Who knew that an editor also needs to be a psychologist and a life coach? 

Editing our books is the most stressful part of the project because it triggers the most resistance in our authors. The editing process is a self-development and healing journey. I know that, but sometimes they don’t. 

With a deeper understanding of the process, at least the one here at Brave Healer Productions, your experience when you hire a book editor should feel outstanding and transformative. And I hope you’ll take this information out into the world for your other projects and find the perfect right match for you, whether you publish with us or not. 

I learned about editing from several awesome sources. After participating in Smart Blogger’s  Freedom Machine and Content Marketing Certification courses, and Marie Forleo’s B-School and Copy Cure courses, I knew enough about the copy edit phase of a project to understand it at another level. Blogging and copywriting are some of my very favorite forms of writing because of the style and emotion-packed words we use and the possible impact on the reader. 

Book editing brilliance came from Laura Munson and her Haven Writing Retreat. I attended both levels 1 and 2. It was disappointing to see the first 30 pages of my new book after she’d marked them up in red. But it showed me what I didn’t know or hadn’t been thinking about in terms of writing. After the painful process of taking the feedback, I was addicted to being a better writer forever. That was a gift. She could deliver important feedback in a way that didn’t trash my ego. Thanks, Laura. That might be one of the secrets of a brilliant editor. 

I’ve also worked with half a dozen editors who gave me tips and tricks as they combed through my material, asking me questions about certain portions I never would’ve thought of. Working closely with editors makes you a much better self-editor. I appreciate every form of feedback I’ve received. Every experience added to my knowledge and helped. Now I love to pay that knowledge forward. 

But, in the beginning, I hated all of them. 

I was so triggered by the suggestions, feedback, and red marks that I had to work through it for months. I was such a perfectionist, and so caught up in what I knew I couldn’t pause and step back to see the gifts I was being given. 

Until I did, and everything changed. 

I call myself a recovering perfectionist now. Thanks to my martial arts practice, I adopted a beginner’s mind and now appreciate everything I learn at another level, especially about writing. That was a game-changer. I’m still learning. I will learn until I die. And I will publish many words and books without them being perfect because I know there’s someone out there who needs to read them exactly the way they were written, with my unique voice. 

What you should know about book editing

There are three phases of editing:

1.  Proofreading

2. Copy Edit

3. Developmental Edit

The proofreading process ensures your grammar is correct and there aren’t any mistakes or typos. The copy edit addresses the copywriting of each line of your manuscript to ensure they are well-written, make sense, are powerful, transition well, and are the best active writing they can be. The developmental edit pulls the entire manuscript together from start to finish and ensures the book as a whole has a throughline, makes sense, flows, isn’t missing important scenes or details, and is an engaging read. 

I’m going to be a rebel now and tell you there’s a secret fourth phase nobody knows about. It’s coaching the author through the healing journey of writing and publishing. Let’s call this the Freakout Management phase. And it’s oh-so-important. 

If you don’t understand the phases, you won’t know what you’re paying for, and that seems to be a problem when I talk to disappointed authors. Make sure you ask about the three phases and the cost for each or all. The cost of a book editor depends on what phases they are assisting with. Some editors charge by the word (and that can range between two and nine cents a word, depending). Some editors charge per project. Do your research before you interview and don’t be afraid to ask these questions up front during your interview. 

Other things you should know:

• There are self-editing techniques to start with that will greatly enhance your experience. My favorite is reading your work out loud to yourself. 
• There’s a right editor for you, one who understands and enjoys your material and who you can communicate effectively with, and frankly, who you enjoy being around. They are part editor, part psychologist, and part life coach, whether they advertise like that or not. 
• Editing should enhance your work, not trash or change your voice. 
• When you’re done, you should have a clean, well-written manuscript you’re proud of that is ready for publishing. 
• Even at the publishing stage, there will probably be a typo or two. 

All writing is a healing process

I gave this its own heading rather than a bullet point because I believe it’s the most missed piece of information out there about editing. The editing process, especially if it’s your first book, is a self-development and healing journey. You sharing words in the world for more than just your mom and BFF to read is a big-potatoes deal. If you understand this, and your editor is someone who honors this, your experience will be phenomenal. Otherwise, your experience can be disappointing at best. Hence the Freakout Management stage of editing. 

This is important to me at another level because when I wrote my first book, it was part memoir. I wrote about my family without naming names. I was terrified and relieved. I prioritized my healing by prioritizing that book and its publication. That may have been the first time I tried to find my voice and express it out loud in a much bigger way. The therapeutic ramifications of that event are still rippling today in my storytelling. You’ll find Living, Healing, and Taekwondo on Amazon. It’s the book I wrote before I knew everything I’m sharing with you today. Don’t judge. I had no editor and definitely no book or life coach helping me back then. I was my own. 

Not all book publishers are alike when it comes to editing. At Brave Healer Productions, we honor the writing and Publishing process as the healing process it is. Because we do that, our books have another level of energy and intention required to move our readers into transformational action. Our books are life-changing because we demand a life-changing process from our authors in the writing process. Are they perfect? No. And that’s unapologetically on purpose. One thing I know for sure is they’re getting better each time we are brave enough to share them, and so are our authors. 

The Brave Healer Productions Editing Process

I’ve often been asked about the editing process by authors who’ve been disappointed or, worse, are fearful due to a bad experience in the past. Man, that bums me out. Here’s what I want our Brave Healer authors to know about our process: 

1. We care about you and the words you’re sharing. We want to preserve your unique voice in a way you’re proud of. We will work with you to make that happen and help you share writing people love reading. 

2. We want you to go from thinking you’re an okay writer (or maybe not thinking you’re a writer at all) to knowing you’re a great writer. We understand this process is a learning process and aim to help you with skills that last a lifetime.

3. We honor the process of idea creation, writing, editing, publishing, and promotion as the healing and self-development journey it is. Our process is supportive and a co-creation and collaboration. We understand the writer’s freakout moments and can hold a healing space for that as you journey through them. We’ve been there, too. We are more than just editors. 

4. We speak healer-speak, but we’re here to be your translator, too. With several eyes on your words and throughout the proofing and editing process, it can seem frustrating when words or sentences are changed and then don’t make sense to you. It’s our job to help you write words that resonate and that your ideal readers fully understand. Sometimes, different eyes and perspectives can seem frustrating. Still, because there are so many ways to interpret an idea, it’s a fantastic process to understand how different minds read the same line differently. We aim to stay open to your interpretation and make suggestions to help your readers understand and resonate with your words.

5. We’re human. During the editing process, we know we’re not perfect. Honestly, we’ve given up on that. We want to co-create brave words that you’re proud to publish. We’re open to feedback and conversation and generally open to making this a great experience for you. We’re definitely not perfect. If you or your auntie, sister, or grandmother has an MFA or other certificate in writing or enjoys being the grammar police, we will warn you now; ask yourself this question: What do I want right now, to be perfect or to help change someone’s life?

When you hire a book editor, I hope you understand the process better from the above tips, but mostly, I want you to know that writing from that connected place, where the words are coming from something much bigger than you, is how you know they’re the words to share. We’ll help you connect and then help you edit and refine that message so your readers can’t put it down. We’ll also help ensure your writing moves the reader into action with the next steps in getting to know, love, and trust you to be their brave healer. 

Got more questions about editing or publishing your words in one of our bestselling collaborations? We can’t wait to chat with you! Email us at support@LauraDiFranco.com 

Want more tips on great writing, copywriting, and book publishing? Get access to the Brave Healer Resources Vault.

PS. We know great editors. Need a referral. We got you. Reach out to support@LauraDiFranco.com