March 26, 2024 • 20 mins
Because working with an editor should be delightful, not scary.
Let's be honest. When you start working with an editor for the first time, it can feel a little scary.
You’re sharing your manuscript, the project you’ve worked so hard on, with a stranger on the internet. You’re inviting another person into a process that up until now has been entirely solo.
And you’re entering an industry of professionals that’s probably entirely new to you. What should you expect? And what’s expected of you?
In this episode, I’m demystifying what it’s like to work with an editor. I’m sharing four tips to help you make the most of your time with your editor—even (or especially!) if you’ve never worked with an editor before.
You’ll learn:
- What NOT to do while you wait for your editor’s feedback
- 10+ things you CAN (and maybe should!) do while you wait
- What to do AFTER you get your feedback to move forward with clarity and confidence
- And more!
Your work with your developmental editor can be one of the most rewarding creative partnerships you’ll ever experience. That may sound hyperbolic, but it’s 100% true.
The first step is simply knowing what to expect. And that’s what you’ll learn in this episode.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- Check out my manuscript wishlist: alicesudlow.com/wishlist
- Want me to edit your book? Tell me about your book here: alicesudlow.com/contact
- Ep. 66: 4 Tips to Find the Right Editor for Your Novel
Rate, Review, & Follow on Apple Podcasts
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
Your editor wants you to besuccessful.
(00:02):
We want your story to besuccessful.
We want to help and support you.
We want your story to be thebest that it can be.
And we want to facilitate thatprocess and make it easier for
you to accomplish your goals.
We are on your side.
We're not against you.
We're not here to condemn yourstory or shut you down.
We're here to collaborate withyou, support you and help you
(00:24):
achieve your goals for yourwriting.
We're so excited to see whatyour manuscripts can become.
And we are honored to be part ofyour creative journey.
(01:05):
Welcome to your next draft.
Let's be honest.
When you start working with aneditor for the very first time,
it can feel a little scary.
It's a scary thing to share yourmanuscripts, this project that
you've worked so hard on with astranger that you met on the
internet, because that'sprobably how you met your
editor.
(01:26):
It's also scary to engage in apart of the book production
process.
That's new to you when you'rejust getting started writing.
And when you're working on thefirst draft, you can pretty much
Intuit your next steps on yourown.
You have an idea for a story youpick up a pin or open a new
document on your computer.
And you start writing until youget to the end.
But after you finished the firstdraft, the process is a lot less
(01:49):
clear and a lot more difficultto do entirely on your own.
And whether you decide to hirean editor after draft one or
after draft five, At some point,you're going to reach a junction
where your only logical nextstep is to involve other people
in your book creation process.
(02:10):
And it's a scary thing to workwith a professional in a field
that's new to you where youdon't know what the process is
or what the etiquette is orwhat's expected of you, or what
you can expect from someone thatyou're working with.
All of that on top of the factthat you're sharing your
precious creation with astranger that you met on the
internet.
After you've gone through thisprocess a few times, it's going
(02:31):
to feel old hat.
The vulnerability of sharingyour work for feedback will
probably always be there.
But the process itself won't bea confusing, scary mystery.
But if you've never worked withan editor before.
You're not there yet.
It might still feel like aconfusing, scary mystery.
So let's demystify it.
Shall we?
(02:52):
In today's episode, I want tomake the process of working with
an editor, feel a little lessscary and a little more
accessible.
I'm going to share four tips tohelp you know, what to expect
and how to make the most of yourwork with your editor.
We'll cover some do's and don'tssome etiquette around editing.
And what you can do to make yourwork with your editor, a
(03:13):
pleasant and rewarding processfor you both.
This is actually the second partof a two episode series on how
to work with an editor.
In the first episode, I sharedfour tips to help you find the
right editor for your book.
So if you haven't found aneditor yet, but you're thinking
you'd like to work with one, Irecommend that you head back to
that episode to help you selecta great editor for your book.
(03:37):
You can find thatepisode@alicesedler.com slash
66.
And once you found your editorand you vetted them and you've
learned what their editingprocess will look like, and
you've decided to work withthem, then come back to these
tips to make the most of thatwork together.
And before we get into the tips,I will also add that.
Of course I, myself am an editorand I do work with one-on-one
(03:59):
clients in the ways that I'mgoing to be describing in this
episode.
