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markgottliebliteraryagent · 5 years

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Graphic Novel Creators Kenny Porter & Zach Wilcox

Kenny Porter is a professional writer living in West Michigan. He's most known for content development, writing comics, copy, blogs, and fiction. He graduated from Grand Valley State University with a BA in Writing. The writing program at GVSU allowed him to create his own curriculum, which he used to focus on fiction, writing for the web, genre studies, and manuscript development. He started his career in writing during high school and has since gone on to publish short stories, write articles for online magazines, and has won the first Top Cow Talent Hunt for Writing.

Zach Wilcox is a cartoonist based in Philadelphia. He holds an MFA in Sequential Art from the Savannah College of Art and Design and a BS in Digital media from Drexel University. The goal of his work is to encourage young readers to get excited about art as a narrative tool and inspire future creators. When he isn't working on comics he enjoys time with his dog Finn and his three nephews.

Porter and Wilcox are the co-creators of the forthcoming graphic novel from Scholastic/Graphix, The Fearless Rider, in which a young girl and her pet ferret run away from home on their tricked-out bicycle on the first day of school to find her best friend who moved away and recapture her life before everything went wrong—pitched as a slice-of-life story with tone and setting of a Miyazaki film.

What do you enjoy about the comic book arts medium and what do you feel the graphic novel form of storytelling affords authors and creators?

KP: Comics have always been a part of my life and what I love most about them is that there are no limits to the kinds of visual stories you can tell. The great thing about original graphic novels is it allows you to break away from the single issue format of monthly comics to develop a pace that’s unique to the story. That’s something that Zach Wilcox and I are enjoying a lot with The Fearless Rider.

ZW: Graphic novels afford the reader a sense of control that you don’t get anywhere else. Being able to dwell on a panel or moment, or absorb a whole page at once, is such a unique and intimate experience. When you’re making something like that it’s sort of fun to imagine how the reader is going to interact with the work.

“I wanted to bring that same love of anime, manga, and live-action shows to Kara’s character.”

Have any anime/manga or comic book creators influenced The Fearless Rider, your forthcoming graphic novel? For instance, Hayao Miyazaki and Osamu Tezuka seem to come to mind.

KP: Miyazaki is definitely a huge influence on the tone of The Fearless Rider. I initially pitched it to Zach that way, as if it were a lost Miyazaki film about a girl who sets out to find her missing best friend. There’s also some influence of my love of Super Sentai and tokusatsu shows with the fake magical girl character Shinpi Rider that the main character adores. I grew up in a generation where Toonami was broadcasting these amazing shows from Japan that we had never heard of before, and I wanted to bring that same love of anime, manga, and live-action shows to Kara’s character.

ZW: Absolutely. I’m always finding new inspiration from other artists and people like Miyazaki really ignited my love for visual storytelling when I was young. The expressive nature of his work is something I’ll always be chasing.

“He lets the comic breathe and trusts the reader to immerse themselves in the story.”

The art of The Fearless Rider seems to be a mixture of manga influences, such as the gekiga or "dramatic" style of storytelling, often seen in the work of Tezuka. Your graphic novel also has many western influences, with inklings of ligne claire, the Belgium style of bold line comic illustration, often seen in Hergé's The Adventures of Tintin. How did you arrive at this style of art? Is it simply in vogue right now in comics, or has comic book illustration and storytelling been further globalized?

KP: From the start I wanted The Fearless Rider to have this kind of feel. I read a lot of manga and Franco-Belgian comics, so I’m always using those as an influence in terms of pacing and style. Also, Zach’s artwork completely fit the tone I was going for. I didn’t even consider anyone else for the project and called him right away with the idea.

ZW: The way Kenny addresses pacing and dialogue is something I really love. He lets the comic breathe and trusts the reader to immerse themselves in the story. I don’t know exactly how the style for the comic came about but I’m sure a lot of it has to do with his narrative structure and the world we’re building. Also, I love older comics like Tintin and Little Nemo!

Why a young girl's pet ferret as a character in The Fearless Rider...why not something more common, such as a cat or dog? Is there something more interesting or special there?

KP: I think it honestly has to do with my love of the movie The Beastmaster as a kid. He had a pair of ferrets named Kodo and Podo. I watched a lot of genre movies in elementary school and middle school, so I always thought that ferrets would make great adventure companions.

