8 Fresh Perspectives I Gained from Being an Editor

Some people take things way too harshly on the editors. After thirty days of being an editor across three incredible publications, I’ve learned quite a bit.

It’s interesting to be on the other side of the publication wall. I love it, but sometimes it can be stressful to keep up with work, especially when your editing teams are small.

Let’s go over some things everyone should understand about their editors:

1. Editors have lives too — We enjoy spending our free time walking our dogs, working out, watching Netflix, the same things everyday people like to do. We want to get to your stories, we genuinely do! Sometimes timing will work perfectly, and you’ll submit as we’re editing, but other times you may submit right before we go on a weekend vacation. We’re normal too!
2. Editors want to make your work perform well — Ever since I began editing, I caught myself as a high standard type of person. By this, I mean that I pay attention to details further than grammar. I look at the formatting and ways that the writer conveys points to the readers. It’s all in good faith, and I don’t do it to discredit their writing skills. I just know what works and will try my best to keep as much original as possible.
3. We hate rejecting stories — Believe it or not, we don’t get any pleasure from rejecting a story. Editors have been on the other side where it hurts to be rejected after putting your entire heart into a piece of writing that took many hours, peer-reviewing, and so much more. When one of my stories gets rejected, I review the guidelines as much as possible, read more stories from the publication I submitted to, and learn. Your writing is a perfect fit somewhere, never forget that.
4. Editors aren’t always on their computers — Although I am a very techy guy who has his phone on him at all times and his laptop not too far away, I still tend to get back to submitted stories relatively late sometimes. The primary way to accept and publish a story is through a computer. I can’t do it on my phone, so if I’m out and about, and see you submitted, I make sure it’s a priority when I get home.
5. We value your time — Since our ultimate goal is to do what’s best for the publication, we know that to do it justice, we need to always be publishing great quality work. Not just any work. Identifying quality work takes a while. Some articles are close fits, others are out in left field, and some are just perfect for the publication. We take no offense when you pull an essay because it wasn’t published, but just know someone’s always looking.
6. We’ve been in your shoes before — Ever since I took on the role of editor, I felt a lot of responsibility. Especially since I understand what it’s like to be a hard-working artist who’s trying to grow. Nobody likes to wait for days or even weeks for a response back. But don’t worry, we will get around to it eventually. A safe time to check-in without being rude about it is a week if you’re still waiting. We’re doing our best customer service and will try to communicate the best that we can.
7. We can get overwhelmed — When submitting to a publication that’s very popular and prestigious, consider the number of submissions the editors get bombarded with. This isn’t a bad thing to them. It’s actually amazing. When the list of submitted stories is long, it’s a blessing and a curse. There’s a lot of content for readers to consume in the future, but it seems like an incredibly long journey to get through every story in one day. Please allow us time to get to your piece. We will get there eventually, and it’ll all be worth it.
8. Editing takes time — Just like how it takes a writer a considerable amount of time to write an engaging article, it takes an editor time to really sit down and consume the story too. It has to be framed in a way where their readers feel like they never skipped a beat in the publication by reading the newly published story. When it comes to standards and baselines, editors try to do what’s best for the writer and the publication.

The Takeaway

Editing is a ton of fun, and I want to do it for the rest of my life. I love helping other writer’s dreams come true by accepting their stories and making them shine. If you become an editor someday, remember these insights.

Everyone has their own editing techniques and strategies, but at the end of the day, it comes down to communication. If a story is not a fit, an editor should let you know where you went wrong, guide you on the submission guidelines, and encourage you to submit again.

I love writing, and I love talking to other fellow writers. Let’s recap the main points!

1. Editors have lives too
2. Editors want to make your work perform well
3. We hate rejecting stories
4. Editors aren’t always on their computers
5. We value your time
6. We’ve been in your shoes before
7. We can get overwhelmed
8. Editing takes time