Author
of Found Objects
On
the advantages of editing your manuscript, choosing the right editor, and
what's more difficult: editing the newbie or editing the established writer?
I've never met Peter
Gelfan in person, and yet when I write, I hear his voice in my mind. No, I'm
not sick, at least not yet. You see, Peter has been my editor throughout most
of my writing career. He has read every book of mine that has been published
and tackled all of my writing vices. He has applied his expertise, passion and
humor to my work and changed the way I think about writing in general and
fantasy in particular. Today, we are lucky to have him at MB4 answering our questions.
Welcome to MB4,
Peter. Can you tell us a little about yourself? Why did you choose a career in
editing? How long have you been an editor?
The career in editing chose me. Twenty or more years ago, a
good friend of mine, a successful novelist, offered to put a manuscript of mine
into the hands of Renni Browne, who, he said, could get it to agents and
publishers. I got a nice note back from Renni saying she liked the manuscript
but thought it needed some editing. Out of vanity, I declined the offer. Renni,
who had founded and was then running The Editorial Department, made me another
offer. She had a client looking for a ghostwriter for a nonfiction project—was
I interested? I needed the money and found the challenge interesting, so I
accepted. The book got published and did well. Renni continued to offer me
projects, mostly editorial, and I continued to need money, so the career was
born.
For those writers who
are sitting on the fence about having their manuscripts edited: How will
editing make a difference in their work? And will editing help them to sell
their manuscripts?
Often the biggest benefit to having your work edited
professionally is that it gets a careful, objective read by someone who has no
axe to grind other than to help you make your manuscript better. Your mother
and friends either want to be nice to you or try to convince you to quit
screwing around and get a real job. Besides, an editor says a lot more than “I
liked it, it’s great!” or “Couldn’t get through it, dude.” An editor can tell
you what’s working, what’s not, and why. A good editor will then help you produce
the book you want to write rather than push you to write the book he or she
think you should write.
I’ve heard agents and acquisitions editors say that knowing
a manuscript has been edited shows the writer is serious about the work and can
take suggestions, though I’ve never heard one say that the mere fact of its
having been edited has ever made the difference between a no and a yes. But a
better manuscript—a tauter plot, more vividly fascinating characters, more
depth, a stronger voice, and a polished style—will certainly be more likely to
sell. It will also teach the author how to do better with the next project from
the start.
With so many services
and freelance editors out there, how does a writer choose the right editor for
his/her work?
Research. Websites that cater to writers often have
discussion groups and even ratings. If you know writers who have used an
editor, ask them for recommendations pro or con. I also think it helps to talk
to the prospective editor and get a feel for how your personalities and
sensibilities will mesh.
What's more difficult,
editing the new writer or editing the established writer?
Interesting question. In a way, it’s easier to edit a newbie
because there’s so much low-hanging fruit, like no plot, unconvincing
characters, stiff dialogue, amateurish style. For those writers, it’s a steep
learning curve, by which I mean they learn a lot of basic stuff very quickly.
For the established writer, the task is more difficult. The
basics are almost always in place. The manuscript is better than 95 percent of
what you normally read. But the author doesn’t think it’s quite right yet, and
you have to agree … but what’s wrong? It takes detective work. Where did the
story sag a little? Where did attention start to wander? What was unsatisfying
about the end, and where did that problem start?
Sometimes the key clue lies chapters
before the problem arises: Why did the protagonist do that? There’s always an
ah-ha moment or two, and you know you’re right when the author says, “Oh my
god, why didn’t I see that?”
You are so right! I've been
there myself. Thank you so much for answering our questions, Peter. Folks,
Peter will be back on MB4 Wednesday May 7th, discussing the challenges of being an
editor, the balance between editing and writing, and what matters in writing today.
Don't miss it!
****
Peter Gelfan has been editing and ghostwriting both
fiction and nonfiction for the past 20 years. His clients range from beginners
to published and bestselling authors and celebrities. He also edits screenplays
and has sold two he wrote under his own name, one of which was produced and
recently released in France. His novel Found Objects was published
in May 2013.
****
Dora Machado is the award-winning
author of the epic fantasy Stonewiser series and her newest novel, The Curse Giver, available from Twilight
Times Books. She grew up in the Dominican Republic, where she developed a
fascination for writing and a taste for Merengue. After a lifetime of
straddling such compelling but different worlds, fantasy is a natural fit to
her stories. When she is not writing novels, Dora also writes features for Murder By Four, an award-winning blog for people interested in reading and writing, and Savvy Authors, where writers help writers. She lives in Florida with her indulgent husband and three very
opinionated cats.
E-mail:Dora@doramachado.com
Website: www.doramachado.com
Newsletter: http://doramachado.com/newsletter.php
Twitter: https://twitter.com/DoraMachado
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