The following is a guest post from my editor of 12 years, Andria Flores, published author, writer, and all-around awesome human. As a Christian leader, I hope you are always honing your writing and communication skills. Here, Andria offers some powerful principles to follow in a writer-editor relationship.
Thank you, Dr. Wes. It’s an honor and a privilege to write a guest post for WesMD. I’m grateful our paths intersected 12 years ago when we met up at Chick-Fil-A and revealed our dreams for writing and editing then set out to pursue them. The collaboration has made us stronger writers and more confident communicators.
You only have to know Dr. Wes for a few moments to see how much he values personal growth. If you talk with him for more than five minutes, he will ask you about your plans and dreams and growth plans as well. Then before you realize what’s happened, he has plotted a strategy on a spreadsheet of how to achieve your goals, and he will run alongside you, pushing you way beyond your comfort zone every step of the way. Then twelve years later, you have to ‘break up’ with him because your dreams and plans have come to fruition.
That’s me—running a flourishing business as a freelance editor and writer with multiple clients and projects. And that’s Wes, pushing and cheering every step of the way, even the ‘end.’ I relay this with some jest, but it’s not far from the truth. The transition we are making now is just that, a transition. I imagine we will collaborate again, and I am certain we will continue to support one another’s dreams.
Twelve years ago, my dreams to write and edit were an undeveloped passion. As Wes and I began working together on his leadership articles, book projects, and conferences, we tried lots of fresh ideas and took risks. One thing that remained constant was his emphasis on growth. Wes didn’t just tell me to grow. He sent me to conferences, introduced me to other writers and bloggers, shared books on growth, and connected me to mentors and coaches. One of those mentors early on was Charlie Wetzel, a very successful writer who works closely with leadership guru John Maxwell on his books and writing projects. Charlie mentored me specifically on the author-writer relationship, and I was able to apply his practical wisdom to my professional relationship with Dr. Wes, that of the writer-editor.
Today, I will share three principles to strengthen any such collaboration—with bonus advice directly from my notes with Charlie ten years ago. These tenets work well for the author-writer, the writer-editor, and are equally relevant for a CEO and his executive assistant, or a pastor and his church secretary. When any leader trusts someone to shape and polish their written communication, a unique dance begins. Toes will be stepped on from time to time, but over time, as the relationship is developed and honed, the dance becomes nearly seamless.
Honor the author’s voice.
As Wes has said himself, it’s a daunting process for a writer to find his voice. The best thing an editor can do to help is to let him keep listening for himself. Practically speaking, the writer needs to write and write and write—for months, sometimes years—to really hear what he sounds like. Meanwhile, the editor can help by drawing his attention to what’s working and offering constructive feedback on what’s not.
Together, the author and editor will develop a style of formatting and punctuation that consistently make up the author’s brand. For example, Wes does not like sentences to begin with conjunctions like “and” or “but,” and while it’s a good writing practice not to do so, it is also commonly accepted to have a bit of it here and there. Wes does not like to use a big word when a small one does the job. These are writing preferences that work together with many others to construct his style, or brand. As his editor, I do my best to honor his preferences while keeping him between the lines of solid communication and grammar.
Honor the editor’s feedback.
On the flip side, if you are working with an editor, particularly long-term, I encourage you to honor the editor’s feedback. While grammar is often seen as an endless list of rules, there is actually quite a bit of subjectivity in writing rules and style. So, when your editor makes a change or recommendation, seriously consider it. Trust that your own instincts to hire an editor (or an assistant or secretary) are because you know you need a second pair of eyes. You know you can’t be good at everything all the time, so you bring people into your circle who are better than you in specific areas. A good editor looks out for you and works hard to make you look good.
Honoring an editor’s feedback does not mean a writer can’t ask questions or even reject her advice, but when you choose to override her, make it for good reason. Particularly if you are developing a long-term relationship, let her know what your reasons are so she can either learn from them or give you pause if she has strong concerns. When Wes and I began working together, we communicated frequently throughout the editing process. We wrote lots of notes back and forth to one another in the middle of the content for each other to see. Now, just like seasoned dancers, few words are exchanged because we anticipate and understand each other’s moves. Still, after 12 years of working together, we do not neglect to communicate. We still include notes or quick texts to clarify or just give the other person pause to think about how to best communicate a message or point.
Respect each other professionally.
Meaningful writing requires vulnerability. What may only take a reader minutes to scan and ingest is often the result of hours of writing and editing—and even years of education and study before that. Reaching the point of expression and publication is risky for a writer. When a writer or author submits their work to an editor, they are hoping for candid feedback. A professional editor will not neglect her responsibility to provide the truth, in love. Likewise, a professional writer will not take offense or be easily wounded by professional critique of their work. Creative work is personal. The refinement and polishing of it should be handled with care, but bathed in professionalism and accuracy. Therefore, the edit of one’s written work should be received on a professional level.
Writers, don’t allow your feelings to be hurt. And editors, when your writer disagrees with your brilliant advice—or worse, they contact you to tell you they found an error or two—suck up your feelings and keep it professional. When a writer and editor understand one another’s hearts and the true intent of each other’s work, they create a very safe place to make mistakes, ask questions, or even graciously acknowledge one’s advice and choose a different route.
Find out what is valuable to your writer and why.
Here’s a little bonus advice from Charlie Wetzel that I found in my notes from March of 2014. If you are the support person, in my case the editor to Dr. Wes, find out what is valuable to your writer and why. Wes is a visionary. He thrives on doing a million things at once, all at different stages of completion, and with many items that will lose steam and not be completed at all. I can laugh at this in amusement…most days. I am not like that at all. I think very differently. I focus on one task at a time if I can get away with it. I like to pour my full attention and energy into a few people, problems, and projects at any given moment in my life. Anything more than that overwhelms me to the point of anxiety.
That said, it would be completely unprofessional for me to impose my way of being and doing upon Wes. In fact, if he and I are mature in our relationship, we will actually appreciate our differences rather than loathe them. His million ideas at once are exactly what makes him a successful visionary, and my two feet on the ground are the very anchor that keeps his written communication solid and on point. I found out a long time ago what works for him and why, and I adapted myself professionally to meet him there. It doesn’t mean that I don’t express myself when I see danger. I do, and he values that in me, too.
As I continue forward on my own path, I go graciously and gratefully. I go as a better person and a better professional for the relationship and growth I have experienced with Dr. Wes. I appreciate him. Even during this transition, he has been kind. The articles he has written with regard to necessary endings and transitions in business relationships are one hundred percent aligned with the way he has handled our transition. That says a lot about him as a leader and a Christian man. Thank you, Dr. Wes, for your leadership—particularly, for always pushing me to grow.
How can I support you more as a Christian leader and entrepreneur?