My goal in this episode is togive you a guide, a kind of
handbook for how to work withjust about any developmental
editor or really any type ofeditor.
I'm going to cover some baselineexpectations that will apply to
pretty much any editor that youwork with.
Now, if you've been listening toyour next draft and thinking, I
(04:22):
really love what Alice has tosay about story, and I would
love to get her feedback on mymanuscript.
Well, the good news is I do workone-on-one with writers.
and if you think that I am agreat fit for your story, I
would love to hear from you.
You can go to Alicesolo.com/wishlist to check out
my manuscript wishlist and thetypes of books that I am a
really great fit for.
(04:43):
And you can go to Alice saidthough.com/contact to tell me
about your book.
That's the first step to workwith me.
Fill out that form on that pageto tell me about your book and
we'll connect to talk aboutwhether we're a good fit and
what it would look like to worktogether.
That said, regardless of whetherI'm the best fit for your book
or another editor is the bestfit.
(05:04):
The four tips that I have foryou in this episode are going to
help you make the most of anyediting relationship.
So you can get the most out ofprofessional editing on your
book.
Ready for the tips.
Let's dive in.
Tip number one.
Don't edit your manuscript whileyou're waiting for your editors
feedback.
Once you've sent your manuscriptto your editor.
(05:27):
Wait.
I don't edit your manuscriptwhile you're waiting for their
feedback.
Put the manuscript down and stepaway.
Just wait.
Your editor is preparing theirbest feedback based on the
version of the manuscript thatthey have.
You want that version to befully up to date.
So their feedback is fullyrelevant.
(05:47):
It's not helpful to either ofyou, if, for instance, your
editor prepares feedback on theclimax of your book.
And while you're waiting, youchange the climax.
So then when they share theirfeedback, it doesn't match your
story.
It's also not a good practice tosend your editor updated
versions of your manuscriptwhile your editor is working on
the project.
(06:07):
If your editor is midway throughreading your manuscript and you
send them a new version, they'dhave to start all over again
from the beginning in order togive you feedback on all your
changes.
That would be a huge delay.
And I don't know of any editorswho would be willing to do that,
to be quite honest.
The exception here is if youknow that you're sending your
manuscript to your editor aheadof time, and you know that they
(06:29):
aren't starting work on it rightaway.
You can check with them to seeif you can send them an updated
version before they startworking.
I've done this with clients.
Sometimes a writer might send mea manuscript a couple of weeks
or a month before I actuallystart reading it.
And I'll typically say, just soyou know, I'll be starting work
on X date.
So if you have any changes thatyou want to make between now,
(06:50):
and then feel free to do thatand send me the updated version.
Sometimes writers, take me up onthat.
And they keep working on theirmanuscripts right up until the
day that I start editing.
And sometimes they decide to goahead and put their manuscripts
down and work on other things.
In the meantime.
If you're not sure if youreditor has started working on
your manuscript yet.
And you've thought of somechanges that you'd like to make.
It's totally reasonable to emailthem and ask, you can say
(07:14):
something like, Hey, I'mcurious, have you started
reading my manuscript yet?
If not, I'd like to make acouple changes and then send you
a fresh version before youstart.
If you have, I won't make anychanges.
And I look forward to yourfeedback.
And if they have started.
Except that gracefully and don'ttouch your manuscript.
You can start a list of all ofyour ideas for what you would
(07:35):
like to do in your story next.
And then you can discuss thoseideas with your editor When
they're ready with theirfeedback, just don't make
changes to the manuscriptitself.
The big truth.
Here is book publishing is awaiting game.
There are going to be so manypoints throughout your author
career where you will pass somepart of this project off to
(07:56):
someone else.
And it will be entirely out ofyour hands and your task will be
to wait for days or weeks ormonths while someone else does
their part.
So this is something just to getused to and make peace with.
Which brings me to tip numbertwo.
I do work on other parts of yourauthor career while you wait.
(08:18):
Yes, you've put your manuscriptdown and you're not allowing
yourself to make any changes toit while you wait.
But that doesn't mean thatthere's nothing you can do.
On the contrary, there is somuch you can do while you wait.
A successful author careerinvolves so much more than
simply writing a great book.
(08:38):
That's the heart of it.
And it's essential.
