Where the Conversation Started: Editor/Beta

This month we hit the two-year anniversary of when Silbrith reached out with an offer to act as my editor. It seems like a great time to reflect on how our conversation started and how it evolved.

When Silbrith mentioned she had editorial experience and was willing to offer her services, my initial reaction was surprise combined with relief. Proofreading is such a time-consuming process and I still didn’t catch all the typos and other mistakes. It would be great to have help. But could I trust this person I knew only from a few comments and PMs?

I reread our correspondence, looked up her profile and did an internet search. There weren’t any obvious signs of insanity. I’d seen other authors thank their betas and knew this kind of thing worked for them. I agreed to give it a try and have never regretted it.

This wasn’t the first time I’d attempted working with someone on a writing project. Years before, a local writers’ group tried connecting writers to give each other feedback and it lasted only a few weeks before my assigned partner disappeared. So, what was different this time? (Other than the fact that my writing has improved, so my stories were less terrifying…)

First, Silbrith already knew my work and liked it. We had a fandom in common and we have similar tastes. With each week we discovered new “psychic links” tying what I was writing to shared interests and experiences.

Second, Silbrith was overqualified as a proofreader and was willing to do more. Very soon I realized I had a magnificent beta on my hands – someone who could review chapters in light of the larger vision of the story and let me know when I was going astray. More than that, she inspired me to consider new points of view, which added depth to my stories. Oh, and she's also a research queen and location scout... The list of her skills as a beta goes on and on. 

Third, there was trust, gained from working together. Her suggestions were helpful, her tone always supportive. I could trust that she’d point out issues without stomping all over my ego. There was always respect for each other, and joy in the writing process.

The next step was a brief mentorship, as Silbrith started writing her own stories. And after that came a writing partnership. Coming up, I’ll post about each of those steps in our ongoing conversation.