I\u2019m learning to trust my instincts. I still have a long way to go. You know that feeling you get in your stomach when you\u2019re not sure about something? When something\u2019s just not right? That\u2019s the feeling I had regarding the editor that I hired to edit my novella two years ago. Something told me I should hold off on her, but I had so many other things to consider, like the fact that my money was low, I didn\u2019t have much time, not to mention, a lot of other editors I was interested in had already rejected me. My confidence was down and I became desperate. In the future \u2013 and the present for that matter \u2013 I hope to try my best to never make decisions from a desperate place again. But back in February of 2024, I felt desperate, with my back against the wall, and so I hired her.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hey, you live and you learn, so I learned. What should have clued me in\u2026well, I\u2019m being too hard on myself when I say that. Nothing could\u2019ve clued me in \u2013 I\u2019m new to this. How would I know? But looking back, perhaps the tell-tell sign was that she was British and her profile said she was well-versed in British, American and Australian English. Something told me then, very faintly, that\u2019s too many Englishs for her to master.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Right there, I was skeptical, but again, also desperate. In the back of my mind I was starting to think maybe my story isn\u2019t as good as I think it is. Who am I to be so picky when choosing an editor? <\/em>Plus, I rationalized, if her sample edit was good, how bad could she be? Hers was one of the better sample edits I received \u2013 very thorough, seemingly not half-assed at all. To top it all off, she was also very professional in the way she addressed me. She addressed me respectfully, like she wanted the job, while some of the editors addressed me like they would be doing me a favor. And so, even though I had my doubts, I just chalked it up to fear and settled.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Now that I think about it, have I ever had doubts about something that later turned out to be wrong? Have you? Perhaps I have and just can\u2019t recall an instance right now.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But anyway, ultimately it was a good thing I proceeded with her because it was a lesson learned. And not just any lesson learned, but a lesson learned at an early stage. Even though it ended up costing me hundreds of dollars, it has the potential of saving me much more down the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Nothing against the Brits, but when it comes to the nuances of American language and all the colloquialisms and slang that are associated with certain groups of people based on culture, the region they live in, class and such, it would be really hard for someone who isn\u2019t acutely familiar with that to critique and edit a work that contains those things. So yeah, that was my bad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When I got the comments from her first pass, it was almost instant regret. I felt too many of her critiques were on subjective things like my style rather more concrete things like someone wearing a red shirt that\u2019s later referenced as green without indicating the character changed clothes. You know, stuff like that. But she was making changes \u2013 more than I cared for \u2013 based on her preference rather than an actual need.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I also think the story may have been too complicated for her. She\u2019s primarily a fantasy editor, and while my story is fantasy, it\u2019s more literary-fantasy than straight-up fantasy. I didn\u2019t realize it until I did more research after I hired her that I should have gone with an editor who specializes in literary fiction rather than fantasy. I think the literary aspect of my novella tripped her up. She kept using her edits to try and fit the story into the rules and expectations of a traditional fantasy framework and its readers when that\u2019s not my book’s genre or purpose for that matter. Not to mention, she loved inserting the word \u201chad\u201d everywhere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But as the saying goes, even a broken clock is correct twice a day. Two years ago, when I was reviewing her edits for the first time, I was critical as fuck of her work to the point that it took me forever just to review 16 pages. This time around, instead of rejecting her corrections just because she made them, I’ve had to learn to look past my bias and honestly assess if there is any validity to them. And that was before I started using ChatGPT, so I was googling everything. ChatGPT has made it so much easier \u2013 so much faster. After spending about five hours or so, I\u2019m already on page 40. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Oh, another thing I wanted to mention was that I didn\u2019t realize that I would get so offended by her edits. I kinda pride myself on being able to take criticism. I guess I associated being able to take criticism well with not being hurt or offended by something that typically hurts or offends. But now I\u2019m reminding myself that I can take criticism well and still be hurt and offended as long as I don\u2019t act on it. Hurt and offense are natural emotions. As long as I keep them in their proper place, as long as I don\u2019t allow them to influence me to make decisions that are not in my best interest, it\u2019s okay. I have been hurt and offended by some of her edits and still realized that it would be in my best interest to make her suggested change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n