Finding a good editor is hard. Even when they seem amazing, they may not be a good fit for you. That’s why you do sample edits and have a few conversations with them before making a commitment. It’s important to find a good balance between correction and encouragement.
I thought I’d found that with my first editor. Every conversation left me feeling like I could take on the literary world. She didn’t just tell me what was wrong; she explained why it needed to be changed. In some ways, I learned more looking at her sample edit than I had reading an entire craft book. I knew she would be perfect. Then the wheels fell off.
It started off with a lack of communication. I like to think of myself as a fairly understanding person. Life happens. I get that. If plans need to change, let me know. Sure, I probably won’t be happy about it, but I can deal. But you have to tell me. It took me sending three emails to get one response.
This lack of communication led to no explanation for missed deadlines. I’m a stickler for punctuality. In fact, I tend to arrive everywhere and get things done a bit early. I don’t like being stressed. If I can eliminate stress from my life by getting to places or finishing things early, I do it. So missing deadlines with no rhyme or reason was causing me to doubt everything. The longer I went without a reply, the more stressed I became. The release date that I’ve been working so hard towards was being put in jeopardy.
It had taken me three and a half years to reach this point. Now, my entire literary future was being held for ransom. Except, my bookbaby’s kidnaper wasn’t making any demands. The stress combined with the threat to my book’s future forced me to cut ties and ask for my manuscript back. It was a hard decision to make, but it had to be done.
I bare this editor no ill will. They are amazing. Life just has a way of happening sometimes. Luckily, I found a new editor and got everything back on track. This experience taught me the value of communication and that it is okay to put my foot down when I have to. Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that again anytime soon.
Erin McKnight 