Ask the Editor by Katherine Gibson Easter

Hi everyone! Big thanks as always to all the people who sent me their questions! I hope everyone, whether you asked me a question or not, finds this post helpful and informative.

As with my previous Ask the Editor posts, I humbly ask that you take my comments in the spirit in which they’re intended. The advice here is meant to be friendly and helpful; I sincerely hope no one finishes this post feeling vulnerable or discouraged.

And of course, a general disclaimer that my thoughts are my own; I do not speak on behalf of my publisher or the publishing industry in general. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to learn that you’ve heard an editor or agent say something that directly conflicts with my perspective. Everyone in publishing has their own views and preferences, and I can only represent my own.

Finally, if you have any questions about writing or publishing that aren’t addressed here, please feel free to email me. I’m always happy to gather questions for my next post!

Thanks so much, and happy writing!

Can a manuscript be too polished? We've heard that you should leave room for the editor. If an editor can't find anything to improve, will they pass on the project?

Such a great question! I’d personally say no, a manuscript can never be too polished, though it is a weird sensation to acquire a book that needs very little editing! At least for me, there’s a knee-jerk panic of, “Wait, there’s nothing to fix? Am I even doing my job??” But I get over it pretty quickly when I look at how much time the writer has saved me, haha!

Really though, while I’ve worked on some books that hardly needed any editing, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a manuscript go completely unchanged from the initial submission to final publication. Maybe it’s because it’s really true that masterpieces are never finished, only abandoned, or maybe it’s because editors just can’t help but meddle a little, but it seems like there’s always something that could be tweaked, or tightened, or tinkered with.

I’m wrapping up the final edits on my debut book, but my idea for my second book isn’t nearly as polished. Would it be appropriate to bring what I have to my editor and ask for her thoughts, or should I work on developing it more on my own first?

I think it’d be totally fine to reach out to your editor and ask her this directly—this kind of thing tends to be subjective, so I’d recommend getting clarity on what she prefers. 

For me personally, as long as the project is something we may want to publish (and not, say, a totally different genre), I’m happy to look at early materials and help to brainstorm or give suggestions. Not only because it’s fun, but also because I’m invested in my authors and their writing careers. It’s my job (and privilege!) to help writers with their work, no matter what stage it’s in.

What makes you, as an editor, really excited about a book? Is there anything that makes you think, “I HAVE to have this?” 

When I’m reading a submission, I think the first jolt of excitement comes from the elevator pitch; if the idea’s really strong and aligns with my interests, I definitely sit up and take notice! But after that, it’s all about the writing—they have to deliver on that initial excitement and really pull me into the story. If those two things are there, I’m hooked!

Of course, there are a lot of other things that get considered when we’re looking at acquiring a project: platform, market demand, how well it fits in with our list, etc. So as much as I want to, I don’t get to acquire every project I fall in love with, but I never forget the ones that get away! 

Katherine Gibson Easter is an acquisitions editor for Zonderkidz, having previously worked for Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. She graduated from the University of Denver Publishing Institute in 2013 and has spent the last ten years editing and publishing award-winning children’s books.

Thank you, Katherine!

To submit a publishing question, email Mitten blog editor Sarah LoCascio with "Ask the Editor" in the subject line, and she'll forward your question to Katherine. Or, stay tuned on the SCBWI-MI MichKids listserv – Katherine will ask for questions a few weeks before her next post.

If you missed any of Katherine's previous Ask the Editor posts, go HERE to browse through all the questions and answers.