An interview with an industry 'book doctor'...

What a freelance editor can do for you, and how to know when to use one...plus some excellent writing tips for when you feel stuck!

Hi everyone!

This week, I interviewed superstar freelance editor and ghost writer, Gillian Stern, who shares some amazing insights below about how she works with authors, how you know when you might need an external editor, what to do if you can’t afford one, and some very helpful general writing tips, too. Gillian has worked with a huge range of authors, many of whom are Sunday Times bestsellers, and has ghosted books that have gone on to become NetFlix shows and West End hits! She’s also a lovely human being, and we have judged the Lucy Cavendish writing prize together a number of times.

I hope you find it useful, and as always, feel free to reach out directly or in the comments if you have any questions…

Welcome to The Honest Editor, Gillian!

To start with, please can you tell us about your job and how you work with writers?

I am a structural and developmental editor of fiction and non-fiction, passionate about my work. Manuscripts come from agents, publishers and writers, and around two-thirds of the manuscripts I receive have either representation and the agent would like to go out on submission, or already have representation and a publishing deal. I also work on manuscripts by not-yet published or already-published writers who want a fresh pair of eyes and/or a sharp pencil on a manuscript before they submit to agents, prizes or their publisher.

Sometimes I am referred to as a book doctor, but I see myself more in the business of hairdressing – cutting, shaping, injecting some colour, texture, volume, movement and style into novels and non-fiction.

I work in several ways depending on what is needed, but mostly I give either:

· A straightforward critique of a manuscript – what is/what isn’t working, with ideas and suggestions as to ways forward. This comes in the form of a report and I always offer a follow-up call or meeting.

· A structural and developmental edit which does the above but in far more detail, with tracked changes and comments along the side of the manuscript. This is much more forensic and thorough and the service that most writers find more helpful. It enables me to be much more specific. For example, if I think a character needs more internal development or the reader needs to form a tighter connection with them, I will make that point as a note and then mark the places in the script where, and how I think this could happen.

I also write non-fiction book proposals, mostly on behalf of agents before they put a new book project out to publishers. I may also go on to ghost-write these books, the other half of my job. I have ghosted 12 memoirs, one of which was turned into a West End Musical, another a Netflix series and five have been Sunday Times bestsellers. The reason I mention this is that it means I too am at various points in the year, faced with blank pages that I have to fill. And once there are around 80,000 words on those pages, I am on the receiving end of editorial notes from a whole team at my publisher. Being on the end of editorial notes makes me sensitive to how I deliver mine – constructively; and where I think something may not be working, with suggestions and ideas; never prescriptively and always with admiration and respect.

What are some of the most interesting projects you’ve worked on - and your biggest challenge as a freelancer?

I have worked on such a wide range of books for so many different agents and publishers, that it’s almost impossible to choose. I feel privileged and delighted every time I receive a new manuscript and I make sure I feel fresh and open as I approach each one. Swimming outdoors at 6.30 am all year round helps with this.

Freelance life can be challenging on a number of levels. Fortunately, I am continuously in work, so I don’t have to worry about the volume and frequency of work, but I do find I am sometimes over-committed and I now have a much calmer and honest approach to meeting expectations. I guess, having worked on over 500 manuscripts, many prize winners and best sellers, it still hurts that I am rarely invited to publishing parties, or prize-giving ceremonies. In fact despite having books on the shortlist, and asking if I can come, I have never been invited to The Women’s Prize, even being told one year there was ‘no room’ (I am tiny!). Fortunately, the acknowledgements in the books I edit and the ongoing work matter more to me.

What advice would you give to aspiring authors?

My top piece of advice would be to enjoy it, to truly embrace the creativity you are bringing to the page and to feel proud that you produce anything like a bunch of coherent and usable words. I would also advise you to continue to read while you are writing, though I know some writers like to shut off from other voices and that’s fine too.

And then, I would include the following:

· Write, even when you don’t feel ‘inspired’. Set yourself a regular writing routine and as far as you can, stick to it.

· Less is more. Don’t over-write and try to cut down on adverbs (unless you are Richmal Crompton – Queen of the Brilliantly Used Adverbs)

· Be patient and kind to yourself. Give yourself time to write a whole book, it won’t get written overnight. Set yourself realistic targets and your word count will soon build.

· Keep writing and try not to edit as you go along. A first draft is just that and not meant to be perfect. It’s amazing how good it feels to get to the end of that first draft and then go back and discover the pleasure of editing.

