A Respectful Relationship
The Editor’s Mark is here to help you, the author, create the best possible piece it can be, to make it easily and fluidly readable, understandable, and clear. The editor is a support role to make sure your work shines and keeps your voice and intent.
The relationship between an author and an editor needs to be built on mutual respect. The author must believe the editor’s desire is to get out of the way and let the author shine. The editor meanwhile needs to be respectful of the work and inspiration the author has poured into the piece and work to enrich it while maintaining its integrity.
Perspective
It’s easy to get too close to a work, to become overwhelmed by your muse, or not to know what to do next with your manuscript. That is where an editor can help. The Editor’s Mark can give you a game plan to whip your rough draft into submission. The editor is coming at the work with fresh eyes and a reader’s perspective to help you know what does and does not work.
They will help you start by defining your audience and understanding what the reader’s expectations are as well as what you wish to convey, then help you mold the work, so it meets those goals.
Balance
Do you have enough character development, does your timeline make sense, is it easy for the reader to know who is doing what and when, or will they get overwhelmed or confused? The Editor’s Mark will help you find the balance between too much or little of the of the major things (character development, plot points, location changes, timeline jumping) all the way down to the balance of use of adjectives and adverbs, cliches, or foreign expressions.
Clarity
The Editor’s Mark will be sure there is a clear vision of the point of the piece and where it is going, even in fiction. While these may be crystal clear in the mind of the writer (who has spent a lot of time living with the words and concepts), its important that they are conveyed in such a way that they are just as clear to the audience.