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An Editor’s Perspective: Developing and Preserving an Author’s Voice
If you’re writing a book, you’ve probably heard about author “voice.” One of the most common concerns I get from new authors is, “I want to make sure whatever editor I work with preserves my voice.”
That’s critical to me too. In our work as editors and ghostwriters, our goal is never to dilute or arbitrarily change your voice. Instead, we want to amplify it—to sharpen it, soften it, or work to make it as clear and impactful as possible.
But I often see confusion around author voice, so I’d like to demystify it a bit here.
Why Your Ghostwriter (or Editor) Needs to Be a “Fit”
A while ago, I contracted with “Antonio” (not his real name) to ghostwrite his highly personal memoir about a traumatic life event. When we first met, Antonio told me I was the fifth ghostwriter he’d interviewed, and he still hadn’t found his ideal writing partner. Before we finished the first meeting, we both knew we felt instant “chemistry” and would make an outstanding writing team. But I urged him to conduct his due diligence.
The ghostwriter/author (or editor/author) relationship is an intimate one. The last thing you want is to share the most personal details of your life with a ghostwriter only to discover quickly that you can’t stand the person writing your story!
Don’t Wait to Write Right to Start Writing!
One resolution I hear often from people when they learn I’m a ghostwriter is something like: “I’ve always wanted to write a book! Maybe that should be my New Year’s resolution!”
Yes, maybe it should. If that’s your resolve, let me tell you how to make it happen. Resolutions that come with an action plan are more likely to remain intact and come to fruition.-goes-here
Overcoming Imposter Syndrome as an Author
Even masters of their craft deal with imposter syndrome. Poet laureate Dr. Maya Angelou once said, “I have written 11 books, but each time I think, ‘uh oh, they’re going to find out now. I’ve run a game on everybody, and they’re going to find me out.”
Two of my areas of expertise as an editor are non-fiction and memoir. I think these hold a special corner on fostering imposter syndrome. Here are some tips to overcoming the imposter syndrome that may paralyze or stall you in your writing.
Three Warning Signs You’re Not Ready to Write Your Book
We’ve always believed that everyone has a story to tell—one that can inform, enlighten, teach, and/or inspire others. But from our years in the field, we’ve found there are times when would-be authors might want to hold off on writing. Here are three times an author coach may be the better choice than jumping into writing your book.
Seven Ways to Save You Time and Money in Book Editing
Authors often ask me how many revisions they will need by a professional editor. Each phase adds up financially, so my goal is to help streamline the process without sacrificing quality. Which leads me to answer: “It depends. Each revision will take your manuscript up at least a full letter grade.” This means you might move from a B to an A, etc.— up one level in quality with each full edit.
My goal is to help you earn an A. Sometimes this can be done with three basic rounds: developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading. But a lot depends upon what shape the manuscript is in when I get it.
To save you time and money, here are tips on how to resolve the most common issues I see in manuscripts sent to me. This will help you get the most out of your editing experience.mmary-goes-here
Explore posts by topic:
All Blog Posts
- author coaching 1
- author spotlight 6
- book editing 2
- book writing 2
- courage 1
- fear 1
- ghostwriting 1
- guest author 1
- hiring an editor 1
- hybrid publishing 1
- leadership book writing 1
- maya angelou 1
- memoir writing 2
- poetry 1
- protest 1
- self-publishing 1
- traditional publishing 1
- voice 1
- who can edit my book? 1
- writers block 1
Search all posts: