1. What is your background in editing?

Well, it’s interesting. As a writer, I have done a lot of things wrong and over the years of figuring out what those things were, I developed an eye for it. Now even as a reader, I’m going.. “Passive language. Wrong tense. Head hopping. Missing word,” etc. I think using those tools I can help other people’s manuscripts to shine.

2. How long have you been editing for this publishing company?

Just a few months but hopefully I will continue to for a long time.

3. What do you edit for this publishing company?

Whatever she asks me to, lol. I’ve done novels, collections, poetry. Honestly, poetry is the most difficult because it has a rhythm and meter, and fixing a typo could screw that all up.

4. Is there anything specific you hope to see when deciding whether or not to accept a manuscript?

For me, I just want a good story, good characters, pace (though pacing can be helped through editing), and nothing that goes against my beliefs. I don’t have triggers with sex or gore or anything like that but if a book is homophobic or racist, I don’t want anything to do with it.

5. What are some common mistakes you see in manuscripts?

So many, lol. My biggest pet peeve is ‘had’. You can lose 95% of the word had from a manuscript and lose nothing but several pages. ‘That’ is another one. When people switch back and forth between past and present tense. It makes me want to bang my head into a wall.

6. Are there any editing goofs you tend to overlook in manuscripts?

Well, every single book I’ve ever read, even by the big publishers, has at least two or three mistakes. Perfection is nearly impossible so you have to allow for a certain degree, although when it comes to something I missed, it irks me forever.

7. How do you work with an author as their editor?

Often I don’t mess with content and I just do the detail work. The few times I needed to, I just email them and inform them of my concerns and they’re usually really cool about it. I’ll give suggestions for how to fix a certain issue and then let them do it. When they’re done, I’ll edit the technical side. Then it’s given to them to look over and make sure they’re happy before it goes to formatting.

8. Have you ever had a negative experience with an author? If so, how was it resolved?

Not yet. As an author, I’ve had negative experiences with editors though so I try to approach it differently. Learning how to approach people and issues is just as essential as learning how to approach the words on the page.

9. What happens if an author does not agree with your suggestions?

I’ll let you know when I run into that. I’d like to believe it would be fine. I mean one author said, ‘I don’t like the wording suggested there, but I get your point. How about this?’ His answer was perfect. It’s important to remember that we’re on the same team and the goal is to make the book the best it can be.

10. How long does it typically take you to work through edits on a manuscript when going on the first round of edits?

It’s not a quick process. It’s long and tedious but I obsess over it and work tirelessly until I get it finished. I’m pretty passionate about it.

11. Do you feel that it's important to have a background as a professional editor before becoming an editor at a publishing company?

I don’t think so. I’ve had my own work edited better by a well-versed, seasoned writer than I have by editors at times, and vice versa. It can go either way. I enlist the help of several editing programs too.

12. Are there any books or editing courses you recommend to anyone who wishes to pursue editing professionally?

I wish I knew the answer to this as I myself would happily take advantage of them. Just like with writing, I want to keep learning the little tricks and constantly improve my skills at the craft.

ABOUT CHISTO:

Chisto has edited several anthologies, novels, and collections but nowhere near as many as he’s written. His goal is always to help the indie community in any way he can and work with writers to get their books polished. He wants to see everyone succeed and loves being a part of the process. You can find him on Facebook, Instagram, or threads under his name.