Beginning my editorial experience

So, here is my experience as a newbie editor.

First piece, very short, written by a dyslexic and riddled with spelling and grammar errors. I fixed them up, he submitted it as I edited it, gave me credit, and it was fairly well received with no flak from the grammar nazis ( of whom I admit to be one).

Second piece, very long, I did two edits, one for grammar and spelling and one for story elements. Author submitted it, giving me credit. BUT he failed to fix some of the grammar and spelling I suggested, and even left some of my [bracketed] edits and comments in the story. Then he made some changes after I edited it and introduced more errors. He pretty much ignored my story suggestions, which is up to the author, I realize. But the net result is that my name as editor is on a story full of mistakes he either did not fix or introduced after I edited it. He did not have the courtesy to submit his final draft before submitting or I could have caught those things or kept my name off it.

So -- it seems the score is 1 to 1 as to whether the editor program is a joke, as somebody here said, or not.

I will keep posting, and would love to hear what others have experienced. I really enjoy doing the editing but hate being disappointed.

Leave your name off the story. Be sure the authors you work with know up front you do not want public credit for the edit. Then if there are mistakes and errors, readers see just the author's name.

There are authors who will not accept edits and who will change the story, and who will then credit the editor. This has nothing to do with the VE program. It doesn't matter where an editor connects with a writer. Some writers just don't get that editors don't want to be credited for the writer's errors.

LadyVer said:

There are authors who will not accept edits and who will change the story, and who will then credit the editor. This has nothing to do with the VE program. It doesn't matter where an editor connects with a writer. Some writers just don't get that editors don't want to be credited for the writer's errors.

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An appropriate way to credit one's editor is to say something like: "Many thanks to (editor) for her invaluable assistance. All errors remaining are strictly my own and not attributable to her in any way."

I always mention my editor and usually state that all errors are solely mine.

I almost always take all of their suggestions, except for a few things.

I'm a retard who loves "...she said, quizzically" "he said, comically." LOL

I would be in a world of hurt without editors though. All the ones who I've worked with here have been amazing and have helped my writing tremendously.

I'll always be a bit of a hack and I have my niche, but please, please, please don't stop editing. There will always be writers like me that are really trying hard and appreciate your help.

jacktar48 said:

An appropriate way to credit one's editor is to say something like: "Many thanks to (editor) for her invaluable assistance. All errors remaining are strictly my own and not attributable to her in any way."

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sethp said:

I always mention my editor and usually state that all errors are solely mine.

I almost always take all of their suggestions, except for a few things.

I'm a retard who loves "...she said, quizzically" "he said, comically." LOL

I would be in a world of hurt without editors though. All the ones who I've worked with here have been amazing and have helped my writing tremendously.

I'll always be a bit of a hack and I have my niche, but please, please, please don't stop editing. There will always be writers like me that are really trying hard and appreciate your help.

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Well said.

jacktar48 said:

An appropriate way to credit one's editor is to say something like: "Many thanks to (editor) for her invaluable assistance. All errors remaining are strictly my own and not attributable to her in any way."

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An appropriate way to credit one's editor is to thank them directly. Not everyone wants the public recognition.

sethp said:

I always mention my editor and usually state that all errors are solely mine.

I almost always take all of their suggestions, except for a few things.

I'm a retard who loves "...she said, quizzically" "he said, comically." LOL

I would be in a world of hurt without editors though. All the ones who I've worked with here have been amazing and have helped my writing tremendously.

I'll always be a bit of a hack and I have my niche, but please, please, please don't stop editing. There will always be writers like me that are really trying hard and appreciate your help.

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Unless an author has the editor's permission, they should never mention them publicly.

_Lynn_ said:

An appropriate way to credit one's editor is to thank them directly. Not everyone wants the public recognition.

Unless an author has the editor's permission, they should never mention them publicly.

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Good point.

_Lynn_ said:

Leave your name off the story. Be sure the authors you work with know up front you do not want public credit for the edit. Then if there are mistakes and errors, readers see just the author's name.

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This. And only recheck what they've done with the story if you anticipate an ongoing writing-editing relationship with them. And then only do it for one story, for that purpose. And if you choose not to edit for them again, don't get into a wrangle about it. Just beg off. It's not your story--don't get invested in it unless what you're really after is shared ownership or high drama.

_Lynn_ said:

Unless an author has the editor's permission, they should never mention them publicly.

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Yep, the author had it last and therefore has full ownership of how it posted. If an author gave me editing credit without my permission (and I don't give permission), I'd cut the author dead. It's their story. I don't mind giving the help, but it's their story, not mine. The credit I want to take for anything is for my own stories, and, as an editor, only for what I had control over at the last.

Credit

sr71plt said:

Yep, the author had it last and therefore has full ownership of how it posted. If an author gave me editing credit without my permission (and I don't give permission), I'd cut the author dead. It's their story. I don't mind giving the help, but it's their story, not mine. The credit I want to take for anything is for my own stories, and, as an editor, only for what I had control over at the last.

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HMMM. I have to think that over.

Actually, I did ask the author to give me credit. I like to be recognized!

Probably what I will have to do is ask them to send me a final edit and then, and only then, ask them to give me credit.

Ego is a wonderful thing ...

