Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing: Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing EP 124 - Lindsay Flanagan on Working with an Editor

Stark Reflections on Writing and Publishing EP 124 - Lindsay Flanagan on Working with an Editor

Mar 19, 2020

In this episode, Mark interviews Lindsay Flanagan, an editor that he had the privilege of working with.

Prior to the interview, Mark shares a public service announcement from CDC regarding Covid-19, a number of comments from previous episodes, a new Patron (Katie), and injects a bit of a personal writing update in with those comments. Mark also reminds listeners of their chance to win a copy of THREE STORY METHOD from J. Thorn and Zach Bohannon by commenting on Episode 123 before the end of March 2020.

He then shares a tip from this episode's sponsor, Findaway Voices...

You can learn more about how you can get your work distributed to retailers and library systems around the world at starkreflections.ca/Findaway.

In their conversation, Lindsay and Mark talk about:

How Lindsay had always been into writing, studying English Language and Literature, how her career took her away from that, and her eventual return back to the world of writing and editing
The role-flip that Lindsay and her husband took about who the main bread-winner would be, and who would do more freelance-style work
How Lindsay had been impressed by the professionalism and style of Angela Eschler of Eschler Editing
How Lindsay's choice, in editing, always comes back to story and to language
The one day a week that Lindsay keeps aside for her personal writing projects
A high level review of the different types of editing, such as substantive/developmental, line editing, copy editing, and proofreading
How Mark and Lindsay professionally met as writer and editor
The things that Lindsay looks for in a writer client and what writers should look for when sourcing an editor
The style and genres of fiction that Lindsay prefers to work on when editing
How some clients at Eschler Editing are authors who want to ensure their work is polished professionally before they submit it to the traditional publisher market, while others are indie-published authors who want a professional edit before they self-publish the book
How two different 80,000 word manuscripts might be given two different cost estimates depending on the shape the manuscript is in when it is turned in, which is why an edit can cost anywhere from $300 to $2000
The important that a writer always gets a sample edit from an editor that they are considering working with
Why a professional edit is so important
The way that an editor can help a writer understand differing changes in the marketplace for trends within specific genres
Some of the most common mistakes that writers often make in their writing
That all too important question an editor often asks: "But what is this doing to move your story move forward or your character to grow?"
Some of the free resources available for writers at EscherEditing.com
And more . . .

After the interview, Mark shares his reflections on the importance of working with an editor who is properly aligned to your specifc writing and genre, in the same way that a writer needs to be thinking about their very specific target audience prior to working on marketing their book.

Links of Interest:

Lindsay Flanagan is a freelance writer and editor, who, after earning a Master of Arts in English and Creative Writing, left her career of over a decade to pursue her dream job in the publishing world. She joined the Eschler Editing team in 2014 as an editor and project manager. She also edits for Immortal Works and Champagne Book Group. Because she's a glutton for knowledge, she's also interning with Corvisiero Literary Agency.

Angela Eschler, founder of the award-winning Eschler Editing and manager of the boutique publisher Scrivener Books, has more than twenty years of experience in the publishing industry, including nearly a decade working in-house at traditional publishers. She now works as a freelance editor and industry coach for authors, editors, publishers, and other organizations and has edited over a thousand manuscripts from diverse genres. A published author herself, Angela’s work has been featured on television, radio, and in documentary film.

The E. Team is comprised of highly skilled writers, editors, designers and publishing and promotion professionals that hail from diverse segments of the publishing industry. They’ve amassed advanced degrees in literature or writing, been published, received distinguished awards, and worked additionally in related industry fields as librarians, reporters, or writing professors. Most importantly, as vetted genre experts, they know what it takes to make it in publishing.

So no matter if you want to self-pub or get an agent, we’ll help you learn to stand out, be discovered, and make a bigger impact. Why? Because filling the world with powerful books is vital. Writers are important; they’ve changed history, they’ve changed our lives, and we want to ensure they keep changing the world one reader at a time. That’s our story. Now, let’s make sure your story is heard.

The music for this podcast (“Laser Groove”) was composed and produced by Kevin MacLeod of www.incompetech.com and is Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0