Edit This

Via my FBF Kathy Shaidle we see this monstrosity:

Editing, at ts highest level, is surely a creative act. I don’t know that Ellen would have used such language; she told me once that her task was simply to read attentively, to bring the full weight of her concentration to bear on a book. But Ellen’s concentration was a kind of genius, a sensitivity to a work and what it wanted to become. Her editing method was somewhat legendary: Ellen would examine every sentence, word by word, questioning if what was being achieved was in the book’s interest, or the author’s interest, or neither. Ellen liked to work in conversation with her authors—literally. We spoke on the phone almost daily for months, sometimes five days a week, usually for roughly five or six hours at a time.

He goes on to talk about an endless editing process and uses the word 'we' a lot. What is this, a therapeutic show on the WE network?

I have a couple of proofers. I had one editor for my fiction. Her job was to tell me where the comas go, what should be capitalized, etc and without question I clicked the 'accept changes' button, for she knew this stuff far better than I. But the effort was not collaborative. It was my novel, and make no mistake, dear reader, everything that is in my novels is in my novels because I want it to be in my novels. Period. I'll never, ever, submit to a trad publisher. Why? Because I like to be in charge.

You should strive to have woman editors. Editing is a detail oriented task and as all us married men have found out, women are detail oriented. This is why they spend all afternoon shopping for just the right garbage can to match the shower curtain. This is why they hear the leaky faucet and you don't. This is why they spent half an hour on their hair while you can simple run your hand through it and say, 'OK'.

That said, never, ever let a female editor try to tell you what should be in your military-techno-men's-adventure book. They'll get all hung up on what kind of tea the protagonist is drinking and why he chose that kind of tea; is there something in his past this reminds him of? Seriously, you guys, and do hetero American men drink tea anyway? They're telling you, 'But why did he choose the earl grey?' and you'll be thinking, Because I'm a Star Trek fan and earl grey is the only kind of tea I've ever heard of because I'm a heterosexual American man and I drink coffee....you know, she really has nice tits....

Which isn't to say I don't take suggestions. Said editor urged me to spice things up with the A Line through the Desert sequel; arguing that the novel should be about this married couple who have a lot of hot married couple sex. I agree. When the sequel does come out, and no, I have no idea when THAT will happen. When you read the book, make sure your kids are fast asleep and you're spouse awake and rested. Keep some Viagra handy [TMI -ed].

Now, with Pershing in Command my agent and her talented editor have spent all summer going over things, editing and suggesting what needs to be clarified, added, can we characterize some of these officers, etc, etc...I'd send the MS, they'd  make notes and send it back, and make the changes, they'd add more notes...and whamo! We have a much better MS. These weren't six hour confabs.

To quote Rick McGinnis on Kathy Shaidle's FB post, 'That's not an editor. That's a co-writer.

Or a woman.