Today I’m the featured guest blogger over at Romance University. These lovely people help writers discover new resources, share information on craft, and network about great opportunities to improve our skills. If you’ve never visited, now’s the time!
I’m talking about how important it is to find the right editor because it’s definitely not a one-size-fits-all kind of situation. After a lengthy search for an editor, I took the leap of faith…and landed on the dark side. Luckily I didn’t start ripping things apart because it was a bad match. Grab a glass of wine and head on over to hear the rest of this cautionary tale.
Squeeze a few minutes of time from your frantic schedule to come hang out in the hallway. We’ll be clustered around the main doors. It’s Romance University, I’m sure a guy in a kilt will stride past at some point and we don’t want to miss the opportunity to ogle.
So here’s the link again – come tell us about your finding-an-editor experience.
Lesann Berry 
#1 by patriciasands on October 12, 2012 - 3:33 am
I’m popping over to RU right now!
#2 by Leslie Berry/ @LesannBerry on October 12, 2012 - 11:10 am
Thanks Patricia!
#3 by Richard on October 12, 2012 - 6:31 am
Thanks much for sharing your experience, Lesann. I’ll be searching for an editor early next year, so your post is very timely.
#4 by Leslie Berry/ @LesannBerry on October 12, 2012 - 11:13 am
Thanks Richard. I hope your search goes well. Finding an editor is one of those processes that just seems to be hit-or-miss. One person has a great experience but the next person, not so much. I do think it’s important to find someone who enjoys reading the style of work you write, and is familiar with the story structure and expectations of that genre. Not that editors can’t edit anything, but it stands to reason that we all have expectations of our favorite styles and if they aren’t familiar with the criteria, that probably shows too.
#5 by Kristal Hollis on October 12, 2012 - 5:15 pm
Hey Leslie! I popped over to RU for your post. Oh my goodness, what an ordeal. Thanks for sharing. I had no idea where to even begin with scoping out an editor.
#6 by Maggie Blackbird on October 12, 2012 - 7:18 pm
I just came over from RU. What a great post. I’m searching for an editor right now. I’m hoping all goes well. I have many bookmarked. Some recommended, some I’ve found on my own. I’ve never done this before so reading what you had to say was very helpful. Thanks for sharing.
#7 by Leslie Berry/ @LesannBerry on October 13, 2012 - 7:55 pm
Thanks for visiting, Maggie! I so hope your search goes well. Obviously there are a lot of great professionals who work hard to help us hone our work to a razor edge. I wish my first experience had been more than way. I’ve got my fingers crossed you find a great match. I have a friend who works in human resources in the corporate sector and she’s the queen of the job interview, one of the things she said to me after hearing my story was that every interview is a two-sided event. At the same time we’re being interviewed, we should be interviewing them and if you have any qualms, put those questions on the table and assess the reaction. If it’s a true business relationship, they’ll be willing to respond to those concerns. =)
#8 by Leslie Berry/ @LesannBerry on October 13, 2012 - 7:51 pm
Kristal! So happy to see you pop over. There is a lot of really good information about how to search out reputable people and what to look for – some of the best resources I found were on agency websites. My initial experience was a disappointment because I wanted someone to help me improve my work and that just didn’t seem to grow out of the situation. If you’re in the market, good luck with your search!