Of course.
But that alone will not lead youto authorial success.
Writers tend to love the writingprocess.
They range from loving theediting process.
Just as much to grudginglyaccepting it as an unavoidable
part.
But I can count on one hand, thenumber of writers that I have
(09:00):
met, who loved the rest of thetasks involved in a thriving
author career.
Especially marketing almost noone likes marketing.
The thing is all of thenon-writing parts of your author
career.
Have to happen at some point, ifyou want your books to reach
your readers.
Yes.
Even marketing.
(09:21):
And the waiting time in betweensending your manuscript to your
editor.
And getting your editor'sfeedback is the perfect time to
make progress on all of thosenon-writing tasks.
Yes, even marketing.
Yes, I'm going to keep saying itbecause no one wants to hear it.
Yes.
Even marketing.
Here are a dozen things that youcan do while you're waiting for
(09:44):
your editor's feedback.
One.
Create a social media profilefor yourself as an author.
To create an author website.
Three create an email newsletterto send to your readers.
Four.
Start building an email list ofreaders.
Five, write a short story thatyou can give to readers for free
(10:05):
as a lead magnet to attract newreaders.
Six.
Right.
Several short stories and tryentering them into writing
contests or submitting them forpublication and then theologies
or literary magazines.
Seven.
Network with other authors atwriting conferences and defense.
Eight read books on writingcraft.
(10:26):
Nine.
Study books that are similar toyours to figure out how to
emulate them in your writing.
10.
Research avenues to publicationand start evaluating your
options and what you'd like todo.
Traditional publishing indiepublishing, small press hybrid,
something else.
11.
Start gathering a list of comps,comparative titles, which you'll
(10:49):
need to know in order toposition your book within the
marketplace.
12.
Write a draft of your queryletter.
If you want to query agents oryour back cover book
description, if you want to selfpublish.
This is a non-exhaustive list.
I could keep going.
There are so many things thatyou can do while you're waiting
for your editor's feedback thatdon't involve looking at your
(11:12):
manuscript at all.
Hopefully, there are a fewthings on that list that don't
make you want to curl up in aball and hide from the
publishing world.
If that whole entire list doesmake you cringe though.
Here's the good news.
The advantage of working onthese things in between drafts
while you're waiting for youreditor.
Is that you know, that you havean in-point when you will be
(11:35):
coming back to your book.
This will not be your main focusforever.
This will be your main focus forfour weeks or so, while you wait
for your feedback.
Then your editor will reach outand tell you that your feedback
is ready.
And you'll get to dive back intoyour story.
The space where you're writingis fun and inspiring and
exciting.
(11:56):
And if you focus on thesenon-writing tasks for just a few
weeks, every few months inbetween each draft, you'll be
tackling the enormous and scaryproject of marketing in baby
steps over a long period oftime.
That way you won't be trying tocreate an entire marketing
strategy from scratch when yourbook is finished and ready to
go.
(12:16):
And trust me, no one wants that.
No one.
No writer ever has ever gottento the end when their book is
ready to publish and said, thankgoodness.
I'm so glad I didn't preparemarketing at all.
And I get to start this entireproject from scratch now.
No one says that.
So.
When you send your manuscript toyour editor, close out at the
(12:38):
document, put it down andchallenge yourself, not to touch
it until your editor sends youtheir feedback.
Make peace with the weight.
And embrace the built in pausefrom your editing process.
As an opportunity to makeprogress on the less exciting,
but equally important areas ofyour author career.
Yes, even marketing.
(13:00):
All right.
So we've covered what to do andwhat not to do while you're
waiting for your editor'sfeedback.
You wait patiently, you makeprogress in other areas of your
author career.
And then your editor reaches outand says, good news.
The feedback is ready.
What then.
Well first, your editor is goingto deliver your feedback
(13:20):
according to the structure thatyou established together, when
you first agreed on your editingpackage.
For my clients.
This typically means that we'regoing to get on one or more zoom
calls to talk through myfeedback and their ideas for
other editors.
This might mean that you getfeedback in the form of calls
and editorial letter, inlinenotes or other deliverables.
Start by listening or readingthrough all the feedback that
(13:42):
you get.
Just take a look around at whatyour editor has shared with you.
Hopefully you'll be able to spotpretty quickly some ideas from
your editor that make you go.
