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http://drtombibey.wordpress.com/
Posted March 15, 2010 by drtombibey
Categories: The Monday Morning Post, Writing
Tags: editors, Finding an editor, writer/editor
I thought it might be fun for my readers to get some insight into the working relationship of an author (me) and an editor. The idea came from the writer’s conference I went to in Chattanooga.
I’ll never forget Robert Morgan, the author of Boone, on stage with his editor, Shannon Ravenel. Morgan struck me as a quiet, intellectual man. (I’m more akin to the Rodney Dangerfield of literature) Ms. Ravenel knew how to coax the best out of him. While he was the author, even a scholar like Morgan needed a collaborative effort and a strong writer/editor relationship to get the project to press.
I figured if he needed help, I knew I was gonna need a lot. I prayed I’d find some tough, honest, but fair editor to polish my project to publishable form. I found her; and her name was Dorrie. Here’s our brief interview.
Bibey: Talk to me about voice. When you finished my edit, it still seemed like “me.”
Dorrie: Pretty much the point of what an editor does, really to make the book work without taking anything away from the author, to make it work with who you are.
To me, “voice” is the author’s ability to show a good story that’s been told thousands of times, but in a different way, his own way. You’ve written a legal thriller with the slow and comfortable rhythms of a small Southern town and county. That voice is also the one you use with your patients and with your family and with your bluegrass bands. Your voice is as much a part of you as your eyes being blue. (Author’s note: one is green)
There are authors who can change up their voices, but it’s not common, any more than it’s common that a gospel singer can comfortably sing heavy metal, or a quarterback can throw with his left hand as accurately as with the right.
Bibey: I am a “Southern” writer. What do you like or dislike about editing Southern fiction?
Dorrie: You’re not a “Southern” writer, really. You happen to be a writer who was born and raised in the South and you sound like it. Your voice has Southern overtones, phrases, slant. I like it, but I also like science fiction from British or Aussie or Scottish writers who put their own sound to their works. I don’t think I like or dislike any sound; I just work with what presents itself.
Bibey: I was impressed that while you were unfamiliar with my subject (doctoring, malpractice suits, bluegrass music) you were still able to get inside my head and understand it. How do you do that?
Dorrie: It isn’t so much getting into your head, though I like it that you think that’s what it is, it’s that I can see what’s missing in the story, and ask you to fill it in, in your voice. I’m only bringing out of you what you forgot to put in . . . and every author knows 100x more about his story than I ever will. I just get you to use that knowledge where it does the most good.
The question here might be: How do I know what’s missing in a story? Truthful answer? I haven’t a clue.
I still don’t know much about bluegrass music, by the way. [I do know more about the Ancient Tones, though.] Your story isn’t about bluegrass, or even how medical malpractice court cases work; it’s about friendship and loyalty.
Bibey: My story is essentially a legal suspense story. What other types of work do you edit?
Dorrie: I work on all genres. Even do trade non-fiction. There is only one genre I stay away from: Pure romance. And I won’t touch sub-genres that include sadistic brutality, especially involving children, nor do I take on works that are pro-Islam.
Bibey: Give me a sense of what different types of editing a writer needs. For me you were a “voice editor,” not a line editor. Also, my grammar wasn’t too bad, but punctuation . . . Lawd have mercy.
Dorrie: Oh, that really depends on the book, and every book is different. I offer two services: manuscript evaluation, and full copy-editing. I don’t do any hands-on editing with the eval; I just point out what I think the book needs to make it better. I do that, and everything else that I think a book needs, in a full copyedit job. Some books require a lot of help; I just sail through others.
Just so you know, your grammar and punctuation weren’t major difficulties, so don’t be worrying any more about your mama being disappointed in you. Yes, I had to fix a lot of it, but that’s normal. This may not mean much to you in scale parlance, but I’d rate your book as just two notches below “sail through.” (Author’s note: We’re sailing now!)
Bibey: I went through a number of edits with friends, family, and a creative writing teacher before I brought the ms to you. What level of development do you want a ms to be at before you get it?
Dorrie: At whatever level the author is ready to pay me to work on it, frankly. I don’t take all jobs that come to me, only those I see potential in. I think it’s a ripoff to take money from people who simply can’t write. I’m not totally altruistic, though, for sure: I can only take on about 15 books a year; if I’m working and working and working with one troublesome one that will never be right, I can’t take on the sail-throughs that might come my way.
Bibey: How long is your turnaround?
Dorrie: Again, that depends on the book. I do have specific time frames in my contract, but sometimes the author and I determine we’ve got to tweak the timing a bit (it’s always with the author’s agreement), and sometimes I come in way under the time frame. I can guarantee, though, that I don’t do instant edits. Just like the writing process, editing is a creative endeavor and it shouldn’t be hurried.
