Starting this thread so the Worst - Book - Ever - Written thread doesn't get hijacked; even by me. For anyone who has yet to deduce the identity of the editor of that book - it's the author, and that makes me the worst editor ever. I can live with that. But that's not the point of this thread. My first and only editor was a medical editor for Reuters News Service in NYC. Very professional and very good at what she did. However, she is no longer available. I bring this up only to point out that I know what an editor does and why I fully agree the best method to a well edited, and thereby a more salable book, is professional editing. But, at what point does the cost hit the the point of diminishing returns? Is spending $1000, or more, for a round of edits on a manuscript that will probably sell a couple dozen copies a wise decision? As an investment it could pay dividends later on as an author becomes better known and her/his reputation is for turning out high quality writing. But what about those writers who can tell a great story, yet cannot tell it well? Will a partial edit, or just one round, be sufficient? Or will the less experienced editor who charges bargain basement prices be a real help to an aspiring author? Ready. Set. Argue!
This isn't the first time we've had this discussion. For me, the real value of working with the book isn't what the editor does for the single book, but what the editor teaches me about my writing. I've learned something from every editor I've ever worked with, I think. With that in mind, I think writers have to ask themselves how much they're willing/able to invest in their writing. If it's just a hobby and that's all they ever want it to be, then it's pretty hard to justify the cost of a good editor (unless the writer has lots of disposable income to spend on a hobby). But if the writer's trying to get better, trying to build a name and a career, then I think spending a couple thousand on a good edit is a hell of a lot more valuable than spending a couple thousand on going to a conference or taking a course or whatever. (Now, I've never gone to a conference or taken a course, so I could be wrong on that! But I definitely think getting edited is a great way to learn about writing). All that said, the editor needs to be a fiction editor with industry experience in the genre in question. A medical editor for Reuters would probably be good for catching typos and weird word usages, but that's not the really valuable work of an editor. It's essentially proofreading. And editors who are charging thousands of dollars for their work had definitely better be doing more than proofreading. So, OP, I'm not sure you actually DO know what a good editor does, if you think the medical editor was someone who could do a good job on your fiction. (I guess I'm just assuming we're talking about fiction... if you wrote a medical book, I think the medical editor would probably be great). I've learned important lessons about structure, pacing, characterization, etc. from my editors. And I carry that learning on to future projects. That said, when I self-publish, I rely on betas and a paid proofreader. I don't want to pay the thousands I'd have to pay for a good substantive editor. Business decision. There's no cross-the-board answer. It all depends on the writer's goals, resources, career stage, etc.
That is the "to be or not to be" of writing, IMO. I think these are different stages of the same process. I think a writer has to have a certain well of knowledge before (s)he can produce a credible ms. I've found attending conferences extremely helpful as well as energizing. Online courses are even less expensive and are more focused and specific. And, of course, one must also read deeply and widely to see the craft in action. To this, I would only add that the writer has to be at least competent at proofreading - should have decent skills in SPaG.
Is that really an appropriate remark from someone that knows 10% of the backstory? And does it do anything to improve the quality of the thread? My vote is no.
You're right, I can only react to what you've presented. Based on what you've presented, I don't think you know what a fiction editor really does. And I think it improves the thread to point that out, since otherwise other people might form the erroneous impression that an editor's main job is proofreading.
I had exactly the same thought based on the 10% of the story you chose to give us. I'm a technical writer and editor. Someone tried to pay me for a fiction edit, and I declined. I'm not qualified. Is a snarky comment appropriate from someone who told us to "Ready. Set. Argue."? Does it improve the quality of the thread? My vote is no.
I understand this is all very upsetting to you, but to an outside observer, it seems like Bayview's remarks are absolutely spot on. Reading the original topics I was very confused about what sort of editing had been done, when and by whom. I'm still not entirely sure what the story even is. We can only respond to what you've told us. And my reaction was the exact same. For my money, past a certain point, being your own editor is like being your own psychiatrist. Sure, you do what you can on your own before you call in the professionals, but at the end of the day you can't fix a broken hammer with that same broken hammer. If Bayview's remarks seem inappropriate to you, then I'm struggling to understand what exactly it is the people on this forum can do for you.
I have found that forums devoted to crafts that are mostly associated with women (sewing, knitting, etc.) tend to be really, really tiptoe-around-feeling-tendrils nice. Sometimes I like it, sometimes it makes me want to run away screaming and shout rude things at people. One of my favorites solved the problem of people wanting to talk politics during the election, and the absolute impossibility of that given the forum culture, by coming to a general agreement on what other forum they'd all run over to, to do their arguing.
This thread took a bad turn (obviously). I deleted the offending post and those that followed. The thread is closed.
