To any editors

Do any of you actually take on editing projects. I know that sounds snarky but by the number of unanswerred "need an editor" threads and how difficult it has been to find anyone to respond from the editors list.. I think it's fair.

I defo edit as well as write. It is just a challenge to fit both in alongside a busy work life.

Are there editors?

Editing is frequently thankless work, so I work with a few people who appreciate what I do, have proven capable of learning, and started off at least semi-literate, none of which describes a typical new Lit author.

I don't like much of what people are asking for help with (aside from lesbian, which I'm technically not qualified to edit, though I have done it). So I won't edit what I won't enjoy.

Gotta remember, you're getting something back when I edit. What am I getting from you?

In defense of the editors here, there are many, many more writers who would like editing assistance than there are editors.

If you look at the amount of editing requests you'll see here, it becomes clear that they must be inundated with please for help. Factor in the writers that have established relationships with certain editors (and therefor you never see their requests), and you can start to see the problem.

CiaoSteve and Todger65 have both been kind enough to help me on numerous stories. That was 'behind the scenes'. I didn't post a general request here. I can't imagine how much time they must dedicate to their volunteer service. All I can do is say 'thanks' and be grateful.

There is another route to take if you'd like assistance. Critique Circle is an online service (free) where you critique other writers stories and other writers critique yours. The people there are very sharp and will offer fantastic feedback. Of course, you may want to redact some of your contact of a more prurient nature.

You can also download Grammarly, a free add-on for MS Word that is a great help for general issues (spelling, grammar, etc.).

Good luck!

editing

I used to do quite a bit of editing here. Then I started running across writers who were writing "The Great American Novel," and wanted editing for stories that go on and on, chapter after chapter. Often times to post or try to self-publish elsewhere. More power to you, but that's not what this site and this service is about.

And there are a lot more writers seeking, than editors offering....

Writers will get a lot further in their requests by posting as much information as they can about the project: Word count, subject matter, which can be HUGE, is it a continuing story? Those kinds of things.

Often times, by the time that information is finally posted, many of the potential editors have moved on to someone else or no longer have the time right then and there to take on another project.

I still look over the "need an editor" posts, but no longer tinker with ones that don't have all that information posted. I just don't have the time or desire to try to track down basic information like that. And I would guess that I am not the only person that has edited here, now or past, that feels that way....

As a published writer, and occasional editor in "the real world" I understand editing to be thankless but necessary - and I understand the struggles with finding an editor here as well, but the "problem, or issue," of finding an editor often times sits as much on the writers shoulders as the volunteer editors.

We all just want a good product at the end of the day.

But editor or not, KEEP writing!!

I tend to edit for a limited number of regular writers although that doesn’t stop me taking on new ones when times are slack. Like Mariewriter, I rarely respond to posts that do not have the basic information. I rarely take on anything where a time limit is asked for. Real life sometimes delays things so I would rather not disappoint

Over the years about 6% of stories I have edited have never appeared on Lit under the writers name. Whether they decided against publishing it, or published elsewhere is unknown, but I won’t do any more for them.

The voluntary editor program has never worked properly and is not up to date. Here is the best place to request editing help, but those of us with spare capacity are limited. It is also limited by the category of story that needs looking at. We all have our preferences and out and out dislikes.

Thanks for the responses. I did get a couple PMs to this that have been quite fruitful and generous of their time. I now just have to find the time to go through their edits and suggestions and make some tweaks so i can put up online.

I think i may look into the other resources suggested here as well. Thanks all.

I do respond to volunteer edit requests, but I had to stop recently (I got a Real Life work deployment where I'll be incommunicado for weeks).

A lot of what i've done is grammar/spelling/what do you mean to say here, but I've also spent a good chunk of time helping 'other-language-first' authors with american english... checking if their idiom is unclear, pointing out where an american would phrase things differently, giving examples. Which is fun and challenging in its own right.

CreativeSpirit0163, what do you want an editor to do with your work?

Also, many editors answer directly via PM, so you might not see a reply in the thread itself.