ZW: I always wanted a ferret when I was younger but that was a no-go from my parents, because apparently they have a bit of a smell. They are just so cute, who could care! I think it also fits Kara as she isn’t the type to have a basic pet. She’s unique in a lot of ways.

“...I’m still learning the ins and outs of the publishing world. It’s been a really exciting journey so far!”

How did you find your current literary agency and go on to get published with Graphix/Scholastic? What was the submissions process like?

KP: I found my current literary agency, Trident Media Group, after doing a Kickstarter for my original graphic novel Barnstormers!, which I created with artist Renny Castellani. I was contacted by you, Mark Gottlieb, during the Kickstarter and started developing a new project for the book market. From there, it was putting together the pitch with Zach and sending it out into the world. Graphix/Scholastic contacted us about the initial pitch and we fine-tuned the project from there.

ZW: I sort of let Kenny take the lead on this. The Fearless Rider will be my first published book, so I’m still learning the ins and outs of the publishing world. It’s been a really exciting journey so far!

Writing a graphic novel is so different from writing a miniseries or ongoing monthly title.

What do you feel the comic book publishing experience has been like with a larger independent book publisher like Scholastic, versus a direct-to-market comic book publisher such as IDW? Is the direct market holding comic books back?

KP: I’d say the pace is what’s mostly different. Writing a graphic novel is so different from writing a miniseries or ongoing monthly title. I enjoy both the traditional comic book publishing side and the larger independent book publishing side. Each has their own challenges and format that let me experiment with comic book storytelling.

ZW: I’m excited to work on a project I'm so passionate about for a long period of time. The struggle of smaller projects is tough because you spend so much time looking for work that you may not get as much done. I can’t wait to really sink my teeth into something more substantial.

“...I always let whoever I’m working with have their input in the storytelling process. It’s collaboration at every stage of the game.”

It is hard enough writing a story. Does also illustrating a story present its own set of challenges, or do you find that it is liberating in some way?

KP: Writing visually is a whole different skill set, so I always try to think like an artist (as best as I can) and I always let whoever I’m working with have their input in the storytelling process. It’s collaboration at every stage of the game. I’m just lucky to be working with someone as talented as Zach.

ZW: Kenny has been a blast to work with. He has a clear vision here and helping him to craft it is easier because of that. It’s always hard to bring a world to life but the back and forth of working with a writer takes a huge weight off my shoulders.

You get to be any comic book/manga/anime/video game character from whichever world of your choosing. Who do you choose to be and why?

KP: I would almost always choose to be a Green Lantern. Having that power ring and being able to fly through space and create insane constructs would just be too much fun. I recently wrote a Guy Gardner story for DC Comics and it was a dream come true to be able to play in that pocket of the DC Universe.

ZW: I’d say Link from The Legend of Zelda. The design of those game worlds are so immersive and surreal. Plus that outfit is tops!

“If you do great work and put yourself into your stories then people will resonate with that and will want to share them as well.”

Might you be able to share any advice with those still hoping to get their graphic novels published?

KP: I would say find a collaborator that you really gel with creatively, put your heart and soul into the book, and worry about making a great comic before worrying about publishing. If you do great work and put yourself into your stories then people will resonate with that and will want to share them as well.

ZW: Just create. As much as you can, as often as you can. Keep putting your creative energy out there and don’t be afraid to make connections. Rejection is a huge part of life so don’t let that stop you! Also, try to keep your stories small at first. Short sixteen page chunks are a great way to work and create a varied portfolio.

What can we expect next from the world of The Fearless Rider?

KP: I definitely have ideas for follow-ups and spin-off stories, even if they don’t directly connect with the main thread. The road is always wide open for more adventures.

ZW: I really want a one-shot of the Shinpi Rider character from the book. A fictional super sentai warrior with over the top action and drama! A guy can dream, can’t he?

