Comments on: Building a productive relationship with your editor: 9 tips for authors

By: Agents Are Human, Too | editquest.com

Agents Are Human, Too | editquest.com — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:38:21 +0000

[...] Building a productive relationship with your editor: 9 tips for authors (alanrinzler.com) Share and Enjoy: [...]

By: Marcus Brotherton

Marcus Brotherton — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:51:29 +0000

Dear Alan,
I also just found your blog today and have put it in my favorites already. Thank you for your kind, balanced, and wise words. You’re serving up steak here, a real bounty, and my knife and fork are out and poised for digging in.

By: Deborah

Deborah — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 05:09:05 +0000

Just found your blog today and love it. Thanks for taking the time to put this information out there. And I’m glad to know that whenever I get published, it won’t be considered weird when I knit a scarf for my editor and agent. It’s kind of strange that I was just thinking about this recently — no kidding — and wondering if it would be acceptable. Since I’ve moved to 32 acres in the middle of nowhere, I like to make gifts for people, such as scarves from my sheep’s wool, soap from my goat’s milk, etc. I’m working on a memoir of this crazy adventure.

By: Alan Rinzler

Alan Rinzler — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 03:35:31 +0000

Good call, Nita. Trust is of the utmost importance. I’ve reordered the list to reflect that. Just goes to show, everyone needs an editor!

By: Donna Hosie

Donna Hosie — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 23:00:56 +0000

I agree with Tara. It’s great advice as always, but it is also common courtesy. I wonder if these high maintenance authors behave like this in all areas of their life? I would always say thank you in a restaurant to the waiting staff, I wouldn’t dream of calling a work associate at home and I always, always tell my agent how much I appreciate what she is doing for me.
Manners cost nothing. Treat people how you yourself would want to be treated.
The Book Deal is a wonderful site. I enjoy it immensely.

By: Nita Leland

Nita Leland — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:33:59 +0000

“Trust your editor” should be number one. I’ve published six books with the same publisher. For the first four I had good editors, but my editor for the last two was my “dream editor.” I agree totally with all your points, but I would like to add one, and that is to stand your ground if you feel an editor is off base on your book. The editor assigned to my fourth book was determined that the book would be a workbook, which was completely out of line with my plans for this major revision of my first book. I went to the acquisitions editor, who listened to my plans and assigned me a new editor, who better understood my intentions and worked out very well.

By: Tara Lazar

Tara Lazar — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 14:12:19 +0000

Wow, it’s amazing how much of what you wrote reads like common sense courtesy to me. Hard to believe some authors pulled those stunts. Great info, thanks. (And BTW, my husband’s name is Alan and he hates being called Al, too. But it happens. A lot.)