It is a truth universally acknowledged that all manuscripts, however accomplished the writer may be, benefit from a professional edit. But editing itself is not one single template solution to a problem. whitefox recently reached out to the wonderful NY Book Editors and we shared our respective experiences of what we think really matters to writers. It is about trying to match writers and editors. It is about finding editors who really care about their craft and their reputation. It is about knowing when writers are ready for the right sort of intervention. Good editing isn’t something you just pick up from doing a course. In the end, you have to get stuck in, gain experience and learn the nuances you go along. And know that what you do really matters to the new books you are helping into the world.
JB