This post may contain affiliate links to products I use and love. If you buy something through one of those links, there is no additional cost to you, but I may receive a small commission, which helps pay for my continued work. Read my affiliate disclosures here.
Picture this: you receive your manuscript back from your editor, and it’s been so heavily edited that you can’t find your voice anymore.
That’s the stuff of nightmares, right?
I’m pretty sure every writer has thought of this before, and maybe even stressed out about it. So what do you do if it actually happens? Here are some tips to finding the bright side if you receive an edit that’s just too heavy handed:
Don’t run out and post about it online.
I’ve seen authors do this in writing-related Facebook groups time after time. You get upset, you take it personally, and you find other writers to commiserate with. I’m not saying you can’t go vent to other writers, but you should first slow down and investigate. Approach it professionally first. Do your due diligence before you grab a pitchfork.
Take a closer look.
A heavy-handed edit alters an author’s voice, but what is voice, really? To me, voice is how you tell the story, including (but obviously not limited to) how much or how little dialogue or narrative writing you use, how formal or informal your tone is, and the way you craft your descriptions. So look closely. Did the editor really change these things, or does it just seem like there are a lot of edits? If they actually changed grammatical errors, pointed out repetition or redundancy, and suggested places where you can add more dialogue or description, they might not have eliminated your voice at all. Look for comments that explain their reasonings behind the changes they made. A good editor will protect an author’s voice as much as possible, so at least give them the benefit of the doubt and take a long, hard look at what they actually changed.
Reach out to the editor.
If your editor really did mess with your voice to an inappropriate degree, it might be time to reach out to them. Keep your head about you, though. Don’t come in with guns blazing. Instead, ask specific questions, do not assume ill intent, and allow them a chance to explain things. Have enough respect for your editor to have a conversation with them.
Take it with a grain of salt, and decide what YOU want to edit.
At the end of the day, take your edits exactly for what they are—suggestions. By no means do you have to make all the changes that the editor offered you, but you should at least consider them. This is your book, and you control it, so take the time to understand the suggestions, then make a decision and move to the next.
BONUS! Set your expectations up front.
This scenario really highlights why it’s important to vet your editor up front. This includes getting on the same page about what they’re offering you, making sure they know what you need from them, and understanding how they edit. The best way to do this is to request a sample edit. It doesn’t have to be long (in fact, my sample edits might range from one to five pages, depending on how quickly I find something to suggest), but seeing a sample of their editing style up front will tell you almost immediately if their work will resonate with you.
