Working With a Developmental Book Editor
Over at Writer’s Hive, I write about how to work with a developmental book editor. Well, specifically, how to work with me. Here’s an excerpt:
I first talk to the author to discover their goals in writing the book and to get their “voice.” We discuss the themes that are covered. I find that for first-time memoirists, and in many first drafts, much of the interesting detail has not yet been written. I try to challenge them to dig deeper. Part of my job as a memoir editor is to help jog the author’s memory by asking questions. “How did it feel?” “What did you say?” “How did others react?” “Who else was there?” Then they sit down to write their second draft. The result is a better sensory experience for the readers and something that more accurately recreates the author’s experiences. So, how does that work in practice? As I advise my clients, it’s better to show rather than tell, so let me break it down into some specific categories.
I give a number of examples on how I work specifically with memoirs as a developmental book editor.
Read the entire piece at the Writer’s Hive.
Learn more about what I do as a developmental book editor here.
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