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What do you think of when you hear the words editor or editing?

Some people might envision a precise sort of individual with a blue pencil and an eagle eye for mistakes of spelling, grammar, and punctuation. With on-screen editing now the norm in the book business, the old blue pencil has pretty much gone the way of dodo birds and Edsels. But it remains true that a strong command of the mechanics of language and an alert eye for spotting errors in a book manuscript or proof are crucial skills for any competent editor.

The most experienced editors are also able to go beyond basic copyediting and, as needed, undertake more demanding editorial tasks:

• enhancing the author's style to render it more appropriate to the particular genre and readership
• structural editing to improve the internal logic and physical organization of a work
• substantive editing, involving considerable rewriting and original writing

But as important as these high-level editorial skills are, they are not sufficient in themselves to ensure that an author's work will be published. In today's competitive book trade, a truly effective editor must have a strong grasp of the market and a range of abilities that include:

• market research
• discovering or creating a work's best hook
• understanding genre
• knowing the psychology of readership
• preparing effective book proposals

The best editors approach your work from every possible editorial direction, including mechanics, style, structure, concept, and market positioning. But the final, crucial direction is the one that you, the author, chose to take long before seeking out an editor—and the very best editors adjust their own approaches accordingly. While bringing your work to its highest market potential, such editors never fail to respect and prioritize these attributes of authorship:

• your creative intent
• your instincts
• your voice

That's what I consistently do here at Helping You Get Published, and it shows in the results. If you haven't done so already, take a few minutes to watch a show that features a sampling of client successes