“Engaging with the Growth Process”
Dear, writer, I hope you’ve had a great week and began to consider who might be a good beta reader for your work! This week, we’re going to go a step further in the editing process and discuss what it looks like to hire a professional editor—and why you absolutely need one.
A professional editor will bring a wealth of experience and insight to your story. Their years (and sometimes decades) of experience can save you years of trial and error and frustration. And a good editor will help you become become a stronger writer, by helping you learn how to hone in on and strengthen your unique message and story.
But before we get started, let’s take a look at some others who sought professional counsel or “editors” for their great works!
Editors in History
William Wilberforce is an excellent example of a man who sought counsel from those with years of experience beyond his own. As a rising politician in England, when Wilberforce encountered God, he considered giving up his political objectives to live a life pleasing to his new Lord. As he wrestled with this decision, Wilberforce sought the counsel of John Newton—and experience clergyman, abolitionist, and former slave trader. Newton, from his years of experience in the slave trade, politics, and ministry, was able to wisely counsel Wilberforce not to abandon his political ambitions to follow God, but instead to use them for God’s glory! That piece of sound advice opened Wilberforce’s eyes to possibilities he’d never considered and sparked a movement that led to the ending of the slave trade throughout the western world.
Editors in the Bible
King Belshazzar of Babylon is another example of a man who sought wise counsel, and though Belshazzar’s response and outcome were different, they are all the more instructive. When Belshazzar’s royal banquet was disturbed by the handwriting of God, he was terrified, but agreed to seek the counsel of Daniel who had the “spirit of the gods in him.” Daniel’s wealth of knowledge and relationship with God brought Belshazzar not just the translation of the mysterious words inscribed on his wall, but also the interpretation and intent of God behind it. Sadly, though Belshazzar recognized and rewarded Daniel’s wisdom, he did not let that wisdom spur him to any kind of change. And God’s message of Belshazzar’s overthrow was fulfilled.
You see, here’s the interesting thing, writer. We all need input from those wiser than us. But once we get that feedback, knowing how to respond to it and what to do with it is key. Belshazzar received wisdom and insight from Daniel but did not even attempt to repent. After he received the terrible news, he did not ask Daniel the next logical question, “What should I do?” Belshazzar did not know what he did not know: that the God of all the world is gracious and merciful and often relents from disaster when sinners repent. Belshazzar’s summary glance at and reward of Daniel’s wise input wasn’t enough to save him from calamity.
Editors in Life
I sought wise counsel the year that I participated in a competition for small business startups. All the participants were invited to pitch their small business ideas, and the top five “winners” would then form teams to attempt to “start” their business over the weekend. I thought it was a fabulous idea, but when my “start up” was chosen as one of the five, I was shocked and immediately terrified to realized that as a “winner” I would have to stand up and present the finished business to the entire group at the end of the weekend.
Immediately, I sought the advice of the event organizer and said, “I can’t speak in public, but I know I am supposed to be the one to present! What do I do?” He kindly gave me a very good piece of advice, saying, “Most people can speak about something they are passionate about. Find that part of your project and speak about it. Let your team present the rest.”
Heeding his experience and advice, I pushed past my fear and did speak about what I was passionate about that weekend. And I haven’t stopped. That speaking has turned into writing, blogging, and teaching of all kinds of things I am passionate about…and has continued to expand to this day!
Editors in Your Life
Here’s one of the amazing things, writer. A piece of excellent advice has the ability, not just to improve your manuscript, but to reshape the trajectory of your life and to grow, not just your message, but who you are as a writer. Just like Newton shaped Wilberforce and Scott (the event organizer) shaped my trajectory. And this is the interesting thing. When we seek the counsel of others, we are expanding the ways and channels that God can speak into our lives, too. Let me show you:
- The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but a wise man listens to advice. – Proverbs 12:15
Without counsel plans fail, but with many advisers they succeed. – Proverbs 15:22
Plans are established by counsel; by wise guidance wage war. – Proverbs 20:18
Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning. – Proverbs 9:9
Let the wise hear and increase in learning, and the one who understands obtain guidance… – Proverbs 1:5
You see, writer? We need the wisdom of those who have gone before us. And we need as we get that advice—unlike King Belshazzar—to know how to apply it. Sometimes that second step is the trickiest. But you will notice that part of Belshazzar’s failure was in his lack of engagement. Often it’s in asking the next question or engaging in conversation with God, our editor, and others and then engaging with the advice given that true illumination begins to grow.
