Ask Jerry
Editing
Asked by Brian Seay on February 25, 2020
Jerry, you've been in the writing business for a very, VERY long time and have a long list of books that a writer can dream of. But my question is, as an established writer, does your final drafts, after you've edited them of course, go through light or heavy edits by your editor? Does it just depend on the book? What is the norm? Say with your recent book "The Valley of the Dry Bones" did that go through light or heavy edits?
Jerry's Answer
Brian, books that need heavy edits don't get published. Agents and editors can tell with a cursory reading of the first few pages how much work the editing will be, and if it needs a lot, they will pass.
That's why I teach becoming a ferocious self-editor. My goal is to be happy with every word before I submit my manuscripts, and the best thing I can hear from an editor is, "I hardly had to touch it."
That said, sometimes editors ask for clarification, more of one thing, less of another, etc. I always appreciate it when they let me make my own changes and don't try to write for me.
As for ...Dry Bones, I recall the editor at the publishing house did ask for some reworking of certain scenes, which made sense to me and I was happy to quickly comply.