turn away. No matter how compelling your message, one or two blips are all
it takes these days. The remote control of attention span is at everybody’s
fingertips, and readers use it with a vengeance. So, rather than brace
yourself to defend against an onslaught of criticism, view your editor as a
sympathetic but firm “test audience” who is on your side. Help your editor
help you.

Here’s some quick tips to make your editing go smoothly and without
apprehension:

- Remember, the editor is working for you and you are in control. He or she can
make recommendations, but you choose whether or not to accept them.

- The editor really is working with your reader’s best interest in mind -
don’t fear that his or her suggestions or comments are “personal” attacks. They
aren’t!

- Choose a style guide, and use it. You don’t have to follow a style
manual, but you should. The Chicago Manual of Style is the standard for
most publishers.

- Minimize your typos.  “Decluttering” your manuscript of its obvious
errors as best you can helps your editor get straight to the meat of your
message, freeing him or her to concentrate on strengthening your logic and
clarity.

- Verify your accuracy. Nothing makes a book or story more infuriating than to
have obvious mistakes in the factual content.

- Don’t feel defensive – our editors will never attack you or the validity of
your work. You do, however, want them taking their sharp pointy pencils to your
grammar, spelling, and other technical details. Although you may be wedded to
every word, luckily for you, our editor isn’t.

Remember – it’s all about getting your message across to your potential
readers, and keeping them hooked from the first page to the last.