With all my wonderful crit partners and beta readers, I digested their input and suggestions and tried to decide which things would make my stories better, even if sometimes I didn't agree at first. Then I made the changes I wanted.
In the end, it was still my vision, still totally up to me.
Then came editorial input from my agent, requested edits from prospective editors, and now from
my publisher's editor. These are different animals altogether. I've been lucky enough to have input and say during these processes, but now some of the final decisions aren't just mine.
The reality is, it takes a shared vision to publish a book with a publisher.
This is for the best. I have confidence in those I'm working with and believe that the final product will be better for it, but it's still hard to give up total control of the vision.
What about you? Been through this yet? Dreading/looking forward to it in the future?
I'm not sure how I feel about it. I might find it really difficult to deal with if the request to change something was so major that I felt like it didn't coincide with my vision for the story. In the end, I think I'd be open to the editing suggestions because these guys are the experts, you know? I guess time will maybe tell in how I respond to this :)
ReplyDeleteP.S. Not sure if you got my email, but I got the book you sent. Thanks! :)
Ohmygosh! I cannot wait for this! Molly O'Neill really turned me onto my yearning for that creative side of editing and somedays it is what fuels me. To be able to work with someone to make my story the best it can possibly be? I'm IN!
ReplyDeleteThat's awesome! I might've cared a few years ago but i'm past caring now. I love beta feedback even when it's tough and doesn't jive at first b/c usually I see they're right!
ReplyDelete"The reality is, it takes a shared vision to publish a book with a publisher." So true. I'm guessing 99% percent of the time, input from professionals makes a book great--it might be a slightly different book than what the author intended, but I don't think quality typically suffers.
ReplyDeleteSharing for sharing your insight!