Editing is the same as quarrelling with writers—same thing exactly.
[Harold Ross—American Editor]
I’m a writer first and an editor second... or maybe third or even fourth. Successful editing requires a very specific set of skills, and I don’t claim to have all of them at my command.
[Lynn Abbey—American Author]
Why edit at all?
Because most authors, no matter how clean their manuscript, can only take their story so far. Authors by nature become caught up in their stories. By the end of the draft process, they are too close to their work. Because they know their story and story world so intimately, they can’t view it objectively.
What’s the Difference between Revisions and Edits?
The short answer is—semantics.
When I talk about revisions, though, I think Big Picture. That is developmental editing—tightening plot structure, fixing logistics, strengthening a character’s GMC and so forth.
I personally don’t think there is much point in doing a detailed line edit if large chunks of a book need to be rewritten.
When I talk about edits, I’m referring to line and copyediting.
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