A motley collection of random ruminations, intrepid information, wierd wanderings, miscellaneous mishegas, annoying alliterations, and possible puns.

Bedside Manner

A well-known New York author (and editor) whose new novel I'd just edited sent the following p.s. to his feedback on the work I did for him. "And by the way, thanks for all the embedded compliments in your edit. They aren't necessary, but they sure make a guy feel good."

I wrote back, "I have to respectfully disagree that the margin praise isn't necessary. To me, it's essential to balance out the criticism with positive reinforcement, even for pros such as yourself. I always taught my interns and assistants and editors that editing is a twofold job description: equal parts skill and bedside manner."

The writer-editor relationship is fraught with potential antagonism. Editors, especially those at publishing companies, wield a certain authority over writers and for some, the power trip goes to their heads. I've not only seen it, but I've been on the receiving end of it as a writer, many times. My worst experience was with a new editor who tried to disguise her lack of skills by drawing a box around every other paragraph and writing "awk" in the margin. (This was in the dark ages when editors worked on paper manuscripts with mechanical pencils.) 

Editors are usually the first to lay eyes on a writing project. And they're always the first professionals to take a look and offer feedback. As such, they hold the writer's spirit in their hands and they can crush it just by making a fist.

In my critiques, I always start and end with the positive, what's good about the manuscript. That balances out the criticism, rendering it constructive; all negativity, on the other hand, can be highly destructive. It's the same in an edit, where editors are constantly looking to change what's wrong and often fail to point out what's right. 

If you engage with an editor whose bedside manner is lacking or non-existent, it might be time to find a new one.