We’re at that phase of the publishing process where we’re busy sifting through feedback on The Dead Shadow from our editor. Famously, Mark Twain had views on this topic:
“Yesterday Mr. Hall wrote that the printer’s proof-reader was improving my punctuation for me, & I telegraphed orders to have him shot without giving him time to pray.”
I think we’re a little more moderate than that, but it’s an interesting area to explore.
Let’s explore
We’ve been writing and working on The Dead Shadow for quite a few years now. During that time the text has been through many revisions. The first turned out to be incredibly dull. Think: ‘Helena turned the corner, apprehensive of what she might find… then she realized everything was fine’, but over 100K words. Then, of course, there was perspective: we tried first person, moved to third, moved back to first, and eventually settled on a mix. Many drafts, many re-drafts, many revisions.
All of this takes time and emotional energy, of course. The things any of us create require not only the physical exertion of sitting at a keyboard for hours on end but also our ideas, emotions, and – sometimes – views on the world or hopes for the future. To criticize our work is somehow to criticize us. After all, what does the critic know? We’ve poured our heart and soul into this magnificent creation. How dare they? But before we come over a bit too Mark Twain, let me pause for a moment.
On writing: software and books
I’ve worked as a Software Engineer for the best part of a quarter of a century. An absolutely core tenant of Software Engineering, if you don’t know, is peer review. You sweat for hours, in front of a keyboard, solving hard problems, to create a beautiful solution; only for a peer to pull it apart the next day, because they don’t like the formatting or naming convention. Sound familiar?
It’s tough: you want your code to be the best, you want it to be perfect, you want it to be the paragon that others aspire too… substitute code for book, here, if it makes you feel more comfortable. Ultimately, however, the code I write isn’t perfect. I’m too close to the problem, have missed some tiny piece of the puzzle, have forgotten to check for something obvious… the key to sanity, however, is that neither is anybody else’s. We do complex work and I know that, ultimately, my peers have my back and are trying to help me build a better product. Through reflection and learning, I get better at what I do – hopefully.
Similarly, as I’m assuming you didn’t really want a lecture on Computer Science, we are the closest to the words that we write. We know too much about our characters and our worlds – often taking things as written [sic] that might confuse others. We’ve probably also re-read the same sentences so many times that we’ve stopped seeing them – blind to the glaring punctation and grammar mistakes.
Reflecting on the editor… thoughtfully
Receiving your text back from the editor, covered in alterations, suggestions, and comments can be hard: To criticize our work is somehow to criticize us. Of course, the suggestions and corrections are perfectly valid and come from someone without your own internal biases. Your editor is you first real reader – albeit with a lot more experience in creating good books than most. This doesn’t make it easier to take, of course, but it should – ultimately, you need someone on your side who can be honest and help you to showcase your efforts. To get better at what you do. So that when your book finally gets into the hands of your other readers, it’s the best it can be.
Now if essentially all I’m saying to err is human then firstly, get used to it. You’re human – I’m assuming. Also, assuming that your editor is human, this does mean that they can also be wrong or miss some subtlety that you were trying to convey. Don’t be afraid to reject suggestions but do so thoughtfully. Consider why they are suggesting a change, what led them to that, and what you should do about it.
This is our world, for now. We’re carefully picking our way through our editor’s notes – amidst our day jobs and tired brains – and being thoughtful and careful.
Wish us luck or send tea and biscuits. Either are helpful.