Through a blog post, I recently asked what worries nonfiction authors about the editing process. The insights gained can be helpful to any editor as well as the authors they work with.
I received the following array of answers from 40 authors who responded. Specifically, they want:
- more than a clean up; they want a major step up in clarity
- support in thinking through the book’s organization before nitty-gritty editing begins
- their book editor to be tuned in to their objectives for the book, keeping them top-of-mind throughout the process
- their points made more succinctly and artistically and their stories told well.
As one author said, “An unedited piece can make my point but in a less elegant way than one that’s been edited.”
From the first contact with a client, I open a dialog through what I call a Planner—a questionnaire that focuses on the long-term goals for the book itself. Questions not only address the mechanics of editing but emphasize the author’s big-picture dreams. A few are:
- What successful books would be good models for yours?
- After people in your target audience have read this book, what do you want them to say about it? How would you like a testimonial to read?
- What actions do you want readers to take as a result of reading your book—both for their own benefit and for yours?
- What changes do you want to create in your life/business as a result of putting this book out into the world?
- Which results do you seek most in working with an editor (followed by a list for ranking)?
Barbara McNichol is a nonfiction editor, who works with authors, speakers, and business professionals to add power to their pen through the written word. Barbara wrote Word Trippers: The Ultimate Source for Choosing the Perfect Word When It Really Matters. She offers helpful writing tips weekly and a course to take your writing and editing to the next level: “WordShops: Strengthen Everything You Write.”
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