[Tipster] Are You Emotionally Prepared to Make Changes to Your Manuscript?

We called it the “80% Rule.”

My first real professional job was as an assistant editor at a publication.

I acquired and edited magazine articles. I also edited books, since the publication company had partnerships with several book publishers.

Over time, we (the other editors and I) came up with a general rule for evaluating and accepting manuscripts:

If the manuscript was not, roughly, “80% there,” we would reject it altogether. The writer would receive a “Sorry, your manuscript isn’t a good fit for us” email or letter.

If the manuscript was at least 80% to the point of where we could publish it, we asked the writer for a rewrite.

The Pattern of Reactions

The idea was this:

Every article needed revision. Always.

But if the article was not at last "80% there" at the start, we rejected it.

Why?

Because didn't want to waste our time. Or that of the writer's.

If we asked the writer to make changes (and we almost always did), and he or she was not able to improve the manuscript even a lick with our recommendations, we could still publish it.

Meaning, as editors, we could improve the manuscript to move it from a B-minus (80%) to at least an A minus (91%).

During my years as an editor, I began to notice a pattern when we did a final edit on a manuscript.

The more experienced the writer, the more grateful was his or her response to the redlines or recommendations.

The more inexperienced writer, the more frustrated this person was when seeing the recommended changes for the first time.

He bristled at our edits. Or she complained bitterly when she saw the published article in print.

She thought it was perfect when she submitted it!

Mature writers tend to crave developmental and line editing. They know and value professional editing.

And so should you.

Dismissive or Grateful?

I had dinner the other night with a friend who until recently was a senior vice president at one of the largest publishing companies in the world.

He is now quasi-retired and still does book editing.

Recently, an agent asked him to take a look at a manuscript that was already accepted for publication but still needed a bit of editorial work.

The author was a prominent writer from an Ivy League university.

My friend conducted both a developmental and then a line edit of her book. During the process, he recommended that the author reposition her book thesis and make some adjustments to her chapters.

The changes were not insignificant.

Her response:

"I've been looking for this kind of editing. I am so grateful for your help."

She then asked him if he would help edit her next book.

What's your response when you have a professional edit your writing?

Are you dismissive? Or thankful for the edits?

Now buckle up and write.

Dave Goetz
Co-Founder