Do you use editors?

EmilyMiller

Good men did nothing
Joined
Aug 13, 2022
Posts
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When I was stuck in moderation hell with my first story, the suggestion in the boilerplate part of the reply was to contact an editor. I used the search facility to find people in the category and contacted one. No reply. Still no reply. So I tried the next on the list. Same thing. And the next.

Then I finally got a reply. But the guy (they are all guys) said he disliked anal (which suffused my story) and so couldn’t help. I tried a few more. The only other reply was someone saying that they didn’t like the category (no idea why they were tagged with it). So I gave up.

Since then, I have developed some stories by sharing sections with Lit friends as I write them. Partcularly if fictionalized versions of them appear in the text. This sometimes leads to errors being found or suggestions for improvement.

When I wrote my first story with a male narrator, I ran this by two male Lit friends. But this was mostly to get their perspective on my take on the male voice, not as general editors.

Some people are kind enough to give me feedback based on published works and I try to take notice of what they say. But I guess I have never worked with an actual editor.

Have you? If so, what was it like?

For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a clandestine request for an editor. It’s just me wondering about other people’s experiences.

Em
 
I did some editing, but stopped when I would express interest in helping and got no response, several times. Plus, I started writing, so my priorities changed.

Personally, I don't really care what the content is (though I don't like piss or scat). I did line editing and copy editing, not structural editing. The grammar is the same for a romance as it is for anal, or whatever.
 
I did some editing, but stopped when I would express interest in helping and got no response, several times. Plus, I started writing, so my priorities changed.

Personally, I don't really care what the content is (though I don't like piss or scat). I did line editing and copy editing, not structural editing. The grammar is the same for a romance as it is for anal, or whatever.
I’m way too self-centered to be an editor. I find it hard enough fixing my own stuff 🤭.

Em
 
I’m way too self-centered to be an editor. I find it hard enough fixing my own stuff 🤭.

Em
It's a lot easier when it's not your own work. You don't have an emotional connection with someone else's words like you do with your own.
 
It's a lot easier when it's not your own work. You don't have an emotional connection with someone else's words like you do with your own.
I know. But it takes effort. I’m bad at effort, unless I’m motivated 😬.

Em
 
My editor is my wife, who happened to work for a book publisher for most of her career. She reads mostly for flow and catching the occasional punctuation error or even rarer typo. What she doesn't do is catch technical errors. Her sexual experience, while OMG randy, is mostly vanilla P-in-V, light bondage, nudism, and exhibitionism. If I venture outside of that, I get the "Really? Is that possible?" or sometimes "Ewww!" with the red pencil.

I had a couple of great composition teachers, and under their tutelage developed a moderately clean writing style. It has become a little looser since I've started playing with fiction, but (I think, at least) I don't need much rework to say what I want to say. I also re-read for self-editing a lot.

I'm curious how she's going to handle the next editing job since she's getting PDFs this time to read on her iPad. I've shown her a couple of times how to add comments and markup with the reader app, but whether those lessons stuck - she's sort of a Luddite - remains to be seen. :rolleyes:
 
@EmilyMillerSub I use an editor on some of my work, and not on others. I was really lucky to be put onto a guy called Neuroparenthetical - who worked with me on my early caleb stories - he's really really good and misses little. Sadly when i started posting to patreon he and i parted company, but I was lucky enough that one of the followers of my story was an editor and he offered to pick up the editing.
I cant self edit - I foget what i'm doing and get involved in the story again, although I do proofread for The Novellist for his island and New U series.
If you want someone to look over something for you i'm happy to do so, but if you want a serious editor I would always recommend NP(as above) he's a great guy.
 
Over the years, I've had two editors. Both volunteered to do it. Crazy ladies at the very least.

One died and the other was a retired professional editor who decided to try writing stories of her own. Some pretty good stories as it turned out.

So the answer is no at the present time.
 
Editors, no, though I had a beta reader at one point who maybe was more of an editor (where are the lines in these things?). Anyway, I had beta readers, but I’ve all but stopped with that too, because I found out I’m not really open to any suggestions once I’ve written what I’ve written. And I am a pantser, so there’s no outline to comment on before I write. I figured that since my beta readers are amazing writers on their own right, I’m wasting their talent and time reading mine if I’m then not going to follow any suggestions they might give. Also, I think my writing is good enough and I sort of like it not being better than what I can do on my own.
 
I try to have 3-4 different people edit/ beta read each work, makes a world of difference.
 
I begged and pleaded with over 30 "Volunteer Editors" for at least a beta read and what did I get? Crickets mostly.

The ones that did reply went on and on and on about how they don't have time to help because they have so much writing to do. With every one that replied we would end up in long swaps of emails that would mysteriously end when I would say "You don't have time to beta a 3,000-word story, but you have time to send me several 4,000-word emails on how busy you are?"