Ah, yes.
That makes sense.
Or even, wow.
Yes.
That's going to address aproblem that I was concerned
about.
But you might also feel a littleoverwhelmed by it.
(14:02):
All.
Between the intensity of changesthat your editor might suggest.
And the sheer volume offeedback.
It's easy to get overwhelmedhere.
So if you see all your editor'sfeedback and you think, oh, holy
cow, this is a lot.
And I don't know what to do withall of this.
Don't worry.
This is normal.
It does not mean that you're abad writer.
(14:24):
It just means that gettingfeedback can be a lot.
When I get feedback, I do mybest to make that experience as
digestible and approachable aspossible.
I'll point out where to start todig into all my suggestions,
I'll include actionable nextsteps so that you know what to
do next.
And by sometimes even point outwhich areas of feedback to focus
(14:45):
on last or skip for a while, ifthe feedback is really
overwhelming, That said weeditors can do our absolute best
to make our feedbackapproachable and digestible.
And writers can still getoverwhelmed and confused by it
all.
So tip number three for workingwith your editor is to ask
follow up questions.
(15:06):
Don't be afraid to reach out andask for more clarification about
things that you don't understandor guidance on, what steps you
should take next.
Once you've looked through allyour feedback.
Editors will often specify whatkind of support they offer after
they deliver your feedback.
There might be unlimited emailsupport, or email support for a
couple of weeks after delivery.
There might be the option for afollow-up call.
(15:29):
The principal.
I like to keep in mind though,is if you're stuck, that's the
perfect time to reach out to aneditor.
Your editor will be happy toanswer your questions and
clarify your edit.
And they'll let you know if thequestions are big enough to
merit a new editing engagement.
Above all we editors do not wantto leave you confused and
(15:50):
overwhelmed at the end of youredit.
We want you to walk away withconfidence and clarity, knowing
exactly what to do next, to makeyour manuscript even better.
So don't be afraid to reach outand ask questions.
Which brings me to the final tipfor working with your editor.
Don't be afraid.
That's it.
(16:10):
I know it can be a frighteningexperience to share your
manuscript of someone else,Especially if it's your first
time working with an editor.
Especially if your editor is astranger that you met on the
internet, which is almost alwaysthe case.
But if you have vetted youreditor and you found a good fit.
You are in safe hands and youreditor is on your side.
(16:33):
And even when they give youfeedback on things that aren't
working in your story, or whenthey recommend that you change
some things in your story.
No, that they are in thiscreative process with you.
And that you have a shared goalfor your book.
Your editor wants you to besuccessful.
We want your story to besuccessful.
We want to help and support you.
(16:54):
We want your story to be thebest that it can be.
And we want to facilitate thatprocess and make it easier for
you to accomplish your goals.
We are on your side.
We're not against you.
We're not here to condemn yourstory or shut you down.
We're here to collaborate withyou, support you and help you
achieve your goals for yourwriting.
(17:14):
We're so excited to see whatyour manuscripts can become.
And we are honored to be part ofyour creative journey.
There's no fear here.
Only support as we pursue ashared goal together.
Of course, the caveat for thatsense of safety is that first
you'll need to find a good fiteditor.
If you're not sure how to dothat.
Head back to the previousepisode of your next draft and
(17:37):
check out my four tips to findthe right editor for you and
your book.
You can find that at Alice.
dot com slash 66.
And there you have it.
My top four tips for how to workwith a developmental editor.
Especially if you've never.
Never worked with adevelopmental editor before.
Here they are again.
One don't edit your manuscriptwhile you're waiting for your
(18:00):
editors feedback.
Send them your materials, thenwait for them to work their
magic on your story.
I do not make changes while youwait.
Too.
Instead work on other parts ofyour author career.
Marketing is a great thing towork on during the natural
breaks in between drafts.
(18:21):
Three.
When you receive your editor'sfeedback, feel free to ask
follow-up questions.
Your editor wants you to moveforward with confidence, not
confusion.
So ask away.
Four.
And finally.
Don't be afraid.
Your editor is on your side.
We are working towards yoursuccess together, and we are
honored to be a part of yourprocess.
(18:44):
I hope all these tips helpdemystify the experience of
working with an editor just alittle bit so that you feel more
excited and more confident abouttaking this really cool step and
your book creation process.
