I recently wrote an article for the Editors’ Weekly where I posed the following question:
Writers are often told to “write what they know.” But what about editors? Should we only take on projects that are squarely in our comfort zones?
I discussed this question with a number of my editing colleagues, who came back with varying opinions on the matter. I decided to post the article here because I felt it would be an interesting discussion point for those of you who work with editors.
How do you determine whether an editor is qualified to take on your project?
I believe it’s critical that the writer and the editor are a good fit for each other, but I also believe “a good fit” can mean different things to different people. Writers who are looking for knowledgeable advice relevant to their genre should definitely hire someone who has experience in that genre. But writers who are looking for an “outside eye” may specifically want an editor who is unfamiliar with the topic at hand.
Regardless of the specific types of experience they are looking for, I feel writers should confirm that a prospective editor has both editing training and good references. And writers should always ask for a sample edit, so they can see if the style of editing suits their needs.
Speaking from an editor’s perspective, I have posted the genres I typically edit on my site because I want prospective clients to know my background before they hire me. Does that mean I would never edit anything outside of those genres? No. I love a great many types of stories, and I have editing experience in other areas, such as business and technical topics. It just happens to be that my current focus is on the types of fiction that I enjoy reading the most. And I feel that having enthusiasm about projects (in addition to having the required expertise) makes me a much better editor.
What do you look for when hiring an editor? Would you consider hiring an editor who wasn’t familiar with your genre if you liked their editing style? I’d love to hear your thoughts.
Sue Archer 
March 16, 2016 at 10:28 pm
I prefer to have an editor who has at least worked on some thrillers (the genre I write). They might be more in tune to the pacing of thrillers, which needs to be ever increasing. But I also think it’s nice to have an editor with experience in other genres too. They can look at the project from a wider angle perhaps.
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March 17, 2016 at 8:19 am
That’s true that pacing is a big focus for thrillers. I can see why you’d want someone with a lot of experience around suspense, Carrie. (I can picture it now: “You’ll be at the edge of your seat with this slow-paced thriller. Wait for it…wait for it…no, really, you don’t want to miss this!) 😉
With the growth of self-publishing, where cross-genre experiments can happen more frequently, I suspect having broad experience will become an increasingly popular characteristic of editors. And from an editor’s point of view, I find it’s fun to work on a variety of projects.
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March 17, 2016 at 8:53 am
That’s a good point. There’s more genre crossing now and more freedom to do so.
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March 17, 2016 at 9:05 am
Yes, it’s an exciting time. 🙂
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