I sent a few DMs to Kitty Mama and she simply said "Keep trying, you'll find one." I never did. I gave up on the entire idea, as far as I can tell many of the "Volunteer Editors" either gave up because it's a lot of work or just became a "Volunteer Editor" to get their name on a list. I ended up coming here and picked up a lot of help reading the threads on how to improve your writing, I hope it shows in my product.
 
For the avoidance of doubt, this is not a clandestine request for an editor. It’s just me wondering about other people’s experiences.

Em
Having heard the same complaint from other new writers, I never bothered trying the editor system. By getting to know other writers here, I've asked for feedback a couple of times when I figured something was outside the box. One got a great review, and the other...is still languishing.

Readers have given me a lot of feedback which I've listened to, including one reader who is a professional editor that made a huge difference to my work.
 
Last time I commented on this, I got accused of being a sociopath. So...

I don't like editing, and I don't like being edited. None of my Lit stuff is ever edited or beta-read. I type it, editing as I go, then read it over once for continuity. Then it's submitted.

That said, my commercial work all passed through an editor, though we worked well together and she typically found very little to change, and therefore it wasn't that onerous. I didn't complain about it because I reckon if a publisher is paying to publish a work, they deserve to have some say in what it contains.
 
I am a professional editor but I do use an editor. He's also my primary marketplace publisher. He's a member of Literotica but not active here or in the voluntary editor program. There probably are very few actual editors here and I wish that beta readers (which are very useful and probably all that's needed for Literotica) wouldn't be called editors here. That misleads the expertise writers are led to believe is available to them here.
 
I do not use an editor and my work shows it. I do, however use beta readers, a few of whom are authors themselves. Others were people who enjoyed some of my stories and contacted me to discuss them.
I ask my beta readers for their reaction and utilize their comments. Often a comment like 'does not flow' has me redoing a lot of work. A few have said, not for me or I have a problem with the character doing this or that. I then try to explain and in some cases add something to the story to make it reasonable.
I do a similar task for a couple of my lit friends. For all of us, it has put several fledgling stories back into the 'maybe someday' draft files.
 
I do it myself, as tedious as it is. I've helped others a few times as well, but editing really isn't something I like doing.
I've seen people mention that they have arrangements - I'll betaread yours, you betaread mine, and I'd say those are some good ways of catching errors and even finding out what others think before you actually publish.
 
Last time I commented on this, I got accused of being a sociopath. So...

I don't like editing, and I don't like being edited. None of my Lit stuff is ever edited or beta-read. I type it, editing as I go, then read it over once for continuity. Then it's submitted.

That said, my commercial work all passed through an editor, though we worked well together and she typically found very little to change, and therefore it wasn't that onerous. I didn't complain about it because I reckon if a publisher is paying to publish a work, they deserve to have some say in what it contains.
I must say my own mindset is similar to yours in these things, but then again, if you find a person whose opinion you value and who shares the interest in the themes you write, the arrangement I mentioned above seems reasonable. I would limit it to "Mark and comment on the parts that you found problematic, do not dare to change them!" 😁
 
No, I’m too egotistical to be edited. I had a couple of people look at my first story, but I massively disagreed with every suggestion they made. In the end, I just decided to do without editing. it would be nice to have someone check for typos, grammar etc, but apart from that, I’m happy to present the story as my work and nobody else’s.
 
Editors, no, though I had a beta reader at one point who maybe was more of an editor (where are the lines in these things?).
Exactly: What is the difference between these two? Does a beta reader not point out mistakes? Does an editor not suggest major thematic changes?
 
Exactly: What is the difference between these two? Does a beta reader not point out mistakes? Does an editor not suggest major thematic changes?
Depends on what you ask them to do.

Generally a beta reader is reading an edited work to give their opinions on whatever you ask them to from a reader's perspective.

Editors come in a few different flavors. Structural or development editors look at the story to make sure it doesn't have major plot holes, that the timeline works, etc. Line editors or copyeditors go line by line to check the flow and verbiage and suggest edits on that, but they aren't really looking at overall story. Proofreaders are looking for grammar and punctuation.
 
I was lucky. I asked for an editor on that board and got nowhere, then Heyall took pity on me and edited my first couple of stories. Plot points, layout, a bit of grammar for non-technical writing... After that, I took the training wheels off and relied on bots and the usual self editing techniques.

In return, I've edited/beta read for a few writers. In most cases I just make suggestions, but a couple of times I asked if it would be easier for me to carry out the amendments. It was just quicker and sanity saving.
 
On the one hand, I think editors are a Good Thing. I'm a professional editor, and in my stories I use an editor with whom I have an agreement. He edits my work, and I edit his. Lately, the relationship has been that of fellow beta-readers/proofreaders, since I've relied on him less for stylistic things.

On the other hand, I don't have time for volunteering my skills to this site. I wish I did. My firm's downsizing means that I'm doing more work for them than previously and am barely able to keep up with other activities that I wish I had more time for.
 
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