Editing Philosophy
No one speaks of enjoying difficult times. However, how often do we emerge from a challenge to discover that our difficulties propelled us toward growth and transformation? Without the challenge, there would be no breakthrough. For a manuscript, editing is the challenge that produces breakthrough. Editing digs into a manuscript in order to produce growth and transformation.
The editor acts as both challenger and wise counsel. The editor’s job is to make the manuscript the best possible version of itself while staying true to the writer’s intentions with the piece. Editors should prod the manuscript: ask questions, provide suggestions, point to places that need to be changed or looked at. Editors must also be adaptable and comprehensive—there’s many factors to consider when editing a manuscript, so editors must read on multiple levels at once. Rather than to fix or re-write the piece, the editor’s role is to suggest to the writer how to develop and grow the piece. Hence, wise counsel.
My editing style involves reading closely to grasp the writer’s intention, then providing every possible suggestion to strengthen and clarify that intent. Toward the end of adapting my style to suit the manuscript, I might pack the margins of one manuscript with comments, suggestions, and edits, while another might require a few edits per page. When communicating with writers, I emphasize that the manuscript is theirs; my edits are suggestions, because my purpose is not to revise their piece for them, but to launch them into revisions.
During the acquisition stage, the editor’s primary responsibility is to the magazine. The editor must consider which pieces fit within the magazine’s aesthetic and prioritize manuscripts that contribute to the wellbeing and growth of the magazine. After acquisition, the editor’s responsibility shifts to the manuscript. It is then the manuscript that must be pushed to grow—not the magazine or the writer. When working on a manuscript, however, an editor should prioritize fostering healthy and symbiotic relationships with writers. A good editor strives to strike a balance between grace and truth—truth to push the manuscript toward growth and grace to bolster the writer into strengthening their writing.
Darby Brown
Editor-in-Chief
The editor acts as both challenger and wise counsel. The editor’s job is to make the manuscript the best possible version of itself while staying true to the writer’s intentions with the piece. Editors should prod the manuscript: ask questions, provide suggestions, point to places that need to be changed or looked at. Editors must also be adaptable and comprehensive—there’s many factors to consider when editing a manuscript, so editors must read on multiple levels at once. Rather than to fix or re-write the piece, the editor’s role is to suggest to the writer how to develop and grow the piece. Hence, wise counsel.
My editing style involves reading closely to grasp the writer’s intention, then providing every possible suggestion to strengthen and clarify that intent. Toward the end of adapting my style to suit the manuscript, I might pack the margins of one manuscript with comments, suggestions, and edits, while another might require a few edits per page. When communicating with writers, I emphasize that the manuscript is theirs; my edits are suggestions, because my purpose is not to revise their piece for them, but to launch them into revisions.
During the acquisition stage, the editor’s primary responsibility is to the magazine. The editor must consider which pieces fit within the magazine’s aesthetic and prioritize manuscripts that contribute to the wellbeing and growth of the magazine. After acquisition, the editor’s responsibility shifts to the manuscript. It is then the manuscript that must be pushed to grow—not the magazine or the writer. When working on a manuscript, however, an editor should prioritize fostering healthy and symbiotic relationships with writers. A good editor strives to strike a balance between grace and truth—truth to push the manuscript toward growth and grace to bolster the writer into strengthening their writing.
Darby Brown
Editor-in-Chief
