Myth #7
Editors Must Have an Easy Job Because All They Have To Do Is Fix Our Comma and Spelling Errors.
I swear, I’m really putting it out there now. Yes, I actually believed that the job of an editor was to go through your manuscript and fix any spelling errors or commas that you didn’t catch before you sent in your MS. I know, I know, but actually I get this question often from non-writing friends.
It took me a while to realize that the job of an editor has very little to do with spotting comma splices. This was quite an epiphany for me. I think I finally caught on to this after attending a couple of conferences where the editors talked about what they did. But understanding the role of the editor really changed my perspective on the revision process that I needed to engage in.
Have you had learned anything about editors or the editing process that you didn’t expect?
***Also, check back tomorrow, I'll give you my tally of hours spent writing. ***
I used to thank that as well. It's amazing how much I know now.
ReplyDeleteKnowledge is power. Looking forward to hearing about how you did last week.
I think of myself as an editor first, writer second. So I think I already knew this. I had a teacher I knew from high school give me her "great American novel" to read and edit when I was a freshman in college. She hadn't done any polishing at all in the way of grammar and I was offended that she'd give it to me in that condition. I told her so and she called me a diva. Surprisingly, we're still friends.
ReplyDeleteYep, that's the job of a copy editor. Of course, if you have too many of them to begin with, you won't be meeting either editor. ;)
ReplyDeleteIf I get another 'error 503' (whatever that is) that disconnects me I will not be responsible for my actions. So for the 3rd time of trying (now watch all my comments appear one after another) there is a post on my blog today (5th October)which I think you might find interesting - its all about errors in a book.
ReplyDeleteI'm ashamed to admit this, but I thought editors were there to fix your story from a-z - wording, content, and grammar >.< I'm glad I learned it wasn't so before I submitted.
ReplyDelete