#comics #manga #anime #miyazaki #thefearlessrider #scholasticbooks #graphix #kennyporter #zachwilcox #markgottliebliteraryagent #TridentMediaGroup

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sophiecorrigan · 5 years

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Exciting times - my Farm Animals childrens flip book is coming out TOMORROW and the gift book of my dreams #AnimalAnatomy is coming out NEXT TUESDAY! 🦆💚 Pre-order links for both in my bio. Thankyou again to @bloomsburypublishing, @chroniclebooks and @markgottliebliteraryagent for being spectacular and believing in my silly animal anatomy concept 👀 #UnscienceAnAnimal #DabblingQuacksnap #AnatomyOfADuck https://www.instagram.com/p/Buq17qOBFOv/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1f91hbaw4vk5v

#animalanatomy #unscienceananimal #dabblingquacksnap #anatomyofaduck

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justpeachycomic · 5 years

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It doesn’t really seem real, but almost three years ago I posted my first comic on here, and yesterday I held the final version of my book for the first time. Wild. I couldn’t have done this without you guys. Literally, I wouldn’t have ever gotten published. But because you guys like my weird sad comics enough, someone decided to take a chance on me. Now I can say I am a published author which has been my dream since I first started drawing and reading Calvin and Hobbes. It’s been rough, but on days like today, things seem like they might turn out ok after all. Special thanks to @skyhorsepub @markgottliebliteraryagent (at Tempe, Arizona) https://www.instagram.com/justpeachycomic/p/BupU31EnRGt/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=vk2kprwbd1pw

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month9books · 5 years

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Help @jeremiahfranklin_author blow out his candles! Happy book birthday! Dark Tomorrow ll, Cult of the Crow is out now! You can also score book 1 on sale on Amazon right now!!! Woohoo!!! #bookbirthday #amazonbooks @ipgbook @markgottliebliteraryagent #Month9Books #bookish #survivalguide #booknerds #dystopian #coverreveal #readersofinstagram #bookworms #bookstagram #yalovin #redbooks #currentmood #ireadya #booknerdigan #bookstagram #yalitchat https://www.instagram.com/p/B4xe75OAQE8/?igshid=8f0lg6kl9m5r

#bookbirthday #amazonbooks #month9books #bookish #survivalguide #booknerds #dystopian #coverreveal #readersofinstagram #bookworms #bookstagram #yalovin #redbooks #currentmood #ireadya #booknerdigan #yalitchat

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markgottliebliteraryagent · 5 years

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Finding the Right Literary Agent

As an author, I often receive questions from writers and students about literary agents. Specifically, how to find a literary agent. Up until recently, I would respond by launching into a discussion about query letters and book synopses, writers forums and agent wish lists, proposals and comparison books, etc., etc.

Now, I tell them what I wish I could tell my younger self: it's not about simply finding a literary agent. It's about finding the right agent for you.

I found my wonderful agent when I decided to take a risk and try something new. I saw that an online writers group I belong to, Savvy Authors, was hosting a "pitch fest" on their blog featuring a handful of agents and publishers. I had never before participated in anything like a pitch fest—whenever I queried agents it was through their website, by sending an email or, occasionally, even mailing an old-fashioned printed letter—but I figured all I had to lose was a couple hours of my time. So I clicked on the link to check it out.

“I'm so glad that I ultimately didn't let my own bias get in the way of finding my dream agent!”

Mark Gottlieb caught my eye because it seemed like my novel manuscript was exactly the kind of book he was looking for based on his agent statement. When I Googled his name and read some interviews with him published online, I was even more excited to submit to him. Funnily enough, up until Mark, I had mostly just queried women agents about my novel. As a writer of contemporary YA novels featuring female protagonists and love stories, I (wrongly) assumed that my book would have a better chance of resonating with a female agent than with a male agent. I'm so glad that I ultimately didn't let my own bias get in the way of finding my dream agent!

On the surface, approaching an agent through something like an online pitch fest might seem like a piece of cake, because instead of a long query letter, you only have to write a few sentences about your book—most pitch fests, like the one I participated in, have strict rules and word limits. However, I quickly learned that summarizing my entire novel in just three compelling sentences was a million times more challenging than writing a longer query letter! I spent a good hour rephrasing and honing my three-sentence pitch. Then, crossing my fingers for luck, I submitted it, which entailed publishing it as a comment on the blog post about Mark Gottlieb. The pitch fest rules explained that if an agent was interested in your idea, they would contact you. But I honestly did not have very high hopes. I could see there on the page how many pitches Mark was getting—it was starkly apparent that mine was just one small fish in a very large pond. Still, I felt proud of myself for putting my idea out there and giving it my best shot.

