Editorial Feedback for Your Book
During the editing phase of book production, at some point authors receive feedback in the form of an editorial letter, or an edit memo. (Different editors use different terminology.) For the author, this can be nerve-wracking. What if the editor hated it? What if they point out a million ways the book needs to be changed, fixed, and more? What if the book isn’t ready to be published like they thought it was? Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First and foremost, remember that the editor’s goal is to help the book accomplish its mission — however the author has defined that. The feedback is meant to help authors. Depending on the type of editing, feedback looks different. Let’s break it down that way so the difference is clear. (And remember: Every editor works differently, so you’ll see general information here in addition to my own work style.)
Developmental Editing Memo
Developmental editing is looking at the manuscript as a whole for structural issues. A developmental edit memo could be several pages long, depending on whether the editor works in the manuscript or not. Sometimes editors will give an overview in the memo and address more specific issues within the manuscript itself. Some editors will give all feedback in the memo, broken down by chapter/section. The memo will provide strengths and weaknesses within the text with the author’s end goal for the book in mind.
When I put on my developmental editor hat, my goal is for the edit memo to provide a framework for the author to revise and improve the manuscript so that it meets the author’s goal. My overarching question is: Is the author solving the readers’ problem as they intend? If the answer to that question is no, it doesn’t matter whether material is missing, in the right order, or spelled correctly.
Copy Editing Memo
When you hire a copy editor, your book should be structurally sound. Chapters should be complete and in the right order. You shouldn’t be adding or removing sections of text. The editor is primarily looking for clarity at the paragraph and sentence level, as well as ensuring consistency in tone and delivery. The edit memo for a copy edit is generally much shorter than for a developmental edit.
The editor will point out, typically, repeat issues (grammatical or writing) that they addressed. For example, they might note in the memo that they spelled out all numbers up to nine and used numerals for 10 and larger. Or they might note that they’ve suggested some changes throughout because you’ve used a particular construction so often for emphasis that it’s actually taking away from that intended emphasis.
When I put on my copy editor hat, I want to put the author at ease about what the manuscript looks like with “tracked changes.” (Spoiler alert: It looks like a hot mess!) Seeing all of that markup can feel overwhelming. I advise authors to look at the material in two ways: one, for simple grammar/mechanical edits (a missing comma here, a type there), and two, for edits and queries that they need to study. If I’ve made an editorial suggestion in the text, I tend to include a comment with it explaining why I’m making the suggestion. It might be to tighten the text because the sentence is long. It might be to avoid using generic language like “there are.” It might be to make things more clear for readers.
It takes time to work through editorial feedback, but doing so improves your manuscript and brings you one step closer to holding that book in your hands! So take a deep breath, absorb what the edit memo says, and then work through the manuscript.