Editing vs Book Coaching for Budding Writers

Usually, when I introduce myself as a book coach I have to explain what, exactly, that means. It’s often followed by some variation of, “Is that like an editor?”

It’s a fair question, and one that requires more than a yes or no response. If I don’t have the time to explain, I give the short answer. “Kinda!” But right now, I do have the time, so here’s the long answer.

Plant, Prune, (Nit)Pick

An editor, as we’re discussing here, is someone who reviews and improves written works. An edit will range from Big Picture edits looking at plot and structure, to specific details like grammar and punctuation. There are different types of editors for the different stages of a writing project.

• Developmental Editors look at the Big Picture. They are making sure the plot makes sense, characters are developed, pacing is appropriate, the narrator suits the story, the story is consistent, and the structure is sound. Developmental edits can take place as early as a first draft but can also be done even after a manuscript has been acquired by an agent or publisher.

• Line Editors, as the title suggests, look at the manuscript line by line. Yes, they’re editing grammar and punctuation, but they’re also looking at the tone, the voice of the narrator and writer, as well as improving clarity, flow, and overall storytelling. Line edits might include tweaking awkward phrasing, rearranging or reorganizing paragraphs, and correcting inconsistencies and redundancies. These edits should occur on a late-stage draft, and preferably after a developmental edit–no point in putting in the time, money, and/or effort for a line edit on a scene that ends up getting cut.

• Copy Editors are likely what a lot of people think of when they think of an editor–correcting grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style to make a written work clear, consistent, accurate (if necessary), and ready for publication. But I’ve experienced some confusion between copy and line editing, with people asking for one service, and expecting the other. While a line editor might adjust the sentence length to better establish the tone of the scene, a copy editor will make sure the punctuation is correct and the sentence is grammatically clear.

You might think of the different levels of editing like this:

Let’s say you set up a garden. You have flowers and fruits and vegetables. You did your research and you think you have everything set up in a way that is best for all of the plants, but you want someone to come in and take a look at it for you.

A developmental editor would work on the layout, make sure the vegetables are together, and the flowers are in the appropriate locations based on the amount of sun they need. They might tell you that while the gladiolus look great where they are planted now, they will soon grow tall enough to block the cala lilies beyond them from view. Or they’ll point out that there’s a leak in the irrigation system you ran and the back half of the vegetable patch isn’t getting water. They would likely show you how to fix it, but won’t fix it for you.

The line editor would go in and do the pruning, shape the shrubs, maybe move a plant or two in a flower bed to make sure the plants aren’t growing into each other and everything can grow properly. Maybe they’ll change the color of the irrigation hose to a color that better blends in with the ground. Since the layout of the garden has already been established, they’re going to make sure it all looks and feels perfect.

Finally, the copy editor would go in and do the tidying up–weeding, sweeping mulch back into the beds, maybe move a stone or two in the garden walls. When they’re through, your garden will be ready for the cover of a gardening magazine!

Sounds like editors have all the bases covered, right? So where does a book coach fit into the picture?

The Lay of the Land

Author Accelerator describes a book coach as “an editor, a mentor, and a cheerleader” and “a sounding board for creative ideas.” They are professionals who support writers at any stage of the writing process. I like to say that editors work on writing that is complete, book coaches can work on writing that is being written–whether it be a manuscript or query materials.

Just like editors, there are book coaches who focus on different points along the writing journey. Some help writers at the very start of their journey–like me!–before they even have a first draft completed. These coaches guide them through developing their plot and characters and encourage them to continue writing forward when they get stuck. Other coaches help writers who are revising their manuscript, and still others mentor writers who are querying agents and publishers.

To continue the garden metaphor, a book coach would sit down with you while you were still at the drawing table. They might have you sketch out a design plan for your garden or have you walk them through your plans on the property. They might ask you some guiding questions: Do you want your garden to be only native plants? A pollinator habitat? Do you want to plan it seasonally? They might ask you what your planting plan is; certain plants need to be planted before the first frost, others need to be planted after the last frost. You might ask them to review your plant list before making any purchases. They’re a resource you can reach out to when you have questions about irrigation, whether you should fertilize, or why your roses keep getting spots.

Who Should You Pick?

Depends on what you’re looking for. Different book coaches have different coaching methods for how they work with writers, but a lot of them work with a writer for a prolonged period of time. Editors, on the other hand, often work with writers for a specified amount of time. For example, a lot of editors will do two passes on a manuscript; one initial edit that gets sent back for the writer, then a second pass to make sure the writer’s changes are appropriate and address the editor’s feedback. That’s it. Work beyond that likely requires another contract. So if you’re looking for someone to work with throughout your writing, a book coach might be the best option for you.

But let’s see what you need:

• Just Getting Started or Stuck in the Middle. Do you have a great idea for a story, but don’t know how to get started? Or have you started writing but got stuck somewhere in the middle? Some developmental editors will work on a partial manuscript, but they’ll only provide feedback on what has already been written. A book coach will work with you to help you develop your idea and build the structure so you have a solid first draft. They can also review what you’ve written and help you figure out why you’re stuck and how to get around it to keep writing.

• Draft Finished. Have you finished your first draft and are now looking for someone to read it and give feedback? No, you do not need a beta reader, and explaining why would take up a whole other post. Really, you can go to a developmental editor or a book coach for this, and it just comes down to your own self-motivation. Again, a developmental editor will provide awesome feedback, but once the editorial letter has been sent, you’re kind of on your own. Whereas if you find a book coach who does manuscript evaluations, there's always the option of hiring them to continue helping you through the revisions process.

• Revision. Are you having a hard time sorting through your feedback and getting through revisions? Hire a book coach! They are awesome for this! We call it “Revision Hell” for a reason, don’t force yourself to go it alone. But make sure you find a book coach who works specifically with revisions; not all of us do.

• Ready to Publish. Do you have a finished draft that’s been reviewed and revised and is ready to be pitched to agents or be self-published? A book coach can be hired specifically to help you through this final stretch of the process. There are coaches who will review and edit your query materials (synopsis, summary, and query letter), will coach you through your pitch, and can even help you come up with a list of agents to query. 

Having some sort of editor (I include book coaches in this as well) is vital. No matter how good you think you are at editing yourself, it is always smart to have another set of eyes–even editors hire editors to review their work. It provides new perspective, reader feedback, and a fresh view of something you have been completely immersed in for however long it’s taken you to write.

The Master Gardener

The important thing to remember in all of this is that you, the writer, are the gardener. Regardless of who you hire, it’s your creation, your garden to grow. So when choosing a book coach and/or editor, make sure they have your story’s best interest in mind. No, this doesn’t mean they should agree with everything you’ve written and only offer you praise; it means that they should understand your vision and help you achieve it on the page. Editors and coaches understand the market and the more technical sides of writing a book, and their advice and feedback comes from a place of knowledge and experience. You might not want to hear that your metaphorical foxgloves shouldn’t be planted in that sunny corner of the garden–they will look so pretty there!–but when the book coach or editor explains that foxgloves flourish in partial shade, they’ll hope you listen.

It can be a difficult decision inviting another person into your creative space, but even that selection is all up to you. You, the Master Gardener, get to decide who will best serve your story, and help you in the way that you need to make your story the best version it can be.

If you still aren’t really sure about who or what you need, reach out! You can schedule a free consultation call with me and talk about where you are on your writing journey and who would best help you continue onward.