Since I have started working at Mantle Rock Publishing, I’ve had people ask me what an Acquisition Editor does and if I do any editing at MRP. So I thought I would do a brief blog on my new position and what all it involves.
As an Acquisition Editor, I receive and read proposals from agents and authors who are seeking publication for their novel, or one they are representing. If the proposal meets our criteria, I will ask for the full manuscript and then decide (with the publisher) whether or not we will offer a contract for the manuscript.
You can check out our submission guidelines on the MRP Website and find me on the Acquisition Editor page.
I also get the first read of every manuscript. This type of editing is called Developmental Editing or sometimes called Structural Editing. As a Developmental Editor, I look at the overall picture of the manuscript in regards to structure and content. I look at the plot, themes, characterization, pov/voice, pacing/flow, dialogue, landscape, and style to see if there are areas that the story needs help with or improving on to make stronger and reach its full potential.
Developmental editing is a very important step in the publishing process. As writers, we become so close to our stories that we can’t catch everything that needs to be changed or edited. It’s important to have another set of eyes reading and looking at the structure of the book. Most developmental editors work in publishing houses or as freelance developmental editors.
When I edit a novel for one of our authors, it will include a summary letter and track changes within the manuscript. In the summary, there are a list of categories that will go into more detail about the track changes that I have made in the manuscript.
Not everyone enjoys this type of editing, and it can be difficult, especially if you have to suggest cutting scenes from the story. However, I love plotting and I love helping other authors with their stories and making sure that the overall story is at its best potential.
If you would like to email me in regards to a developmental edit of your story, please email me at: erinrhoward@yahoo.com
In other news, my novel is set to release in February! As we get closer to the release, I will update more about my book launch, cover reveal, book tour, and the podcast that I was on the other day! However, in the meantime, how about a little preview of what the book is about? I can’t wait to share more with you all!
The Seer
Book One of The Kalila Chronicles
Synopsis:
Viktor has one order to follow:
Kill the girl before her eyes are opened.
For thousands of years, his job has been to torment and kill Seers: humans that have the gift of seeing the spiritual realm. So it was no surprise when his brother Matthias was sent to stop him and protect the girl.
Now, the last of the Seer’s bloodline hangs in the balance as the estranged demon and angel brothers are forced to work together to save a girl’s life and escape to the sanctuary city of Bethesda.
[…] Since joining MRP, I’ve had the honor of being the one that gets the first read of every story that comes to our inbox. I also am the one that does the first edit of the manuscripts, where I look at the overall development of the story. In a recent blog post, I described what a Developmental Editor does {You read that post here: What is Developmental Editing} […]