How to make an editor's head explode

Five things writers say that make their editors' heads explode, plus assessing backstory, preparing for developmental editing, and one author's traditional publishing timeline.

I've developed a sixth sense for detecting when a client conversation is about to go sideways. It usually starts with an innocent-sounding email that makes my tea go cold before I've finished reading: "I ran your changes by my sister-in-law, and she thinks ..." Or "My critique partner says publishers never ..." Or my personal favorite, "I finished all your edits over the weekend!"

The author-editor relationship can feel mysterious from both sides, like a dance where neither partner is quite sure who's supposed to lead. Writers often approach their first professional edit with a mixture of excitement and terror, unsure of the unspoken rules of engagement. Meanwhile, editors are trying to balance honest feedback with fragile creative sensibilities, all while steering the manuscript toward its best possible version.

What I’ve discovered is that most editorial train wrecks aren't about the writing at all—they're about relationship dynamics. A talented writer can inadvertently sabotage their own project by treating their editor like tech support instead of a collaborator. When writers approach editing as a transactional fix-it service—drop off the broken manuscript, pick up the polished version—they miss the real magic.

True manuscript development means engaging with feedback, questioning suggestions not to dismiss them but to understand them, and recognizing that the editor's job isn't to impose their vision but to help you realize yours more clearly. The best author-editor partnerships happen when both parties understand what makes the process work—and work together toward the same goal, a stronger book.

This week at The Writes of Fiction:

• Five things writers say that make their editors' heads explode

• Assessing whether backstory is earning its keep

• Preparing a manuscript for developmental editing

• One author's traditional publishing timeline

Things you shouldn’t tell your editor

Nothing is scarier to an editor than when the time spent editing does not remotely match the time spent revising. Sure, if you catch six typos in the final draft, then you expect the writer could look and review in less than a day. But when it takes months to put together notes and the manuscript is turned around by a writer in a week, it sends shivers along the editor’s pen hand before they are even able to double click on the Word document.—Read more from Sean Delone at Dear Head of Mine.

More crossed wires to avoid during editing: Suppose you’ve asked your fabulous copyeditor to keep an eye out for plot holes (a developmental-level task) or shore up any shaky writing (a benefit of line editing). Not only do those things represent a significant increase to the scope of a copyedit, but they by their very definition draw your editor’s attention away from copyediting. For a well-prepared manuscript by a seasoned author, combining editorial services can sometimes save time and money.

But in all but the ideal scenarios, it compromises your editor’s focus. All too often, it leads to the kind of editorial triage that editors notoriously refer to as “polishing a turd.”—Read more at Avoid this editing misconception that sabotages your writing.

Not sure if your backstory is working?

Oftentimes I see writers starting to too early in their story; they're writing a lot of background information or relating a lot of the character's past. Ultimately, you want to start your story at the moment right before everything changes; before that inciting incident that is going to kick everything into gear.

Ask yourself “Why am I starting the story here?” If you don't have a good answer, that’s a sign that you may be doing just a little bit too much scene setting and backstory before you get to the actual action of your plot. If the actions that the main character is taking are not directly leading to them trying to achieve their story goal, there's probably a disconnect there.—Read more from Julie Artz at Wyrd Words on Writing.

More storytelling wisdom: The domino effect of one scene tipping into and kicking off the next forges a chain of progressively escalating complications in the story. This chain is what writers are talking about when they refer to the rising action of a plot, the idea that the conflict (what does happen) and tension (what might happen) spiral to a peak at the climax. The first scene of the story sets off an unstoppable chain reaction, leading to a resolution that feels surprising in the way it happens yet inevitable by virtue of cause and effect.

Think of the scenes as opportunities to drop clues into the links of the story. This may seem like an obvious strategy for a mystery story, but you should exploit this effect in every genre. Scatter breadcrumbs or dangle questions at scene endings, then scoop them up promptly in the next scene, weaving the connective threads into a taut, vibrant storytelling tapestry.—Read more at The secret to page-turning scene endings.