Well, imagine my surprise when I received an email from Mark within a couple days, expressing interest and asking to read my entire manuscript. As I sent it off to him, again crossing my fingers for luck, I told myself not to get too excited. I also prepared for a long wait. Agents had requested to read my manuscript before, and it was usually months before I heard back from them.

Within a week, Mark Gottlieb called me on the phone, apologizing for the delay in responding to me and explaining that he had just returned from the Frankfurt Book Fair. I was completely floored. He said that he loved my book and told me in detail why and what he loved about it. I could tell right away that Mark "got" my book—and not just that one book, but my writing style as a whole. That's when I knew he wasn't just any literary agent; he was the right agent for me.

“...I wanted an agent who felt like my partner in the publishing business.”

Before signing with Mark, I had two previous agents. When I signed with my first agent, I was so excited simply to have an agent that I didn't think to consider how the agent treated me. It was a pretty lopsided relationship; I felt so lucky to have her that I was afraid to ask her for anything. The agent would send me vague notes requesting major rewrites of my novel because it “just wasn't there yet.” I would spend weeks diligently rewriting and send her a new draft. Months later, she would send back an email saying she had read the new draft and it “still wasn't quite there yet.” This went on for years, through two separate novel manuscripts, until we eventually parted ways. She never actually sent out any of my work to publishers, and looking back I'm not quite sure why she signed me as a client in the first place. She clearly didn't resonate enough with my work to be in charge of selling it to others. From her, I learned that I wanted an agent who felt like my partner in the publishing business.

My second agent did actually send out one of my novels, but seemed angry at me when it didn't sell. It got to the point where my gut would sink when I saw her name in my inbox, as I braced myself for one of her terse emails. We parted ways after I sent her the new novel manuscript I had spent nearly a year working on, and she curtly responded via email that it “wasn't my best work” and that I should “write something else.” I realized that I wanted an agent who was interested in representing me throughout my career, not just for one book, and who would actually pick up the phone and call me to discuss things.

“...I could tell that he is respected and admired by editors across the industry because of the way my work was quickly read and considered.”

Right away, I could tell Mark was a different kind of agent altogether—a rare kind, I believe. He is encouraging and supportive, while also being realistic and giving honest feedback. I trust his judgment wholeheartedly, but he also asks for my opinions. He calls to discuss what is going on with my submissions, to explain things to me, to answer my questions. He never seems rushed or makes me feel like I am bothering him. And he is very good at what he does. Not only did he sell my debut novel to a publisher I am thrilled to work with—keeping me in the loop during every part of the process—but moreover, I could tell that he is respected and admired by editors across the industry because of the way my work was quickly read and considered.

So, if you are looking for an agent, by all means visit writers forums and read agent wish lists. Hone your query letter and book synopsis. Learn all about proposals and comparison books. But don't forget that you are part of the equation, too! The best agents are champions for their clients throughout the process. Set your standards high and hold out for the right agent who truly "gets" your writing—who makes you feel supported and also pushes you to grow into the best writer you can be.

Dallas Woodburn is the author of the short story collection Woman, Running Late, in a Dress (Yellow Flag Press, 2018) and the forthcoming YA novel The Best Week That Never Happened (Month9Books). A former John Steinbeck Fellow in Creative Writing, her work has been honored with the Cypress & Pine Short Fiction Award, the international Glass Woman Prize, second place in the American Fiction Prize, and four Pushcart Prize nominations. A passionate supporter of young writers, she is also the founder of the organization Write On! Books that empowers youth through reading and writing endeavors. Dallas lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her amazing husband, adorable daughter, and overflowing bookshelves.

#LiteraryAgent #literaryagency #MarkGottlieb #markgottliebagent #markgottliebliteraryagent #tridentmediagroup

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markgottliebliteraryagent · 5 years

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Founder, President at Experience Digital Marketing for Authors and Publishers

Michael Mejer is an established, trusted digital marketing expert in the non-fiction business book space. The culmination of years of experience in publicity, marketing, and sales in this niche has empowered him to help dozens of authors take their social media platforms to the next level to help promote and grow their books, brands, and businesses.

