K.W. McCabe: I just want to thank you for joining us today to tell us about your experience with editing. Please introduce yourself and tell us how you were inspired to pursue a career in editing.
Angela Denk: My name is Angela Denk, and I am an editor who specializes in workingvwith self-publishing authors. As a freelance writer, I’ve published with several small fiction outlets and platforms, and I have journalism bylines at Rock and Roll Globe and Leafly, as well as years of stringer work with a daily print newspaper.
I’ve always loved the editing side of the house. There’s logic and there’s art behind how we tell stories—fiction or otherwise—and I get a thrill from helping other writers access the alchemy of those two elements. I truly enjoy it. And that’s something I learned in undergraduate writing workshops. I got started doing this professionally really by just deciding I was going to do it. I started answering calls in online writing groups looking for readers and editing help. Then I started putting it out there to my network of friends and acquaintances: “Hey, all you darlings out there writing stories and books, if you decide you want an editor, I’ve got you. I’ll work cheap.” I literally just put it out there like that. And people took me up on it. And then they recommended me to their associates and friends.
Kay: Can you walk us through your process and how you approach editing a new book?
Angela: When I take on a new project, the first thing that happens is the pleasure read. I just read it top to bottom, and that can actually be challenging for me because I do have such an editorial mind. It can be hard sometimes to turn that off, but I have gotten better at it over time. So I read it top to bottom, and I might make some notes about mechanics along the way that I want to come back to—there could be things in chapter 2 that aren’t quite clicking, but maybe it’s explained in chapter 8–so I read it, and then I revisit those notes and read it again while making for-real developmental notes.
And of course, a writer isn’t always coming to me for developmental editing. Some just want line editing. So if that’s what they’re after, I skip that whole mechanics part on the story, and I just start dealing with the
sentences. I’m proofreading at that point as well. And once that’s all done, I give it a final deep-comb proofreading. That’s the technical side of what I’m doing: pleasure read, mechanics, line, proofing. But in the mix with that I’m meeting with the writer online or having phone calls, and we’re talking about what I’m seeing and ways to work through the edits should they choose to go with them.
At the end of the day, no one has to listen to me. This is their writing. Their babies. Do I recommend you take my advice? Of course. I’m your editor and you’re paying me for this service. But I run everything in “suggesting” mode (track changes, whatever the platform we’re in calls it), so the writer can see every single change I’m suggesting and choose whether or not to make it.
Kay: What are some common challenges you face and how do you overcome them?
Angela: The most common challenge I come across with writers is ego. It’s not often–most people who shell out money for an editor WANT an editor–but I have encountered writers who just want someone to read
their bit and tell them it’s perfect. After encountering that a couple times, I’ve learned to just vet the situation better before entering into the working relationship. I make sure they understand what they’re asking/hiring me for. We have a good conversation about what their goals are for this piece and what they’re looking for from an editor. Some people really do just want a proofreader, and that’s fine–they can hire me for that, too.
Kay: How has the industry changed since you started? What trends do you see emerging in publishing?
Angela: Self-publishing has changed it all. The gatekeepers have been pushed aside. Anyone who wants to publish a book can now publish a book. And I think this is wonderful. This is where I’m finding my home in the world as an editor, because if you’re not with a traditional publishing company, your writing isn’t receiving the editing it deserves. Self-publishers will let you put your life’s work out with a glaring typo in the title.
Kay: What advice would you give to authors looking to hire and collaborate with an editor?
Angela: Make sure you respect your editor’s writing, or find someone else. True editing is such a collaborative experience. You have to trust your editor. Trust their judgment, trust their expertise, and trust their intentions. Talk about your working styles. How much communication do you want during the process? What’s the timeline look like? Hammer out everything before any money is exchanged.
Kay: Do you have any books that you edited and fell in love with?
Angela: I worked with a fantasy author this year named Brenna Hobbs, and I just completely fell into her book. It’s the first of a series, and she has such a delightful sense of story that I can hardly wait to get the manuscript for the second book later this year. It was a joy to read her novel, Jade and the Guardian Warriors, and an even bigger joy to talk through the weeds of it all with her. I’m truly excited to learn what happens next in this world she’s created. Another project I’m completely jazzed on is co-authoring a book about a stage magician. This man reached out to me–he’s been performing magic since the 1960s–and said he wants a book to sell at his shows that will document his whole career and experience in magic. And he’s handed me this giant photo album filled with ticket stubs, flyers and photos of him with other famous magicians…and I have this thing on my desk right now…and every time I look at it and spend time ideating on what this book will look like, I just thank the gods, God and the universe that this is actually my life.
Contact Angela Denk at:
angeladenk.wixsite.com/angela-denk