Exactly Editing will soon have a new website. Since I now offer a more sophisticated range of editing services for my clients than I did back in 2016, I wanted my website to reflect that.

On the new website you'll find four services (developmental editing, line editing, copy editing and academic proofreading) which fall under one of two service categories - 1. Creative Editing, or 2. Procedural Editing - and one service (book doctor work) which allows you to combine a tailored menu of services from either (or both) of these categories.

In this article, I will explain what is meant by 'Creative Editing', as provided by Exactly Editing. More detail on each of the services mentioned will be available soon, both on my new website, and in future The Page Turner newsletter articles.

As creative editing is not a term you're likely to have heard before, I'll break it down into its key components, so that you can see how it might help you.

What, who and how?

In essence, creative editing is about working closely with writers at various different stages of their process. Creative editing helps authors to shape their writing into something that will be eagerly read by the readers they want to attract, capture and keep.

A good creative editor is someone who reads your writing as your readers would/will, and gives feedback and encouragement to you on that basis. If you like lots of feedback, interaction, encouragement and synergy while you write, a creative editor should be the person you seek out to read your work first.

Creative editing involves:


  • developmental editing and line editing work - and sometimes, a little bit of gentle coaching...
  • deep reading, but also the ability to "zoom out" from the writing
  • macro and micro analyses of the writing
  • detailed feedback to the author/writer (in the text and in person)
  • the exchange of ideas
  • asking the author/writer questions (not simply for clarification, but also to prompt inspiration or introduce a new reader viewpoint or framework)
  • ongoing author-editor interactions, trust building, prompting and brainstorming


Why?

Creative editing should be your starting point if:


  • you want your writing to be something that people will really want to read
  • you are serious about getting your writing noticed, appreciated, shared and bought by the actual readers you have in mind
  • you'd like an experienced and professional reader (all good creative editors are readers first!) to accompany you along the path to publication
  • if you'd appreciate some structured help and encouragement to get you through periods of struggle with your writing


When?

As soon as you have the following, you are ready to get in touch with a creative editor, to find out how they can help you get your writing read and received well by your readers:


  • an idea, your first few pages, a draft manuscript, and/or any other draft of long-form writing ready
  • a fairly disciplined and regular writing process (able to set goals and meet them with your writing)
  • a distinct/ideal readership
  • a timeline (can be flexible) for submission


Added extras:

Experienced creative editors may also offer helpful options in addition their editing services, such as manuscript assessments (e.g. for authors who have a lower budget available), market research (i.e. knowing and describing your readership and what they are currently seeking to read, so you can submit to the right agent/publisher), and tips for pitching your manuscript to agents and publishers (also useful if you are self-publishing, as this can be used to help build your author website and social media following). In case you are wondering, Exactly Editing offers all of these options to its clients.

So, now you know a bit more about what we mean by creative editing (as opposed to 'Procedural Editing', which I'll explain in a future article). I'll leave you with a short list of aspects that are not creative editing...

Creative Editing is Not!...


  1. Fussing around with linguistic details (this is important too, but it comes later on, it doesn't involve reading your writing as your readers would, and it cannot convince a reader to read your work in the same way that good creative editing does).
  2. Reading your work like a teacher might (with the main purpose being "correction") - i.e. creative editing is about: creativity, development, growth, and the generation of ideas and connections.
  3. Editing in a vacuum (i.e. whereas Procedural Editing - more on this in future articles - can be carried out in this way, creative editing needs regular interaction between the writer and the editor to succeed and be worth the investment).
  4. Charging by word count (during the creative editing phase, word counts can change drastically, so this type of editing is always costed by the hour).


Creative editing is something that can benefit any writer of long-form work, from fiction authors and children's writers, through to technical experts or academics publishing their first book. If you have a good idea, a manuscript you know should be read, or a piece of academic writing that you want to turn into a book, come and see what Exactly Editing can offer you in terms of creative editing services.