How did you find your way into the space of digital marketing, particularly for that of authors and their brands?

I started my career working at a PR agency where we specialized in non-fiction, business book publicity and marketing. It was right around then that social media started to become a more prominent vehicle for authors to market their personal brands and book(s). After working with dozens of authors on developing their social media presence I realized there was going to be a growing need for it, and decided to branch out on my own and create my own agency.

What’s the discovery process like when writers want to work with you? Do you make an evaluation of their online presence via their social media accounts and website(s) to see areas for improvement, and does anything else go into that discovery process?

First, I evaluate an author’s online presence to have an understanding of what they’re currently doing and what it looks like they’re trying to accomplish. From there we have a conversation about their current strategy, how they execute on that strategy, what’s working, what isn’t, and what we can do together to achieve their goals not just with their new book, but they’re personal brand as a whole. Ideally, all of this takes place eight to twelve months before the official publication date of their new book.

“The cost of entry for the opportunity to have your voice heard is much lower than what it was in years prior to the digital world taking off.”

Has the new digital landscape of marketing for authors created a lot of opportunities that the print advertising world hadn’t previously allowed for, perhaps due to limited space and cost? Does digital marketing also allow for a better system of measuring the metrics, click through rate, impressions, or success behind the marketing of a book?

Absolutely. The cost of entry for the opportunity to have your voice heard is much lower than what it was in years prior to the digital world taking off. The beautiful thing about marketing online is that you have a very clear view of what’s working, what’s not. This gives you a clear, confident sense of where you need to double down and spend more time, energy, and resources to promote yourself. Spending thousands of dollars on print ads, billboards, and things of that nature is very costly and difficult to determine whether or not that effort is producing any results. The new digital landscape of marketing for authors has created a lot more opportunities at a cost of entry that almost anyone can afford.

When you work with authors on their marketing, do you also interact with the marketing/publicity department at the author’s publishing house in order to coordinate your efforts?

100%. It’s always a good idea to be on the same page as the current marketing and publicity team that the author is working with. If a publicist tells us they’re working on coordinating an interview with a particular outlet or reporter, my team and I make sure we follow and engage with that individual via the author’s social media platforms. It’s a great way to complement the PR efforts on campaigns.

As someone who has done a lot of work with marketing/promoting nonfiction business books, do you feel as though you’ve carved out a niche in that particular area? Do you also work with other types of nonfiction, as well as fiction?

It takes a much different approach to market a non-fiction business book than it does a fiction book, and it’s a niche that Experience Digital Marketing is working hard to dominate and make a name for itself in. If I feel we could deliver 110%, the furthest we’ll deviate away from business books is personal development or self-help books. At the end of the day, we know what we’re great at and want to provide as much value, knowledge, and results to our authors as possible.

“...publishers and agents are big fans of working with authors who already have an established online presence.”

In one of your online articles, you write, “The publishing industry has undergone a lot of changes in the last decade, and if you're still thinking it works the same way it did back in 1998, you're going to be in for a rude awakening.” Are you able to speak to one or two of the major ways in which book publishing has changed since then for literary agents and authors?

There are so many ways that publishing has shifted in the last decade, but from all the conversations I have with authors, the one thing they almost always tell me is that publishers and agents are big fans of working with authors who already have an established online presence. They’re always excited to talk to you when they see that you’ve already laid the foundation for your personal brand before they invest a minute into you and your book.

Publishers seem to only be able to devote their very best attention from their marketing/publicity departments to their lead titles and key titles. That leaves the marketing/publicity departments at publishing houses spread thin for other authors at the publishing house. How much of the burden of the marketing/promo has fallen on the shoulders of authors in today’s book publishing landscape?

It used to be the publishers that would be the marketing and publicity machine behind you and your book. Now, you tend to get support from the publishers for about one to three months after publication and then you’re on your own. You’re responsible for generating traffic to the Amazon page, media coverage, book signings, etc… That’s not to say that it’s impossible to launch your book successfully. What this means is that you need to be more committed to being in control of your marketing efforts after the publication date, which could play to your advantage if you put the time and effort into building a great team around you that can execute the right strategy for your book.