· Read your material out loud. As a ghost writer I do this at the end of every day of writing. I need to sound like the person I am inhabiting and I can’t hear that inside me as accurately as I can reading out loud.

· Think about your reader. Think about them connecting to your material. What will matter to them, what will allow them to place their emotional investment in your narrative.

· Get feedback, but remember your friends and family will tell you it’s brilliant. Join a writing group or find a reader you can trust not to be simply bowled over by the fact you have written anything at all.

· Don’t take critiques or criticism personally. Look for constructive criticism – if your editor or reader tells you something isn’t working, they should always be able to offer a fresh way of looking at the problem.

And know that it’s worth it. Even after all these years in the business, I still get that little shiver of delight every time I open a new manuscript and I have deep admiration for anyone who has sustained a narrative for more or less 80,000 + words.

How does an author know when to use a freelance editor? Should they use one before getting an agent? What’s the best route?

There is no set pattern here. If you feel your work needs a fresh pair of eyes before submission to an agent – and you have the budget – then it can be a good idea. Or, if you feel you have reached an impasse and can’t see how to improve the pace or structure and sensibility of your writing and feel like another perspective could help, then a freelance editor is a good way to go. The best route for finding one is word of mouth or recommendation and there are several literary consultancies that can help find you an editor.

What about if writers cannot afford to pay freelance editors - what advice would you give them?

To join a local writing group where you give feedback in return for receiving feedback. There are some online communities too such as Scribophile. Also to find a good reader you can trust. And to enter competitions – if you get placed on a longlist, shortlist or win one of these, this can be your ticket to success.

How do you know when your work on a manuscript is done?

I kind of know and it’s hard to articulate. I tend to read the script through first, let it settle over a couple of swims and then get to work. If I am doing a structural line/developmental edit, it’s pretty much over by the end of the manuscript. I always send covering email with the edited script, and so I let the edit settle for a couple of days and then write the email. Sometimes, things occur to me at this stage and so I go back in – but generally these are smaller details rather than substantive suggestions.

What are some of the biggest problems you see in new manuscripts?

I look first and foremost for good writing and connection to characters. I don’t need to like them but I do need in some way, to care and to want to invest. If a novel is mostly about plot, this has to compel me and above all, whatever it is about or whoever is leading me through, I need to feel that there is something at stake and what I am reading, on some level, matters.

These are some of the issues that I come across, common to a great many manuscripts.

· Overwriting, with too much description, redundant adverbs, too much scene setting or world-building (especially in openings) making the narrative static and preventing a reader from that all-important immersion and connection. Less often there can be underwriting where an author leaves out key scenes, character development, or the emotional sensibility the reader needs.

· Exposition in which characters tell each other things that they would already know, so the author can get material over to the reader.

· ‘Information Dumping’ – too much information creating a lecturing tone which slows things down, overwhelming the reader and getting in the way of plot or character development. This mostly occurs in memoirs, narrative non-fiction and historical, period, world-building novels. Less is always more. The skill of conveying information or new worlds etc should come through your characters, plot, sensibilities.

· A not-yet-defined focus or structure, which is often more straightforward to fix in non-fiction. In fiction it often centres on a meandering subplot or undefined jeopardy/stakes.

· Characterisation – sometimes characters are not connecting with the reader because we don’t have enough access to their internal or external observations, their motivations and sensibilities. If I am working intensely with an author, I may suggest we go for a walk to talk them through and it’s amazing what that can do to bring them back to the page with life and soul.

· Inconsistent points of view – this can be confusing for readers and really worth sorting out as a matter of priority.

· Inconsistent tenses – always fixable.

· Stiff or unlikely dialogue and that always gets in the way of immersion or enjoyment and the opposite – good and realistic dialogue can help so much with character development or advancing/deepening a plot.

· Pacing can cause a reader to lose interest, so it’s important that there isn’t either dash or a drag through plot or key events.

· Abrupt, unlikely or emotionally unsatisfying endings. With some thought and work in some of the key areas above, these can be transformed.

As you can see, I love my work with a passion. I would urge anyone reading this, who is writing to embrace it, enjoy it and to be proud of every usable word that goes down on the page.

You can contact Gillian on: gillybethstern@hotmail.com X: @gillybethstern

Thank you so much, Gillian, for your time and expertise! And thank you everyone for reading The Honest Editor this week. Your support and engagement is always much appreciated.

Phoebe x