Often I’ll have someone reach out to ask me about becoming an editor. I have a page of resources I’ve been developing to share with them and, if they want more, they can book a meeting with me to talk through questions, concerns, etc. Through these meetings I tend to get a sense of who already has an idea of what this type of work means and who needs to seek a better understanding before they even think about looking at an author’s work. Usually this stems from some misconceptions about the role of an editor and the actual work.
These are the 5 most common misconceptions I’ve encountered during these conversations:
❌ “I like to read/I wrote and edited my own book, so I’m now an editor.”
Those are great prerequisites, sure, but they aren’t qualifications. Editing is a skill-based career. Each level has its own set of knowledge and skills to develop, and they aren’t built overnight or on your own with no one to help identify what you’re doing well (or not). My post “Becoming a Freelance Editor” has a list of places to start building those skills.
❌ “I like the idea of editing because I can change the story to what I like.”
This is one of the biggest no-nos in editing. A client’s story doesn’t belong to the editor, it belongs to the author. It’s not about what the editor would have done differently if they had written it—it’s about understanding the story that the author is actually telling (or trying to) and whether or not it meets genre expectations and the standards of good storytelling. If it’s not, suggestions should be made that help it reach the author’s goals for the story, not the editor’s personal tastes. (A recent example that came out of such a discussion: someone read their friend’s romance draft and wanted to suggest killing off one of the main characters because they think it would be stronger. That’s no longer a romance then, and the person offering such a suggestion isn’t working in the best interest of the manuscript/the author’s intentions, they’re working off their own preferences.)
❌ “I was hoping I’d be able to start making money and quit my job right away.”
Becoming a freelancer is literally starting a business, and it’s not an easy one to start. There’s no physical product for a customer to look at and say, “Yes, I’ll buy this!” It’s trust, it’s vulnerability, it’s flexibility, and a willingness to pivot if something isn’t working. The consistent work will come, but it will take time to find your rhythm and to build the kind of reputation that brings that consistency. When I decided to start editing full time, another editor told me that in their experience of mentoring many editors, it would take about three years for things to feel more stable. I’d say they were right on the mark.
❌ “Editing is just a guessing game.”
Of all the insulting comments that can sneak into the convos, this is always the one that fascinates me most. There can certainly be some subjectivity involved in any creative undertaking, but good editors have a knowledge base behind them that informs the suggestions they offer to their clients. Whether that comes from an intimate knowledge of style guides, a strong connection to language and how to play with it, or knowing the “rules” and expectations of genres and their stories, an editor should be able to give a solid explanation if asked why they suggested a change.
❌ “I read really fast, so if I edit 8 hours a day I can finish more manuscripts in a month.”
I mean, technically that’s true. But it would make someone a lousy editor and/or lead to burnout very fast. Editors don’t read through manuscripts at the standard reading rate—we read through very slowly and carefully. We pause, we take notes, we re-read. We also rarely edit more than 4–5 hours a day, max, due to the mental fatigue that creeps in. Pushing beyond the brain’s capacity means a higher chance of missing important things, and at that point we would be doing a disservice to our clients.
