Meet Rachel Weaver - Professional Editor
RACHEL WEAVER is an editor with Sandstone Editing. She’s done it all - written a novel with Oprah Magazine’s stamp of approval, received numerous awards and fellowships, teaches creative writing for a graduate program at Regis University and with Lighthouse Writers Workshops, and still loves her [sometimes] exhausting career.
I used to think editors were for writers after they signed the contract with an agent or major publishing company. Who has the time or money to hire a professional editor when the likelihood of having another series of edits down the pipe is pretty high anyway? And then I got my 120th rejection for the second manuscript I pitched. I knew then if I was going to stay in this game, hiring an editor was essential. I met Rachel Weaver through another published author, Susan Cunningham. Here’s her take on the importance of working with an editor. I’m excited she was willing to share her experiences, advice, and candidness as to what professional writing is all about.
**HINT: It’s not the product you’re creating!
You're a writer - a published one at that! What turned you on to editorial work? Was there a mentor or experience you had with an editor of your work that inspired you to pursue that line of work?
I first took writing classes through Naropa University’s Continuing Ed program when I was in my mid-twenties. About two classes in, I decided I wanted to be my instructor, Max Regan. As far as I was concerned, he had it all figured out. I had just returned from working on a sailboat in the Mediterranean, was feeling a little directionless, and I decided Max had a pretty sweet life. He had published books, taught for universities around the Denver area, ran his own classes out of his house and edited books for aspiring writers. His entire life was about reading and discussing books, helping others break down the craft so that they could tell the story they were trying to tell more effectively. It took me two decades, but I eventually achieved Max-dom.
New writers often ignore the advice of working with an editor for their first work - after all, their future agent and publisher will surely edit their piece anyway. What would you say to writers on the fence about making such a financial commitment to having a professional editor look at their draft prior to querying?
Agents and editors are busy people. They want to pick up a manuscript that no longer has any significant issues left to solve. Better to work out those issues before sending it off to an agent or publishing house, since usually they will not re-read something they’ve already rejected.
Literary Agents often specify what type of genres or styles of writing they're interested in. Do most editors do the same? Do you? Why or why not?
I work with clients across all genres, since the craft of story-telling remains essentially the same. Agents however, accept books in certain genres because they have to know what editors will likely buy it. They work like real estate agents, not making any money themselves until the book sells. So, they want to be fairly certain who will be interested in a book before they pick it up. In order to build strong relationships with a smaller group of editors, they tend to narrow the field to science fiction, or literary fiction, or memoir, etc. The agent also has to love the book. He/she will be the one trying to sell it, which is a lot easier if he/she really believes in it. So, agents tend to represent the type of books they are most interested in.
You're a writer, and from what I've read, a teacher a well as an editor. That's a lot of devoted time to literary works! What's a typical day or week for you? Do you balance these jobs equally or have one that "pays the bills" while another, you wish you had more time for?
I always wish I had more time to write. But, I like all my jobs. I teach in the MFA Creative Writing Program at Regis University, I teach weekly classes for Lighthouse Writers Workshop and manage a satellite location for them. I run an editing business where I edit 1-2 full manuscripts a month. My typical day looks like this: Get up way too early and load up on coffee. Make lunches for the kids. Once they get up, it’s mass chaos until they are out the door to school. I answer loads of emails, get some more coffee and settle in for the rest of the morning to edit fiction or memoir from my Lighthouse workshops, or my graduate students, or my editing clients. I work on my own fiction on days when the editing work is all caught up or can wait a day or two. I typically teach in the afternoons or evenings a couple times a week.
There are often some misconceptions about editors - they don't like writers, don't worry/care about the market, change things to justify their jobs, put their voice in your work, “good writers” don't need them, etc. What are some myths you've had to squash or learn yourself since your crossover?
When I am editing, I think a lot about how I’m often on the other side of the editorial letter. One of the most frustrating things to me as a writer is to get feedback that essentially says: here are all the places where the story is broken. It leaves me feeling despondent and frustrated. As an editor, I work really hard to identify where the story is losing tension, or the characters are feeling distant, or where the reader no longer has driving questions about the story to keep him or her hooked. And then I work hard to brainstorm ways to fix the problem, which will hopefully generate an even better idea in the writer, and also get him over that hump of feeling despondent and frustrated. It’s easy to point out the problem (this car is making a clanking sound). It’s much more effective to dig in there, shoulder to shoulder with a wrench and try to figure out what’s causing the problem.
Nearly every career has it's ups and downs. In the literary world I'm sure there are some perks and pitfalls as well. What are some things you love about your job? How about some not-so-fun aspects an outsider may not think about?
