The One Sentence That Is Guaranteed to Make Your Editor’s Eyes Roll

And Yet? Editors Hear it From Every Newbie We Work With

I am a writer, but I’m also an editor.

For decades, I’ve worked with writers to polish and publish their prose. (I’ve also edited over a dozen humor anthologies, for a number of different publishers.)

I’ve worked with beginning writers and accomplished writers, and every kind of writer in between, on projects ranging from 500-word humor pieces to 500 page fantasy novels.

If you hire me, I can’t promise that Random House will publish your book. But I can promise that after you’ve worked with me, your project will be in better shape than it was when we started.

Working with a new client the other day, I once again encountered The Dreaded Sentence.

After we dealt with it, instead of just moving on, I decided that, as a public service, I’d dispense some free advice to anybody who is thinking of working with an Editor/Writing Coach.

Avoid this sentence and you can save yourself both time and money. And earn the respect of your editor.

So. Here’s how it usually plays out.

Your editor tells you that a paragraph (or a line or your entire first page) doesn’t work. It needs to be either cut or upgraded.

Your response?

But my writing group loved that paragraph!

(For Writing Group you can substitute: husband, wife, partner, best friend who is also a writer , best friend who isn’t a writer but loves to read, dog, cat or hamster.)

I’ve talked to other editors about this. Unless we’re working with a pro? At some point, inevitably, a writer will insist on clinging to crappy prose that they adore because not only do they love it — so does somebody else!

Somebody else who isn’t an editor.

So let me get this straight. You’re paying me $60/hour for my expertise and advice — and then disregarding that advice? Because some amateur paragraph evaluator likes your paragraph?

Of course, when I begin to work with a new client, the first thing I always tell them is, “You aren’t working for me. I’m working for you. I’m just giving you advice. It’s good advice. But you are free to ignore it.”

And often, they do. For reasons that make sense to me. Such as? “I know that your suggestion about improving that paragraph is a good one, but I’d never say it like that. It just isn’t my voice.”

Fair enough. When that happens? We’ll work together to upgrade the paragraph in such a way that we’re both happy with it.

But “my writing group loved that paragraph?” Really?

Unless your writing group is made up of Anne Tyler, Stephen King, David Sedaris, Tina Fey and Richard Russo? Or half a dozen editors from the New York Times?

Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn what your writing group thinks.

You are paying me for my educated opinion about this paragraph — and I’m telling you it’s a turd.

Now let’s stop wasting our time, jettison that turd, and replace it with something that actually works.

You’re welcome.

Writing Coach and editor-for-hire Roz Warren, who writes for everyone from the Funny Times to the New York Times, can help you improve and publish your work. Drop her a line at [email protected]. (That’s Ros with an “s,” not a “z.”)