I hope this helps you make themost of the work that you do
with the editor who was a greatfit for you and your book.
And if you'd like to see if Imight be that editor, who's a
(19:04):
great fit for you and your book,then check out my manuscript
wishlist and see what kinds ofbooks I'm a great fit for at
alisando.com/wishlist.
And then reach out and tell meabout your book at
alisando.com/contact.
I am so excited for you todiscover how delightfully
rewarding it can be to work withan editor.
Who's a wonderful creativepartner for you and your story.
(19:28):
And I am cheering you on as youwork with your editor to turn
that story into an amazingpublished book.
Happy editing.
Your editor wants you to besuccessful.
(00:02):
We want your story to besuccessful.
We want to help and support you.
We want your story to be thebest that it can be.
And we want to facilitate thatprocess and make it easier for
you to accomplish your goals.
We are on your side.
We're not against you.
We're not here to condemn yourstory or shut you down.
We're here to collaborate withyou, support you and help you
(00:24):
achieve your goals for yourwriting.
We're so excited to see whatyour manuscripts can become.
And we are honored to be part ofyour creative journey.
(01:05):
Welcome to your next draft.
Let's be honest.
When you start working with aneditor for the very first time,
it can feel a little scary.
It's a scary thing to share yourmanuscripts, this project that
you've worked so hard on with astranger that you met on the
internet, because that'sprobably how you met your
editor.
(01:26):
It's also scary to engage in apart of the book production
process.
That's new to you when you'rejust getting started writing.
And when you're working on thefirst draft, you can pretty much
Intuit your next steps on yourown.
You have an idea for a story youpick up a pin or open a new
document on your computer.
And you start writing until youget to the end.
But after you finished the firstdraft, the process is a lot less
(01:49):
clear and a lot more difficultto do entirely on your own.
And whether you decide to hirean editor after draft one or
after draft five, At some point,you're going to reach a junction
where your only logical nextstep is to involve other people
in your book creation process.
(02:10):
And it's a scary thing to workwith a professional in a field
that's new to you where youdon't know what the process is
or what the etiquette is orwhat's expected of you, or what
you can expect from someone thatyou're working with.
All of that on top of the factthat you're sharing your
precious creation with astranger that you met on the
internet.
After you've gone through thisprocess a few times, it's going
(02:31):
to feel old hat.
The vulnerability of sharingyour work for feedback will
probably always be there.
But the process itself won't bea confusing, scary mystery.
But if you've never worked withan editor before.
You're not there yet.
It might still feel like aconfusing, scary mystery.
So let's demystify it.
Shall we?
(02:52):
In today's episode, I want tomake the process of working with
an editor, feel a little lessscary and a little more
accessible.
I'm going to share four tips tohelp you know, what to expect
and how to make the most of yourwork with your editor.
We'll cover some do's and don'tssome etiquette around editing.
And what you can do to make yourwork with your editor, a
(03:13):
pleasant and rewarding processfor you both.
This is actually the second partof a two episode series on how
to work with an editor.
In the first episode, I sharedfour tips to help you find the
right editor for your book.
So if you haven't found aneditor yet, but you're thinking
you'd like to work with one, Irecommend that you head back to
that episode to help you selecta great editor for your book.
(03:37):
You can find thatepisode@alicesedler.com slash
66.
And once you found your editorand you vetted them and you've
learned what their editingprocess will look like, and
you've decided to work withthem, then come back to these
tips to make the most of thatwork together.
And before we get into the tips,I will also add that.
Of course I, myself am an editorand I do work with one-on-one
(03:59):
clients in the ways that I'mgoing to be describing in this
episode.
My goal in this episode is togive you a guide, a kind of
handbook for how to work withjust about any developmental
editor or really any type ofeditor.
I'm going to cover some baselineexpectations that will apply to
pretty much any editor that youwork with.
Now, if you've been listening toyour next draft and thinking, I
(04:22):
really love what Alice has tosay about story, and I would
love to get her feedback on mymanuscript.
Well, the good news is I do workone-on-one with writers.
and if you think that I am agreat fit for your story, I
would love to hear from you.
You can go to Alicesolo.com/wishlist to check out
my manuscript wishlist and thetypes of books that I am a
really great fit for.