Bibey: This one starts with a story. A hot-shot rock n’ roll guitar man came through town to do a clinic. He asked for a volunteer among the locals to sit in. The guy we sent up can hold his own with anyone, a fact that was soon apparent.
The hot-shot guy said, “Hey, man, you’re pretty good. What style of music do you usually play?”
Our buddy replied, “Whatever pays.”
It was as true an answer from a musician in two words as I’ve ever heard. Give my readers some notion of the costs involved in an edit.
Dorrie: I charge by the word, and I determine that per-word cost based on the book itself. How much work do I see in it? How long do I think it will take me to do the first read and first edit? Will I mostly be doing punctuation, or am I going to be doing a whole lot of fact-checking? Am I going to be doing a lot of chapter rearranging, or does the book have the feel of an author who understands flow? I’ve no limits on the size of a job, but most authors limit themselves because of the cost.
Author’s note: I believe Dorrie would say she liked the flow of The Mandolin Case. It wasn’t bad when I sent it to her, but she added just the right touches to turn it to honey. I’m a rough old country boy, and I believed from the start I needed a female editor to give it at least a touch of sophistication.
Dorrie: Editing can get pretty pricey. The author is the only one who can determine if the cost is worth it.
Well, folks, Dorrie’s \ good’un. I am convinced without my agent and editor Dorrie my book would have never made it to print. I believe we should always write the truth. The truth is I’m just a country doctor, and I needed a lot of help.
But when the Ancient Tones whistle through the night air and the moon is full, I might just jump in a phone booth and come out as an artist. If you have the right people around you dreams can come true.
Thanks, Dorrie. Y’all look her up if you’re trying to get by the last barrier to publication. Dorrie’s a pro.
Dorrie O'Brien - Self-Interview
What levels of editing do you perform and what are your definitions of each level?
I don't have levels; as a copyeditor, I do it all, whatever it takes to make the book as good as it can be before the author starts the submission-to-agents process. That means working flow, structure/layout, characterization, plot, punctuation, grammar . . . anything. If I think something needs work, it makes no difference to me if it could be considered to be in some other level of editing. Well, I don't do proofreading; I'm not that perfect.
Describe your perfect client.
One who understands that when I critique a work, it is the work I'm critiquing, not the author. And secondly, the author takes my suggestions without bristling . . .
Describe your nightmare client.
One who tells me what I'm to do with his/her book. Why hire me if you already know what you think the book needs? That has happened once; it was a nightmare, for both of us.
What do you consider to be the main element of great fiction?
That the reader never sees the words.
Do you like genre fiction? If so, which genre(s), and why?
Yes, I'm big on genre. I've no particular favorites; all of it is fine with me. I tend to think that genre writing is always a mystery (and I'm a mystery fan) just dressed up in different descriptions, i.e., fantasy, or science fiction, or historical fiction, or thrillers, whatever. There is always a problem to be solved in fiction; the author's own favorite subject leads them to choose the genre that best fits his problem.
Is there any material you refuse to edit?
Brutal, mean-spirited, obscene filth hidden behind a genre category. I won't take on books w/a pro-Islamic slant (and to the opposite level, I love working with books that have a strong pro-America slant). I also won't take on a manuscript if I can't see that there'll ever be a way the author could sell it, no matter how much we worked on the writing. Some people just don't have the gift of writing; I don't see any reason to give them false hope and encouragement.
Do you refer clients to literary agents, and how much do you charge for that?
No, I don't. I think offering that service skates too close to the unethical promise that says, in effect, "You hire me and I'll get you published."
What is the most common piece of advice you give to new authors?
"You're not the only one who's ever asked the questions you're asking. Everyone has to start somewhere, and you've chosen the best start you can: looking for an editor to help you."
What does a writer get out have having her/his book edited?
Two things: a manuscript he doesn't have to worry will be turned down immediately because it's badly written and presented, and secondly: He will have learned how to work with editors, and probably a great deal about the publishing industry. Both give him considerably more confidence in his work and himself to tackle the industry than he likely had before hiring me.
What do you like most about your job as a freelance editor?
What I do changes people's lives. In most cases, I get the honor of polishing an author's dream until it IS the book he wanted to write. I rarely meet my authors, but that doesn't stop me from hearing the joy in their email (and phone calls, of course) when they say: "This! This is what I wanted the book to say! Now it does! Thank you!" And then I remind them that exclamation points are not their friends. :)
What led to you become an editor?
I originally wanted to be a publisher, after reading Treasure Island at seven years old. My thought was: (probably not exactly this) Wow! It'd be really cool to get this kind of stuff out to all my friends! Eventually, I did own a publishing company, so I could work with manuscripts and help authors and put out fun books. Ha. I was an executive with a business. When I gave that up, and found this network, I realized I could make money at editing, and that was the answer to MY dream.
My guess is that most of my authors don't realize that I get as big a kick out of helping them, as they do in getting the help. It's a win-win relationship.
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