My husband is a cabinet designer. He works with other kitchen designers to create dream kitchens with every detail customized. The amount of information packed into cabinet design is mind boggling, and fraught with error points. In order for the design to work from vision to production, every tiny tidbit has to be scrutinized, compared, mapped, drafted, and listed.
One particularly productive day, he told me about an issue he’d just helped solved. He talked about how vital it is to really listen to the kitchen designer in order to fully understand the vision they are seeking. When he listens well, he’s able to help them get to their vision by combining his expertise with theirs. Then the product is a true collaboration of minds.
For some reason, on that same particular day, I was in the middle of stewing about what my editing process would look like at Chicken Scratch Books. A light went on in my mind, and I realized that I wanted the same thing.
Each author has a vision for their story. My job is to understand that vision to the degree that I can utilize my expertise to help the writer shape their story to get there. That all starts with listening. And not just plain old listening. Listening to the point of understanding.
When I ask to see a whole manuscript, I’ll read it carefully and completely. Then I think about it for a little while. If I believe the author and the story have strong potential, I’ll email and ask for an “Understanding Call”. This is a video call where the author talks about their story with me. I ask specific questions, and the author gets to analyze why they did what they did with their writing. My goal is to really understand what the author’s vision is.
After this call, if collaboration to reach vision is possible, a publishing contract will be offered.
Then I’ll send a “Vision Letter”. This letter reviews all we discussed in the Understanding Call, gives general and specific recommendations for revision, and outlines what I believe needs to happen for the story to reach its intended vision. This will often include some pretty extensive revision suggestions. This is where we start the collaboration of the minds. The writer’s vision combined with the editor’s toolkit.
Then the author revises, with open communication on any questions they may have. The manuscript is sent to me again, and this time I do a complete page by page comment review. It goes back to the author again for more revision and editing.
Whew! Almost there.
Another read through. Another round of editing if needed. Work with a copy editor.
Publication. Cheers and chocolate!
Vision reached.