How to prepare your manuscript for a developmental edit

Finish your draft (really finish it). Don’t send a half-finished manuscript or one where the final chapters are still “in your head.” Editors need to see the full arc to provide meaningful insights on structure and resolution. So, don’t hit send until you have a fully finished, fleshed out manuscript.

Your editor will thank you!—Read more from Jenn Windrow at Writers in the Storm.

More on formatting your manuscript for editing: Formatting your manuscript to industry standards is a must-do if you’re submitting your novel to an agent. If you’re a self-publisher, you’ll score major points with your editor and formatter by sending a clean file.

Standard formatting says a lot about you and your work.

• You’re aware of industry standards and expectations.

• You own the software needed to produce a manuscript file that’s compatible for everyone else who will work with your book.

• You’re confident enough in your book’s content that you don’t need attention-grabbing tricks to tempt people to read it.

Your professionalism encourages trust and confidence in you and your book.—Read more at Formatting your manuscript for editors and agents.

My experience as a traditionally published author

The cure for literally everything is writing your next book. Publishing has two speeds, each on opposite ends of the speedometer, and both speeds can be maddening or quite lovely. You could weeks without hearing a peep from your publisher (trust me, that does not mean they aren’t doing anything for you over there!), then suddenly it’s: here’s the cover! and let’s collaborate on a cover reveal! and look at this blurb that just came in! and can you film a quick video for us? and answer this Author Q&A? But no matter what happens (or doesn’t happen) or what you’re feeling (or not feeling), the cure is always working on the next thing.—Read more from Marisa Walz at Cheap Thrills.

More on working with publishing professionals:

• A full-length edit can generate hundreds of comments and tens of thousands of edits. Considering this scope, the final manuscript will inevitably contain some residual errors. You can minimize these by starting with a manuscript as clean as you can possibly manage and finishing with a professional proofread.

• Just as you wouldn’t want your editor to discuss or share your manuscript with others, it’s unprofessional to share your edits online or kvetch about the specifics with other writers or editors. The edited final product is yours to do with as you wish, but the edits, comments, and editorial feedback themselves are intended for you alone.

• If you find yourself rejecting most of the edits and suggestions in your edit, you may have hired the wrong editor for the job or pushed for a level of editing your manuscript wasn’t ready for. More often, you simply need some emotional distance from the feedback. Putting away a difficult edit for a while can help you regain objectivity.—Read more at Best practices for working with an independent editor.

Fiction Fuel

Don't wait to start writing until you have something to say. Start writing so you can find out what you have to say.

You first idea is rarely your best idea. It can take a lot of reps before you discover something worth keeping.—James Clear

Editorial partnerships that actually work

The beauty of a strong editor-author relationship lies in its reciprocal nature. When you approach your editor as a creative partner rather than a service provider, you're not just improving your current manuscript—you're developing skills that will serve every book you write afterward.

The writer who learns to sit with feedback, to ask "why" instead of "what," transforms from someone who needs fixing to someone who can self-edit with increasing sophistication.

Your editor wants your book to succeed just as much as you do. Their investment in your work goes far beyond the immediate project; they're building their reputation on the quality of books they help bring into the world. Trust the process, engage thoughtfully with suggestions, and resist the urge to crowdsource every editorial decision. Your manuscript—and your growth as a writer—will thank you for it.

Onward,

Lisa

P.S. If you enjoyed this week’s Writes of Fiction, consider buying me a tea. (This week I’m filling my morning cup with BB Detox from Kusmi Tea.)

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Summer openings—I have several editing openings this summer for developmental edits, First Fifty Pages edits, and full manuscript critiques. Looking for coaching help to get your story on track? I have Story Accelerator one-on-ones starting in mid-July and again in August. Send me a message and let’s get to work on your book!

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This is The Writes of Fiction, a slow-simmered concoction of old and new thinking about writing fiction—the bits I find most helpful to writers finding their way. I hope they help you too.

And this is editorial assistant Bus, who’s been under the weather for a few weeks now with a bladder infection. Getting older kinda stinks for stuff like this, and he’d appreciate your good juju and healing thoughts.

🐾 Support your #editorialassistants via Greyhound Adoption League of Texas.