Personal and Professional-the Edited Author

Opine authors: outstanding and edited

Not every author is edited, and when no editing happens, it shows. The work that editors are supposed to do to help and improve a book's design, development, and writing adds up to significant improvement for the author, and also can help the author's next book. So, when editing is missing, it shows, often glaringly.

     On the other hand...when editing happens and yet is not well-done, that shows, too. I cringe for the publisher when I read outstanding book reviewers, such as Jonathan Yardley for example, opine, in effect: "This book and author would have benefited from better editing."

     A good editing process includes the author's focus and mission, and assesses the writing's faithfulness to that focus and its reading audience. Clarity includes exceptional use of language. However, ten-dollar and more expensive words will not add value, if used carelessly or to impress. Most readers appreciate readability, interesting style and flow, and an approachable writing voice. These interests are guarded, along with basic book requirements, by good editing. 

     Perhaps you've read academic or scientific works, including research summaries, full of technical terms not familiar to the general public. Use of such terms fails if it spills over into general market books. The general market reader recognizes when a writer is trying more to impress than to inform, explain, or enlighten. 

At a book distributor's sales conference, I heard a German publisher (children's books in English for the U. S. market) gave a good example of what makes books popular with readers: Even experts in publishing are never sure. His company's first book of a series was expected to sell a few thousand copies; instead, it quickly sold tens of thousands...and in the especially tough market that is children's books.

     Trends and interests can shift overnight, changing the climate away from one publishing focus to another. What was expected to be a big seller can lag behind a title not expected to make much impact, in numbers of sales. Good editing cannot ensure success. It is a must, however, for getting a book into the market with a favorable chance.