I am just starting out on this journey and I am so excited. It takes a lot of work to beat a novel into shape, only to have a stranger tear it apart, but that's all a part of the process. Over the last few weeks, I've reached out to a few different freelance editors and I just got the sample edits back from one of them! I knew before I opened the document that there was going to be red all over the first few pages of my novel, so it wasn't a surprise.
However, I was surprised that it didn't upset me to see my words changed and moved around, instead it excited me. Finally, I was in the last inning with Soothsayer and soon people all over the world would be able to read a really well polished book. As I looked over the changes, I was pleasantly surprised by what the editor had to say and what he changed. He did a great job of keeping my voice intact and the edits were minor. Things like flipping a sentence or using a different word really helped bring the scene to life in an exciting new way.
Now of course I want to jump at the first person who wants to edit my book. I mean this has been a work in progress for 7 years now, but patience truly is a virtue and I cant wait to see how the other sample edits come back! When I first started thinking about getting a professional edit, I wasn't sure how I would feel about someone else editing my work, after all it was my story. But I must say, its exciting to have someone come back and be just as excited about my book as I am. Here's to the next step in my writing process.
Until next time!