I see that your organization has done some work with the Michael Magro Foundation (non-for-profit, 501c3 organization) which focuses on helping families battling pediatric cancer and other illness. What appealed to you about this type of charitable work and how has your company helped that organization?

I’m a huge believer in the philosophy that we can all give back in some way, shape or form. The Michael Magro Foundation does a tremendous job of helping families battling pediatric cancer and other illness. Whenever they have an event they need help promoting my team and I are always there to design whatever flyers, logos, or graphics they may need. It’s the least we can do to support such an incredible organization.

Are there any books out there on book marketing that you might recommend to authors as a good starting point?

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook: How to Tell Your Story in a Noisy Social World by Gary Vaynerchuk. Hands down, one of the best marketing books for someone looking to leverage the power of social media to promote their brand.

#Markgeting #TridentMediaGroup #MarkGottliebliteraryagent #Digitalmarketing #Bookpromotion #Authorplatforms

#marketing #TridentMediaGroup #markgottliebliteraryagent #digitalmarketing #bookpromotion #authorplatforms

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markgottliebliteraryagent · 5 years

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What Being a Writer Has Taught Me About Being an Editor (and Vice Versa!)

I’ve been reading since before I knew how.

According to my mother, I often pored over picture books, spouting gibberish and pretending I was reading aloud during my toddlerhood. I had the alphabet down pat when I arrived for my first day of junior kindergarten. The first time my mom took me to a library, I walked out with two tote bags full of twenty or so books.

Really, it’s no surprise that I went to school for English and writing, or that I pursued writing and editing in a professional capacity.

As a writer, I’ve offered writing and editing advice as a guest on several blogs, published a few creative pieces, written several instructional e-books on English grammar, and drafted many long-form stories. I’m rarely not writing, even when my writing is held tight to my chest, meant only for myself.

As an in-house editor at Scribendi, I’ve edited over 3,500,000 words in the last three years, revising documents from every field and by writers of every skill level. I know how to maintain an author’s voice while providing the necessary corrections and suggestions to help the author improve the writing they want perfected.

“...skill sets for writing and editing, so intertwined and yet so vastly different, can inform each other.”

What I hadn’t realized until recently was that the skill sets for writing and editing, so intertwined and yet so vastly different, can inform each other. Indeed, I’ve learned much about being a writer and writing from being an editor and editing, and vice versa.

What being a writer has taught me about being an editor

The importance of an author’s voice

As an editor, it’s easy to accidentally make a client’s document your own, if you’re not careful. You might think, "This sentence would be much better if it were written like this" or "Adding this sentence would really improve this paragraph." You might even think, "I’ll just delete this part because it doesn’t add much."

What’s wrong with this is that writers cherish their voices. This makes the job of an editor even more difficult, because not only must they correct all the errors in writing, but they also must maintain the author’s voice. We all have our own writing voices, and, as a writer, I can say that we want nothing less than an editor changing our voice during editing. It was one of my biggest fears in submitting one of my manuscripts for professional editing.

“...good editing means making an author’s writing the best it can be—not forcing your own idea of what writing should be onto a piece of writing.”

What I learned from my fear of an editor changing my voice is that good editing means making an author’s writing the best it can be—not forcing your own idea of what writing should be onto a piece of writing.

The necessity of the revision process

Let me be frank: when a good editor has decimated your document, marked up your writing with the dreaded red pen, and left you nothing but bits and pieces of your original work, it’s painful.

I once submitted a manuscript for professional editing and received feedback that would require major edits that could take months. Although I thought my draft was pretty clean (after all, a professional editor had written it), I quickly realized I’d only been through step one of the revision process—the first draft—and much rewriting awaited.

It became clearer to me that editing is a necessary part of the writing process. Although I’m an editor and my writing is pretty clean, I am not special. Everyone can benefit from editing.

The final say on any word is the author’s

Editors want to perfect writing. It’s in our coding. We look at a piece of writing and draw out every way it can be improved. That includes clarity, flow, tone, structure, content, and much, much more. We might suggest massive or minuscule edits, knowing that, once all are accepted, the document will be perfect and ready for submission.

