January Program: Developmental Editing
CWIP kicked off the new year on January 21 with a panel discussion, Developmental Editing: Not Just Commas and Colons. The well-attended event at NLU attempted to define developmental editing as well as give pointers for aspiring and current developmental editors.
The experts included Ela Booty, supervising editor at National Geographic School Publishing; Kelli Christiansen, a freelance developmental editor and owner of bibliobibuli professional editorial services; and Sarah Forbes Orwig, executive editor for book publishing and development at the American Bar Association. The panel was moderated by Tulie O'Connor, editorial director of the Institute of Real Estate Management.
The panel's first task was to define developmental editing. The group agreed that it involved taking a look at the big picture and adding value to the project, but beyond that it got a bit fuzzy. "There's no such thing as a typical project," Kelli laughed.
"Sometimes [the assigners] don't know" what they need, Ela said. Communication is essential in understanding the scope of the project. To this end, Kelli said that she always asks for as much documentation about the project as possible to get a better sense of the direction. She described the developmental editor's role as "a bridge between the author's words and the editor's vision."
The panel highlighted key skills for a developmental editor:
- Curiosity
- Skepticism
- Organization
- Ability to synthesize information
- Excellent oral and written communication
Ela added that it's important to "know when to follow the guidelines and when not to" and to be "more outspoken than soft-spoken." Once you've got the skills, Sarah emphasized that you have to be able to sell yourself and, if possible, "attach a dollar amount" to your advantages to make you stand out to an employer.
The panel discussed several ways to improve the quality of a developmental edit. "Fresh eyes are really important," Sarah said. She'll look at a manuscript first thing in the morning and again later that night to catch what she may have missed earlier. Kelli suggested editing on paper after editing electronically and reading difficult passages out loud to hear where the problems are. Ela recommended knowing when to ask for help. "The first time you run into a big problem, let the publisher know right away," she said, rather than struggling through a manuscript that poses more challenges than the assigner realized.
Although it's a somewhat nebulous and often challenging job, the panel agreed that developmental editing was rewarding work. Although Ela fell into the job by accident, she truly enjoys what she does. Sarah echoed her sentiments, saying that she, like most CWIPers, grew up with a love of words and was proud to incorporate that into her career. Kelli summed it up by saying, "It's like a puzzle, and once you've got all the pieces together, you've got a beautiful picture in front of you." With the advice of the evening's panel, the audience should have an easier time fitting their own puzzles together.
Claire Martinson is an associate project supervisor at Wright Group/McGraw-Hill as well as a freelance copyeditor and proofreader. She can be reached at clairemartinson@gmail.com.