In my most recent blog post, I wrote about how initial communications with editors are important in forging those editor/writer relationships. From those initial emails, we get a sense of what type of client you'll be.
But there was an aspect to those initial communications that I had alluded to but didn't say. The truth of the matter: editors talk to one another.
We have support networks of our own, and we will lean on each other for support. And we talk to one another about our clients—both the good and the bad.
A good editor would never give out identifying information without the client's permission, but if we encounter a problematic client, we will seek advice from the collective brain trust on what to do. And if we encounter a client who is the client from hell, the red flags are sent throughout the editing community.
I have seen many of these red-flag posts over the years.
But there is a flip side to this too. For those clients who are lovely to work with, we'll bend over backwards to help in whatever way we can. If we're unable to fit them into our schedules, or if we don't work with their genres, we'll help them find another editor. And when our clients have books that are coming out, we will help spread the word.
If you're reading this post, I'm hoping that you want to be classified as a client we editors bend over backwards for. Well, here's how to get onto that list.
BE NICE.
PAY YOUR BILL.
It's that simple.
Being nice is not being sugary sweet.
Like all aspects of life, you'll get much further if you are actually civil to people. You don't need to be so sugary sweet that we keep waiting for you to stab others in the back, but if you are aggressive in your communications, people will black list your name.
You can see this in all walks of life, yet some people have yet to learn their lesson.
There is a saying: Do onto others as they do onto you. It doesn't mean that if people are mean to you that you should be a jerk to others. No. It means treat others how you want to be treated.
Why can't people hurry up and learn this lesson? Le sigh.
Humility is a writer's friend.
As a writer, there is another aspect to being nice. It's called being humble.
This might be news to some of you, but you are NOT the best writer on the planet. Accept it now. You will always have things that you can learn.
Do not assume that an editor is out to destroy your masterpiece with their feedback. We are providing criticism to help you grow as a writer and take your writing to the next level.
It is an editor's job to point out where your writing can improve. And yes, sometimes we will deliberately hunt things down just to be nit-picky. That is what you've hired us for. But if we're at the nit-picky stage, that's a good thing. It means you're making us work for our money. (It also means that you may have grown beyond your current editor's skills and it's time to move on to another editor who will be able to push you that much further.)
You might be the nicest person on the planet, but if you can't be humble enough to accept the criticism for what it is, then you're not ready to work with an editor. It's that simple.
Getting feedback on your writing can be terrifying. Trust me, I know. But without that feedback, you'll never grow.
If you want some advice on how to deal with feedback, even the outright nasty kind, read this post over here.
Money is always a factor when working with editors.
I would love to say that editors do the job for the pure pleasure of it, but in reality, money is always a factor. Whether you're paying the bill or someone else is, your editor is being paid to work with your manuscript.
For the freelance editor, this means that we're at the mercy of our clients. If they don't pay their bills, we can't pay ours.
Every freelance editor gets stung at least once during their careers. We get a client who was nice to work with until it came time to settle up the final bill—and they seem to disappear off the planet. Or we get a client who tries to negotiate on the price, trying to get free editing.
The editors I know are not fixated on money, but we like to eat and stay warm.
I have spoken about the crazy expectations that some writers have about how much editing costs in the past, with some people expecting editors to work well below minimum wage. But those clients who stiff us on the bill…
It doesn't matter if you're nice or not, onto the black list you go.
If you are struggling to pay the bill, talk to your editor.
Editors really do want to help writers. It's why we all got into this industry in the first place. We love books and adore the people who create them.
So, if you are genuinely struggling to pay the bill, don't go silent. Talk to your editor. Be open and communicate. Most editors are more than happy to discuss payment plans.
Many editors insist on a deposit upfront, with staggered payments throughout the contract. However, other editors, myself included, prefer to be paid in full upfront. But all the editors I know will happily work with clients to devise payment strategies that works for all parties involved.
For my clients, I run deposit accounts. Most of my clients pay me in chunks over a period of time while they are writing their manuscripts. I keep a running tally, sending them monthly accounts as to the funds that have been accumulated. When they're ready, they tend to have the editing contracts paid in full and I can get started. And because I charge a fixed rate for a given project, my clients know that there won't be any hidden surprises at the other end.
Franken-edits seem to be a thing.
Frankenstein's monster was something that was pieced together from random parts. Well, Franken-edits are those edits that have been pieced together from sample edits from different editors.
The moment an editor gets the impression that a writer is working in Franken-edits mode, taking advantage of the free sample edits that many editors offer, the red flags are sent and warnings ripple through the editing community.
"We're onto you, buddy!"
And that writer instantly goes on the black list for many editors, even those they have never worked with.
By the way, not all editors offer free sample edits. I don't. In fact, most developmental editors don't. It is the nature of the beast. Many copyeditors are also starting to move away from the free sample edit too. However, of the editors that charge for sample edits, most of us will offset the cost of a larger contract by the sample edit charge if the same words are included in that larger contract—with some level of editing expected. (This is how I operate.)
Stay off the Black List and you'll go far.
It's easy to stay off the Editing Community Black List. Be nice. Pay the bill. It couldn't be any simpler. Yet, there are many writers out there who just don't get it.
And every time, there is a ripple of word through the editing community about the black list writers.
Remember, dear writers, editors talk to one another.