(04:43):
And you can go to Alice saidthough.com/contact to tell me
about your book.
That's the first step to workwith me.
Fill out that form on that pageto tell me about your book and
we'll connect to talk aboutwhether we're a good fit and
what it would look like to worktogether.
That said, regardless of whetherI'm the best fit for your book
or another editor is the bestfit.
(05:04):
The four tips that I have foryou in this episode are going to
help you make the most of anyediting relationship.
So you can get the most out ofprofessional editing on your
book.
Ready for the tips.
Let's dive in.
Tip number one.
Don't edit your manuscript whileyou're waiting for your editors
feedback.
Once you've sent your manuscriptto your editor.
(05:27):
Wait.
I don't edit your manuscriptwhile you're waiting for their
feedback.
Put the manuscript down and stepaway.
Just wait.
Your editor is preparing theirbest feedback based on the
version of the manuscript thatthey have.
You want that version to befully up to date.
So their feedback is fullyrelevant.
(05:47):
It's not helpful to either ofyou, if, for instance, your
editor prepares feedback on theclimax of your book.
And while you're waiting, youchange the climax.
So then when they share theirfeedback, it doesn't match your
story.
It's also not a good practice tosend your editor updated
versions of your manuscriptwhile your editor is working on
the project.
(06:07):
If your editor is midway throughreading your manuscript and you
send them a new version, they'dhave to start all over again
from the beginning in order togive you feedback on all your
changes.
That would be a huge delay.
And I don't know of any editorswho would be willing to do that,
to be quite honest.
The exception here is if youknow that you're sending your
manuscript to your editor aheadof time, and you know that they
(06:29):
aren't starting work on it rightaway.
You can check with them to seeif you can send them an updated
version before they startworking.
I've done this with clients.
Sometimes a writer might send mea manuscript a couple of weeks
or a month before I actuallystart reading it.
And I'll typically say, just soyou know, I'll be starting work
on X date.
So if you have any changes thatyou want to make between now,
(06:50):
and then feel free to do thatand send me the updated version.
Sometimes writers, take me up onthat.
And they keep working on theirmanuscripts right up until the
day that I start editing.
And sometimes they decide to goahead and put their manuscripts
down and work on other things.
In the meantime.
If you're not sure if youreditor has started working on
your manuscript yet.
And you've thought of somechanges that you'd like to make.
It's totally reasonable to emailthem and ask, you can say
(07:14):
something like, Hey, I'mcurious, have you started
reading my manuscript yet?
If not, I'd like to make acouple changes and then send you
a fresh version before youstart.
If you have, I won't make anychanges.
And I look forward to yourfeedback.
And if they have started.
Except that gracefully and don'ttouch your manuscript.
You can start a list of all ofyour ideas for what you would
(07:35):
like to do in your story next.
And then you can discuss thoseideas with your editor When
they're ready with theirfeedback, just don't make
changes to the manuscriptitself.
The big truth.
Here is book publishing is awaiting game.
There are going to be so manypoints throughout your author
career where you will pass somepart of this project off to
(07:56):
someone else.
And it will be entirely out ofyour hands and your task will be
to wait for days or weeks ormonths while someone else does
their part.
So this is something just to getused to and make peace with.
Which brings me to tip numbertwo.
I do work on other parts of yourauthor career while you wait.
(08:18):
Yes, you've put your manuscriptdown and you're not allowing
yourself to make any changes toit while you wait.
But that doesn't mean thatthere's nothing you can do.
On the contrary, there is somuch you can do while you wait.
A successful author careerinvolves so much more than
simply writing a great book.
(08:38):
That's the heart of it.
And it's essential.
Of course.
But that alone will not lead youto authorial success.
Writers tend to love the writingprocess.
They range from loving theediting process.
Just as much to grudginglyaccepting it as an unavoidable
part.
But I can count on one hand, thenumber of writers that I have
(09:00):
met, who loved the rest of thetasks involved in a thriving
author career.
Especially marketing almost noone likes marketing.
The thing is all of thenon-writing parts of your author
career.
Have to happen at some point, ifyou want your books to reach
your readers.
Yes.
Even marketing.
(09:21):
And the waiting time in betweensending your manuscript to your
editor.
And getting your editor'sfeedback is the perfect time to
make progress on all of thosenon-writing tasks.
