What Makes a Good Editor

On editors who open doors rather than guard thresholds

Frankly, our Editorial Desk does not put much faith in the traditional rules of publishing. Perhaps it comes from a fear of rejection, or a distrust of authority. But after polishing hundreds of manuscripts over the past few years, one thing has become clear: good editing is not about filtering writing out, but about helping it find its own voice.

From gatekeeper to guide

For a long time, editors were gatekeepers. They decided which pieces deserved space in print, and the standard they used was usually the taste of the people who already occupied that space. As a result, similar pieces by people from similar backgrounds ran again and again.

A good editor does not abandon standards but explains them. They should be able to say specifically why a paragraph is weak, what evidence is still needed, and where a reader will get lost. A standard you cannot explain is just a preference.

An editor’s red pen is there to mark the way, not to strike things out.

From Editorial Desk meeting notes

Feedback takes time

Constructive feedback takes time. If you truly want a writer to grow, you can’t stop at ““Nice.”” or ““Not great.””Instead, find the manuscript’s best sentence first, then work out together how to spread its strength across the whole piece.

• Point out the manuscript’s best sentence first
• Limit revisions to three spots, each with a reason
• Never replace the writer’s voice with the editor’s
• Commit clearly to the deadline and the next step

Who gets published

In the end, the editor’s question is not ““Is this piece good?””but ““Does this voice deserve to be heard?””Space is limited, but whom to give it to is a choice editors make every day. We hope that choice grows a little wider.