Do editors enjoy killing your darlings?
No. And it's not really our job to.
It’s not uncommon, as an editor, to come across writers who are worried about handing off their hard work to an editor. And I get it. No matter how many qualifications or years of experience the editor has, it’s your book and you don’t want it torn apart by a stranger.
But, simply put, that’s not the job of an editor.
In fact, even when suggesting bigger changes (as you may find in a manuscript critique), I take time away to really consider if this suggestion is necessary or if it’s simply my preference.
If it’s the latter, I don’t suggest it. Why? Because it’s not my story, vision, or characters. It’s your vision.
The job of an editor is to help make the vision of you, the author, come to life. To help make a good story great and pull on those strengths to help show off your talent as a storyteller.
Editors don’t want to kill your darlings; we want to save them and raise them up. Make them everyone’s darlings.
Personally, I LOVE finding the great aspects of a book. It makes me happy to find a gem and polish it, whether that be in your prose, plot, theme, pacing, or anything else. There is always something good in a book.
There have been countless times where I have left comments on manuscripts because something in the story was done so well it made me smile - actually smile. My friends are probably sick of hearing how and why this moment in a book I read the other day was amazing, but I will never tire of it.
So, if you are scared of talking to an editor, know this: we don’t sit in judgement, hoping to find flaws. We sit in excitement, hoping to find gems!
Writers who write with passion, who are invested in the world of literature - both reading and writing - and who love the stories and character they tell will always have some gems. Always.
Passionate writers tell exceptional stories. If you come to an editor with 3, 30, 300, or even 3,000 pages of passion writing, you’ll find those 3, 30, 300, or even 3,000 pages will have been edited with that same passion, excitement, and love for the craft.
Your editor will become your greatest supporter. After all, we want more amazing stories in the world to read and reread and share with our friends and family.
And if, knowing this, you still are scared to send your work to an editor, talk to them first. We’re a friendly bunch (I promise), and many of us offer free sample edits so you can see the type of changes that would be made to your manuscript.