Simultaneously, writers have their own ideas about writing. They might discard necessary edits simply because they feel the writing sounded better before editing; whether it did is sometimes subjective. It is also sometimes objective. Writers with a concrete idea of the form of their writing may be stubborn to change it, and writers who despise the editing process may be too lazy to.

“In the end, what writers change is completely their say. That’s how it should be. After all, it’s the writer’s name on the writing, not the editor’s.”

When I submitted a manuscript for professional editing, I implemented many of the suggested major revisions. I also discarded some, whether I believed the editor was suggesting a subjective edit, I felt the writing was better in its first draft, or I just didn’t feel like making the change. In the end, what writers change is completely their say. That’s how it should be. After all, it’s the writer’s name on the writing, not the editor’s.

What being an editor has taught me about being a writer

The writer’s obligation to serve their readers

Many beginning writers struggle with adhering to document writing conventions. For example, a scientific researcher might not know how to structure his or her first research paper. This is a problem because such papers follow a fairly conventional format (i.e., Abstract, Introduction, Methods and Materials, etc.) that readers expect. When such a paper does not follow this format, the writing does not serve to promote the reader’s understanding.

Similarly, some veteran writers struggle with the notion that their writing is for readers. As an example, I write many poems just for me. A problem would arise if I chose to submit such poems for publication because these poems were not created to serve readers. Thus, readers would probably struggle to understand them, and these readers would benefit very little from reading these poems.

“...knowing writing conventions and writing for readers are very important aspects of successful writing...”

As an editor, I’ve seen both issues many times. Both signal that the writer has failed to meet the aim of serving the reader. As such, knowing writing conventions and writing for readers are very important aspects of successful writing; without either, writing fails.

The need for constructive criticism

Editing often involves criticism. Such criticism should always be constructive, but in some cases, editors still risk offending writers. After all, much criticism is difficult to hear. We all want to be good at what we do, and hearing we need to improve on weak aspects can be difficult.

However, a good editor does not avoid communicating criticism constructively simply to spare the feelings of a writer. If the writing could be improved, thus improving the writer’s craft, it’s much better to share criticism.

As an editor, I know this. As a writer, I have struggled with it. It’s not fun to hear that you’ve failed to successfully craft a sentence, paragraph, or even a full document. Like the heavy revision that can come with editing, criticism is both an inevitability and a painful part of being a writer. However, it is one that allows us to improve. Taking criticism seriously, not personally, can allow a writer to go from mediocre to great.

The notion that only what is on the page matters

It doesn’t matter that the concept of your story is flawless, unique, and relatable unless you can communicate it in writing. Only what is on the page matters. Your ideas can be the best of the best, but if you cannot get them on the page, readers will never know.

“...for your story to stand out, how you tell it is far more important than what you say in it.”

What you have to say in writing may be totally irrelevant if you cannot say it in the right way. How you say something is always more important than what you say, especially in a world of adaptations, sequels, and reboots. According to many, originality is dead. That means that, for your story to stand out, how you tell it is far more important than what you say in it.

Editors focus on crafting writing that says what it has to say in the way that makes the most sense (and is the most correct). From editing so many client documents, I learned that form is just as important as content (if not more!).

Conclusion

Being a writer taught me how to be a good editor, and becoming an editor taught me how to be a better writer, in all these ways and more. While the skill sets are intertwined in many ways, they are inherently different, and each can motivate the other, as I’ve seen in my career thus far.

Our practices can and should inspire each other. If you’re an editor who doesn’t write, I encourage you to try writing a short story. If you’re a writer who doesn’t edit, I encourage you to offer to do so for a friend or family members. (Based on the frequent editing requests I get from my own friends and family members, they will definitely have something that needs editing). It’s possible that you’ll learn a lot, just like I did.

Plus, we could always use more editing writers and writing editors in the world. After all, who better to tinker with the written word?

Jes D.A. is a magician and a mechanic; that is to say, she creates pieces of writing from thin air to share as a writer, and she cleans up the rust and grease of other pieces of writing as an editor. She knows that there's always something valuable to be pulled out of a blank page or something shiny to be uncovered in one that needs a little polishing. When Jes isn't conjuring or maintaining sentences, she's devouring them, always hungry for more words.

#markgottliebliteraryagent #tridentmediagroup #editing #writing #editorialguidance

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