What Does an Editor Really Do?
So, what does a book editor actually do? You send them your book, your baby, and how will they care for that baby? Will they tear it to shreds? Is it all about red ink and “fix this, fix that” comments?
As I’ve journeyed my way from being a writer to being an editor, I’ve found that it’s about a lot more than that. I think one of the best ways to think of a book editor is as your readers’ advocate.
An editor is to your book what a good teacher is to your kid
Like I said, I’m a writer, too. Have been all my life. So, I know that side very well.
Writing is personal. That book really does feel like your baby sometimes. And how do parents feel about their kids? They love them and think they’re the cutest, smartest, all-around-best baby ever born. And they’re all wrong, naturally, but in a perfectly acceptable way.
So in this analogy where your book is your baby, think of a good book editor as your kid’s teacher. They’ll never be you, never have such a vital role in the kid’s life, but they can certainly be very influential. They can have an incredible influence on a child, helping to shape them and guide them as they grow. You do most of the work to turn a baby into a full-fledged functioning human, but you can’t do everything. You don’t have the training, time, or experience to teach your kid all that they need to know, from math to history to finances to emotional intelligence. They need teachers for some of that.
Plus, let’s be real—socialization isn’t just something you do with puppies. Kids need to be out in the world, exposed to other people, to learn how the world really works and where they belong in it.
In the same way, your book needs input and gentle molding from outside sources who can be objective and spot the problems in your blind spots. It needs guidance and polishing in the subjects you struggle with, the same way a kid needs to learn science and literature from those who are trained in it.
As a book editor, that’s what I try to do. I help authors strengthen the weak areas. That’s different for each writer—some are great at character development, but struggle with plot and structure. Some write with a delightfully clever, witty style, but they’re not great at the technical details of grammar and syntax. Some write flawless action scenes but trip up on dialogue.
An editor advocates for your readers: what will they enjoy?
So, how does that make me your readers’ advocate? Well, my job, at the end of the day, isn’t to fix commas and give you a checklist of problems. My job is to make your book enjoyable for readers.
That can mean a lot of things, of course. Fixing commas might be part of it, since grammar exists for a reason. Copy editing is all about that technical polish that makes the book enjoyable because it’s clean and clear.
While copy editing is what a lot of people think of when they think of editing, though, that’s actually one of the last stages. First comes developmental and line editing.
Developmental editing is where I make your book enjoyable for readers because the characters are unique, dimensional, and relatable. The plot is exciting and strong. The pacing has the perfect up-and-down flow that gives readers those page-turning highs with gentle breathers in between.
Then, line editing is where we make it enjoyable by making your writing sing. Too many short sentences are choppy and sharp. Too many long sentences become dry and confusing. But when you mix the two, a short sentence here, a few long ones there, you get music. The words you use, how often you change paragraphs, your use of action beats versus speech tags in dialogue…all this and more is what gives your writing its rhythm.
Put all these things together, and your baby is all grown up. She’s ready to strike out on her own and make you proud.
Working with authors, not against them.
Like a teacher with a parent, I work with authors to improve the amazing story they’ve created, not against them to fix all its problems. I fill in the gaps with the things you might struggle with, whether that’s pacing or POV consistency or worldbuilding.
And through the whole process, my edits and suggestions aren’t based on my preferences. My only goal is the readers’ satisfaction—how can we edit this to be the clearest and most interesting to them?
That’s what editing is all about.