Yes, even marketing.
Yes, I'm going to keep saying itbecause no one wants to hear it.
Yes.
Even marketing.
Here are a dozen things that youcan do while you're waiting for
(09:44):
your editor's feedback.
One.
Create a social media profilefor yourself as an author.
To create an author website.
Three create an email newsletterto send to your readers.
Four.
Start building an email list ofreaders.
Five, write a short story thatyou can give to readers for free
(10:05):
as a lead magnet to attract newreaders.
Six.
Right.
Several short stories and tryentering them into writing
contests or submitting them forpublication and then theologies
or literary magazines.
Seven.
Network with other authors atwriting conferences and defense.
Eight read books on writingcraft.
(10:26):
Nine.
Study books that are similar toyours to figure out how to
emulate them in your writing.
10.
Research avenues to publicationand start evaluating your
options and what you'd like todo.
Traditional publishing indiepublishing, small press hybrid,
something else.
11.
Start gathering a list of comps,comparative titles, which you'll
(10:49):
need to know in order toposition your book within the
marketplace.
12.
Write a draft of your queryletter.
If you want to query agents oryour back cover book
description, if you want to selfpublish.
This is a non-exhaustive list.
I could keep going.
There are so many things thatyou can do while you're waiting
for your editor's feedback thatdon't involve looking at your
(11:12):
manuscript at all.
Hopefully, there are a fewthings on that list that don't
make you want to curl up in aball and hide from the
publishing world.
If that whole entire list doesmake you cringe though.
Here's the good news.
The advantage of working onthese things in between drafts
while you're waiting for youreditor.
Is that you know, that you havean in-point when you will be
(11:35):
coming back to your book.
This will not be your main focusforever.
This will be your main focus forfour weeks or so, while you wait
for your feedback.
Then your editor will reach outand tell you that your feedback
is ready.
And you'll get to dive back intoyour story.
The space where you're writingis fun and inspiring and
exciting.
(11:56):
And if you focus on thesenon-writing tasks for just a few
weeks, every few months inbetween each draft, you'll be
tackling the enormous and scaryproject of marketing in baby
steps over a long period oftime.
That way you won't be trying tocreate an entire marketing
strategy from scratch when yourbook is finished and ready to
go.
(12:16):
And trust me, no one wants that.
No one.
No writer ever has ever gottento the end when their book is
ready to publish and said, thankgoodness.
I'm so glad I didn't preparemarketing at all.
And I get to start this entireproject from scratch now.
No one says that.
So.
When you send your manuscript toyour editor, close out at the
(12:38):
document, put it down andchallenge yourself, not to touch
it until your editor sends youtheir feedback.
Make peace with the weight.
And embrace the built in pausefrom your editing process.
As an opportunity to makeprogress on the less exciting,
but equally important areas ofyour author career.
Yes, even marketing.
(13:00):
All right.
So we've covered what to do andwhat not to do while you're
waiting for your editor'sfeedback.
You wait patiently, you makeprogress in other areas of your
author career.
And then your editor reaches outand says, good news.
The feedback is ready.
What then.
Well first, your editor is goingto deliver your feedback
(13:20):
according to the structure thatyou established together, when
you first agreed on your editingpackage.
For my clients.
This typically means that we'regoing to get on one or more zoom
calls to talk through myfeedback and their ideas for
other editors.
This might mean that you getfeedback in the form of calls
and editorial letter, inlinenotes or other deliverables.
Start by listening or readingthrough all the feedback that
(13:42):
you get.
Just take a look around at whatyour editor has shared with you.
Hopefully you'll be able to spotpretty quickly some ideas from
your editor that make you go.
Ah, yes.
That makes sense.
Or even, wow.
Yes.
That's going to address aproblem that I was concerned
about.
But you might also feel a littleoverwhelmed by it.
(14:02):
All.
Between the intensity of changesthat your editor might suggest.
And the sheer volume offeedback.
It's easy to get overwhelmedhere.
So if you see all your editor'sfeedback and you think, oh, holy
cow, this is a lot.
And I don't know what to do withall of this.
Don't worry.
This is normal.
It does not mean that you're abad writer.
(14:24):
It just means that gettingfeedback can be a lot.
When I get feedback, I do mybest to make that experience as
digestible and approachable aspossible.