Well, if you are a banker, most likely there are not thousands of people on Amazon considering how many stars you deserve for your efforts. To stick with writing, you’ve got to have a thick skin. You’ve got to have the ability to keep your head down and define your own goals and your own success. I feel lucky to have found writing as a creative outlet. It forces me to watch the world closely, to think about things deeply, to stay inquisitive about everything. When I first started, I thought writing was about the product, but really, it’s about the process.
With your debut novel, Point of Direction, you worked with an independent press - Ig Publishing. How could writers benefit from working with a smaller, less known publisher versus one of the "Big 5?" If you had the option between to the two - indie/small vs. Big 5 - would you choose the same? Why/why not?
Ig was fantastic. My book was given tons of individual attention. The staff at Ig worked really hard to have the book reviewed in prominent places, and to market it once it was out. It felt like I was part of a small team, all of us deeply invested in the outcome. I have heard often from authors at big houses that they feel lost in the mix. Publishing a book is a lot like playing blackjack. There’s a lot of randomness to it. What size house you end up with has to do with who your agent knows, what type of book you’ve written, what other books are being shopped around at the same time as your book, what’s happening in the news, how the stars are aligned…
Bigger houses typically have more money to spend on advances and marketing and book touring, but sometimes you end up with a publicist who is very young, and a little hungry because they aren’t really paying her enough to afford her NYC apartment. She is given the task of publicizing 50 books at once, a few of them from famous people, along with yours. She might really like yours and know the very best ways to get it huge publicity or she might just put all her effort into David Sedaris’s latest book because that one is a sure bet.
Working with domestic writers (residents of the USA) has it's own challenges, but more and more bookstores are featuring international names from all over the world. Have you worked with authors who write with English as their second, third, or fourth language? Do you accept writers from outside the USA? Why or why not?
Yes, I have worked with non-native English speakers. I think the more diversity in voices in literature the better.
One of my favorite topics to cover is the self-pub or hybrid-pub vs trad-pub fork in the road. How do you feel about this growing trend - writers publishing their own work? Is it good for specific genres or for a new writer to test his/her credibility in the literary market - after having worked with a professional editor?
One thing to remember is that after you have self-published a book, agents and editors will not be interested in picking it up unless it sells an amazing number of copies (more than 30,000 say). Otherwise, it’s already been available to readers, and so they won’t be interested in putting it out on the market.
The big trap of self-publishing is it’s too easy to put out a book before it’s gone through enough big revisions to be a solid story. So often, writers get antsy and call it done before it really is.
There are specific self-publishing markets that have a readership. Romance and sci-fi have a big following on amazon. Everything else is hard to find a readership for in the great choppy sea that is Amazon.
I’m not sure self-publishing is a good test of a writer’s credibility. Mostly because when you traditionally publish, you have a team of people working to help you get your book in reader’s hands. Bookstores and libraries often won’t carry any self-published books. Most self-published books sell between 50-200 copies because it’s very hard to market a book on your own without the support of bookstores and libraries.
Editors must have a tight network like that of agents, writers, and publishers. Where do all the editors hide - I mean, hang - out? Are there conventions, webinars, or memberships you affiliate to build your notoriety and refer clients you may find better suited with another editor?
In Denver, Lighthouse Writers Workshop is the literary hub. You can call them up and ask for a list of editors. Most folks who teach there edit on the side. I imagine other literary centers around the country are similar.
And while we're on the topic of all the editors, what are the ones writers looking to make a significant investment upfront should work with? How do you define your style?
There are two main types of editors: copy editors and content editors. Copy editors line edit, whereas content editors look for issues related to craft: places where the tension is dropping out, how the characters are developing over the course of the book, how the scenes are working in conjunction with each other, how effective the dialogue is, showing vs telling, thematic elements, etc.
Also, I’d suggest having an editor read a chapter of your work before making a significant investment. You always want to be sure the comments you get back are in line with your vision for the book. The best editors can identify what you are trying to do and suggest ways to help you do that exact thing more effectively.
Ms. Weaver is the first editor I’ve worked with professionally and has proven her worth so far. While the jury’s still out about whether/when I’ll have an agent and publishing deal to brag about, I’ve found great comfort in learning this business is less about the current work-in-progress and more about the long game. There are days that are frustrating and full of self-doubt, but I’m confident it’ll all be worth it in the end. Having met and worked with someone who’s been-there, done-that as a writer and has worked with countless authors to date, I’m grateful for the time and commitment she’s put into working with me. I’d highly recommend unpublished, aspiring writers to make the investment now and find someone you gel with from the beginning. Never know unless you try. I’m not giving up yet. Deal me in for another round!
Thanks for reading…
—
Simply Sally
“I started playing ice hockey a year and a half ago at age 43. I’m terrible! And it’s so fun! ”