It was in conversation with Newton that Wilberforce gained clarity. It was in a dialogue with Scott that the “impossible” became “possible” to me. Those conversations and our ensuing engagement have changed lives across the world. Belshazzar, on the other hand, simply took Daniel’s input as a data point and continued on his current path. In the same way, your editorial experience will only be as beneficial as your engagement in it.
Where to Start with Editors
A professional editor is an invaluable resource for your writing and career as a writer, and finding the right one for you is key! If you’re wondering where to start, here are a few things to consider as you begin:
- Ask God for Wisdom. Ask for God’s wisdom and guidance as you seek out an editor. He’s the one who called you, and He is the one who knows exactly what you and your story need to grow. Be prepared to listen to what He says! Sometimes, the best editor for us is not the one you’d expect. The editor of my fantasy novel is a modern romantic suspense writer. But her structured approach was exactly what I needed to clarify and strengthen my own story.
- Attend Writers Events. One of the best ways to find an editor is to get engaged in writing communities, conferences, and groups. Our best connections in life often come through interactions with others as God uses His body to strengthen us by what every joint supplies! We are made to function in the context of a body. When we keep ourselves separate from those He’s given us to walk with, we can inadvertently cut off ways He would like to bring grace and direction and strength to us. Every step of my personal writing journey has been intersected in some way by a relationship that came about through a writing group or event!
- Do a “Test.” Sometimes at events, editors will agree to review the first few pages of your work and give you their thoughts for a small fee. This can be an excellent way to get to know an editor and for an editor to get to know you to see if you are a good fit. If you’re feeling pretty good about a certain editor you’ve met or are researching, many will also be open to editing your first chapter (again for a fee) as well.
- Know Your Story. As you seek out editors, it’s important that you know what factors must remain intact in your story and what your story is really trying to accomplish. A good editor can help you reach those goals and will be willing to dialogue with you about what that looks like when their notes might seem at odds with those goals (which will happen from time to time!). They will also be willing to explain notes you don’t fully understand. Again, working with a professional editor is all about the ability to have a quality conversation that will help shape your perspective and the trajectory of your story!
Because here’s the thing, writer. We don’t know what we don’t know. But…only we know what we do know. As my editor told me, “You know your story best!” We alone are the experts on the message God has given us and how He’s directing us to share that message to touch the hearts He intends. However, because we are the experts on our story, it’s incumbent upon us to take what we do know and— through wise counsel—truly become experts and learn and discern what we are missing. What our story desperately needs to become the very best it can be.
IIt took a willingness to bend for Wilberforce to heed his mentor’s unconventional and unexpected approach at the time to marry politics and faith. For me to listen to Scott’s advice, I had to push past my fears into an entirely new and uncomfortable sphere. But here’s the final thing: A good editor will push us out past where we’re comfortable and into a new space. A space where we and our story can grow and become everything they were meant to be. But that growth process can often be messy. After all, there is a reason we call them growing pains!
The key to choosing and learning from your editor will be found in an openness to grow and in a clear grasp of the uniqueness and value of your story and of the One who’s calling and equipping you and your story. In other words, the benefit of an editor comes from engaging fully with them, with your work, and with the Lord as you wrestle through their notes.
Though it may feel costly and uncomfortable, I promise it’s worth it. As you work through this process, you will be expanding the scope both of your story and of your own understanding and language and will be increasing the number of ways God can talk to you about your book. So, I encourage you, today, to consider seeking out a professional editor for your book. God may be waiting to have a whole new level of conversation with you. And a whole new level of conversation with others through the work He’s equipping you to do.
#editing #editors #growth #equipping #conversation #EveryWriterWriting
