Today we’re going to talk about the importance of an author and editor relationship.

It’s such a great feeling when you learn a publishing house is interested in publishing your manuscript. After gleefully dancing and calling everyone you know to talk about your newly found success, you go through the entire business process, contracts and all…and then you get your own editor.

Uh-oh.

As writers, we totally empathise when we say that whatever we write becomes our baby. We want to protect it and we want to nurture it. But editors can pose as a threat to all of that, and because of this we cave in and tell ourselves that we don’t need an editor to read our work.

Not to sound harsh or anything, but you’re going to have to suck it up. Everyone can improve in some way or another, and editor are there to help you not rip you apart. It’s an editor’s job to edit and provide constructive feedback. An editor that deviates from this notion should not call themselves an editor.

Look at your editor not as a critic of your work, but as a teammate. After all, you and your editor are a team, and as a team you should both be doing everything to help each other. Communication with them is important – if they don’t understand something in your piece, then explain to them. Don’t get all hurt and flustered at their comments – they simply don’t understand and seek clarification.

While you may think self editing is efficient enough, written works are never in perfect form until they have another pair of professional eyes editing it. They make find errors you may have missed. They may even give you another good idea or theme to add to the piece, getting it from good to great, from great to brilliant.

If you need more information, check out this online article about the importance of the author editor relationship.

Opportunities and events

We’re always on the lookout for writers to be featured as part of NYWM. If you’re happy to answer a few questions about you and your writing, please fill out this form.

Digital Writers is an online group that caters to Australian and International digital writers of all kinds: oldskool, young’uns, established and emergent. This is an excellent group to join if you’re looking for more help on your NYWM goals and writing your pieces. Follow them on Twitter and check out their online site here.

Another group to look into, Written Revolution, are a deviantart group for emerging writers and getting feedback on their work. Check them out here. Follow them on Twitter as well.

“So the writer who breeds more words than he needs, is making a chore for the reader who reads.” ― Dr. Seuss