SexyGeek said:

HMMM. I have to think that over.

Actually, I did ask the author to give me credit. I like to be recognized!

Probably what I will have to do is ask them to send me a final edit and then, and only then, ask them to give me credit.

Ego is a wonderful thing ...

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You'd better be a really, really experienced fiction editor then (and trust them not to mess with it before submitting it--they will always be the last one to have it before submission). If you aren't an expert editor and your name is on it as the editor, guess who claimed bad usage with redound on.

sr71plt said:

Yep, the author had it last and therefore has full ownership of how it posted. If an author gave me editing credit without my permission (and I don't give permission), I'd cut the author dead. It's their story. I don't mind giving the help, but it's their story, not mine. The credit I want to take for anything is for my own stories, and, as an editor, only for what I had control over at the last.

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Been there, done that.

SexyGeek said:

HMMM. I have to think that over.

Actually, I did ask the author to give me credit. I like to be recognized!

Probably what I will have to do is ask them to send me a final edit and then, and only then, ask them to give me credit.

Ego is a wonderful thing ...

Click to expand...

SexyGeek said:

HMMM. I have to think that over.

Actually, I did ask the author to give me credit. I like to be recognized!

Probably what I will have to do is ask them to send me a final edit and then, and only then, ask them to give me credit.

Ego is a wonderful thing ...

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Seeing a final version before submission is not realistic, for several reasons. First, an author may make changes again after you've seen the story for the last time, and things can go wrong in the Track Changes process and submission process. Authors in a hurry and/or new to working with Track Changes can reject an edit thinking they're accepting it, or authors can inadvertently make a mistake in the submission process.

Track changes?

Track changes?

I don't know nothin about tracking no changes, Miz Scarlett.

How does that work?

What happened to trust?

LadyVer said:

Seeing a final version before submission is not realistic, for several reasons. First, an author may make changes again after you've seen the story for the last time, and things can go wrong in the Track Changes process and submission process. Authors in a hurry and/or new to working with Track Changes can reject an edit thinking they're accepting it, or authors can inadvertently make a mistake in the submission process.

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So basically what I am hearing from all the Gurus here (which seems to be everybody but me) is that trust between an author and an editor is an impossibility. I have the too solid feeling that idea results from lots of sad experience.

Learning from others experience, instead of repeating it, is a very wise idea.

Do I have the wisdom to do that, or will I continue to hope that trust shines a bright light on this site?

::sigh::

SexyGeek said:

So basically what I am hearing from all the Gurus here (which seems to be everybody but me) is that trust between an author and an editor is an impossibility. I have the too solid feeling that idea results from lots of sad experience.

Learning from others experience, instead of repeating it, is a very wise idea.

Do I have the wisdom to do that, or will I continue to hope that trust shines a bright light on this site?

::sigh::

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I don't think anyone is saying that at all. People are saying that mistakes get made and that not all authors are aware of editors expectations regarding credit.

My experience isn't primarily based on this site, but elsewhere I have had my own work edited and done editing for other people. I can, therefore, attest that an author can develop a very trusting relationship with an editor. However, until reading this thread, I wasn't aware quite how much some editors do NOT want public credit. I'd always assumed not giving credit was rude - but there you go.

The simple messages from what is said would appear to be these:
- If you're an editor, make it clear to the author whether you do or don't want public credit.
- if you're an author, ask the editor whether they do or don't want public credit if they haven't specified.
- If you're an editor, and you specify that you do want public credit, make it clear to the author that you want to see the final draft before publication. Authors like to tinker (and sometimes we feel embarrassed about asking an editor to do a second edit after they have already provided their services for free once before), authors also make mistakes, especially if they are rushing to publication. However, as an editor, if you make it clear that the quality of the final edit reflects on your competence, it helps set expectations on both sides.

SexyGeek said:

So basically what I am hearing from all the Gurus here (which seems to be everybody but me) is that trust between an author and an editor is an impossibility. I have the too solid feeling that idea results from lots of sad experience.

Learning from others experience, instead of repeating it, is a very wise idea.

Do I have the wisdom to do that, or will I continue to hope that trust shines a bright light on this site?

::sigh::

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Trust isn't the issue here. The issue is whether it's realistic to expect an author to give up control to an editor of what and when to submit, especially to an editor the author doesn't know from Adam. And some authors don't have the time or the patience for multiple editing rounds.

Alex made some good points below.

Welcome to editing

LadyVer said:

Trust isn't the issue here. The issue is whether it's realistic to expect an author to give up control to an editor of what and when to submit, especially to an editor the author doesn't know from Adam. And some authors don't have the time or the patience for multiple editing rounds.

Alex made some good points below.

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Tilt. An author can't give up control to an editor on what is submitted at Literotica. The story is in the name of the one who submitted it. If it's going to be the author's story, it has to be submitted by the author, and the author has to be the last one who has it and has the capability to change it to anything the author wants.

sr71plt said:

Tilt. An author can't give up control to an editor on what is submitted at Literotica. The story is in the name of the one who submitted it. If it's going to be the author's story, it has to be submitted by the author, and the author has to be the last one who has it and has the capability to change it to anything the author wants.

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That's what I basically was saying, Pilot. I'm now thinking of death cab for cutie.