Yeah, because obviously if I put my name on everything it touches, and half that stuff is crap, that hurts you as well.

I think there should be some kind of mechanism where you can just say, “I reserve the right to have you take my name off it if you don’t follow my recommendations. You’re paying me to lend my name to this work, but if you won’t take my suggestions, then it’s not my work.” Or something less clunky.

Question: How is it that after years of being heavily edited do you not learn how to write better than you did when you first started?

My editor (Th. above) teaches me stuff all the time, even if he doesn’t know it. (Of course, this is aversion training because I don’t like getting smacked for the same thing twice.)

So true, Magdalen. I think this was especially true in the 60s, 70s and 80s because I find so many authors who got their break during those decades who say they simply sent their first manuscript off to an editor and the editor wanted it. I can’t believe it’s because these people were all extremely good writers–I believe it was because the competition to get published wasn’t as fierce back then. Of course, these same writers seem to think it should be just as easy for new writers to do what they did. And, if you’re not published, then it’s just because you didn’t work hard enough or write well enough. They don’t even know how condescending that sentiment is.

Great post, Moriah!

I would never agree to that, because I don’t know if someone’s any good as an editor. I’ve gotten sample edits from people that would make me run screaming.

If you’re good, I suspect in the coming years you’ll have more than enough work to do. Authors share information. I have had SO many queries over the last three weeks about who I used to edit my work. I suspect that the people who I worked with who are good are going to get a ton of work–so much so that I almost selfishly want to not refer anyone to them.

I think it’s more simple–if you’re good, eventually, you will get great (and repeat) clients, and you can pick and choose who you want to work with.

The risk I’m noticing with becoming a branded editor within the realm of selfpublishing is I can charge someone a thousand dollars and do a bangup job only to have them ignore the bulk of my edits. Do I really want my name on that?