I'll point out where to start todig into all my suggestions,
I'll include actionable nextsteps so that you know what to
do next.
And by sometimes even point outwhich areas of feedback to focus
(14:45):
on last or skip for a while, ifthe feedback is really
overwhelming, That said weeditors can do our absolute best
to make our feedbackapproachable and digestible.
And writers can still getoverwhelmed and confused by it
all.
So tip number three for workingwith your editor is to ask
follow up questions.
(15:06):
Don't be afraid to reach out andask for more clarification about
things that you don't understandor guidance on, what steps you
should take next.
Once you've looked through allyour feedback.
Editors will often specify whatkind of support they offer after
they deliver your feedback.
There might be unlimited emailsupport, or email support for a
couple of weeks after delivery.
There might be the option for afollow-up call.
(15:29):
The principal.
I like to keep in mind though,is if you're stuck, that's the
perfect time to reach out to aneditor.
Your editor will be happy toanswer your questions and
clarify your edit.
And they'll let you know if thequestions are big enough to
merit a new editing engagement.
Above all we editors do not wantto leave you confused and
(15:50):
overwhelmed at the end of youredit.
We want you to walk away withconfidence and clarity, knowing
exactly what to do next, to makeyour manuscript even better.
So don't be afraid to reach outand ask questions.
Which brings me to the final tipfor working with your editor.
Don't be afraid.
That's it.
(16:10):
I know it can be a frighteningexperience to share your
manuscript of someone else,Especially if it's your first
time working with an editor.
Especially if your editor is astranger that you met on the
internet, which is almost alwaysthe case.
But if you have vetted youreditor and you found a good fit.
You are in safe hands and youreditor is on your side.
(16:33):
And even when they give youfeedback on things that aren't
working in your story, or whenthey recommend that you change
some things in your story.
No, that they are in thiscreative process with you.
And that you have a shared goalfor your book.
Your editor wants you to besuccessful.
We want your story to besuccessful.
We want to help and support you.
(16:54):
We want your story to be thebest that it can be.
And we want to facilitate thatprocess and make it easier for
you to accomplish your goals.
We are on your side.
We're not against you.
We're not here to condemn yourstory or shut you down.
We're here to collaborate withyou, support you and help you
achieve your goals for yourwriting.
(17:14):
We're so excited to see whatyour manuscripts can become.
And we are honored to be part ofyour creative journey.
There's no fear here.
Only support as we pursue ashared goal together.
Of course, the caveat for thatsense of safety is that first
you'll need to find a good fiteditor.
If you're not sure how to dothat.
Head back to the previousepisode of your next draft and
(17:37):
check out my four tips to findthe right editor for you and
your book.
You can find that at Alice.
dot com slash 66.
And there you have it.
My top four tips for how to workwith a developmental editor.
Especially if you've never.
Never worked with adevelopmental editor before.
Here they are again.
One don't edit your manuscriptwhile you're waiting for your
(18:00):
editors feedback.
Send them your materials, thenwait for them to work their
magic on your story.
I do not make changes while youwait.
Too.
Instead work on other parts ofyour author career.
Marketing is a great thing towork on during the natural
breaks in between drafts.
(18:21):
Three.
When you receive your editor'sfeedback, feel free to ask
follow-up questions.
Your editor wants you to moveforward with confidence, not
confusion.
So ask away.
Four.
And finally.
Don't be afraid.
Your editor is on your side.
We are working towards yoursuccess together, and we are
honored to be a part of yourprocess.
(18:44):
I hope all these tips helpdemystify the experience of
working with an editor just alittle bit so that you feel more
excited and more confident abouttaking this really cool step and
your book creation process.
I hope this helps you make themost of the work that you do
with the editor who was a greatfit for you and your book.
And if you'd like to see if Imight be that editor, who's a
(19:04):
great fit for you and your book,then check out my manuscript
wishlist and see what kinds ofbooks I'm a great fit for at
alisando.com/wishlist.
And then reach out and tell meabout your book at
alisando.com/contact.
I am so excited for you todiscover how delightfully
rewarding it can be to work withan editor.
Who's a wonderful creativepartner for you and your story.
(19:28):
And I am cheering you on as youwork with your editor to turn
that story into an amazingpublished book.
Happy editing.
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