DT – Is the editor your collaborator or your jailer? Attitude matters on both sides.

DT – Is the editor your collaborator or your jailer? Attitude matters on both sides.

dt 072Len Wein, a famous comic book writer, said, “I’ve had editors over the years who couldn’t find a clue if it was stapled to their butt.” I’m sure that if the word “editors” was replaced by “writers” the sentiment would be repeated.

Often the difference between a great editor and a bad editor is in the willingness of the writer to compromise his darlings. As Stephen King said, “kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.”  No matter how well you write, no matter how carefully you revise, there will always be mistakes. Unless you treat editing as a positive step to improve your book, you will always gain less from the process than you might.

Of course, the opposite is true. There’s a story told about a famous science fiction writer. His book had been quite successful when published in the U.K. so his publisher decided to reprint the book in North America. Unfortunately, it went through the hands of an editor who misunderstood their role in the reprint process. This editor proceeded to rewrite massive portions over the objections of the author. Ultimately, the publisher and author severed ties over the result.

The book is the writer’s and the reader’s. An editor must never forget that it is the writer’s voice that must shine through. Their job is to polish — not recut — the jewel. Unfortunately, sometimes the editor forgets that in their search for perfect English.

However, when both the writer and editor trust each other’s efforts, the result can be better than either of them could do on their own. Neither is correct all of the time. Neither is wrong all of the time. Both must be prepared to learn from the other.

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