The process of editing can be trying. If one is working with the right people; however, it does not have to be. I have two separate editors to help me through the process: a general editor and a line editor; each is tasked with differing yet consonant agendas. I think I am working with the right people because working with an editor has opened my eyes to the potential of my own work.
Both of my editors have easy-going personalities and both are knowledgeable and well-read. This makes working with them quite pleasurable and always a learning experience. They play quite different roles, however. While on the one hand, my editor is responsible for the overall flow of content, as well as matters of style; on the other hand, my line editor is responsible for grammar, punctuation and spelling. Ultimately, each is tasked with making the text stronger and more cohesive.
They work in different yet complementary ways. Whereas my editor encouraged me to look at the big picture, to stand back and connect each part of the story scene by scene, or poem by poem, to ask how the unifying theme flows through every paragraph or every poem; my line editor has a knack or an eye for detail. She asks how things could be changed on a micro level for a smoother flow, a more fluid read. She works to dissect the text and rebuild it sentence by sentence.
I liked working with the two of them because each was methodical with his/her comments and served as a good listener, a sounding board when I needed it. It helps that I have worked with this editorial team on a previous project, so they know how to communicate with me.
Working with the two of them has been such a pleasure. It has opened me up to the possibilities of my own work. Working with my editor, in particular, has helped me appreciate the richness of my work, that there are alternate interpretations, multiple layers or shades of meaning to my poetry. Rather than having my ego busted, I get an ego boost by working with my editor.
To conclude, I think that I am working with the right people because they are well-qualified for their roles and because they have helped me understand that book production does not have to be painful. At its best, it can be quite inspiring.
