Editing: The Author's Voice

Let me start by defining "The Voice".

Every author has a style, a specific way that they choose to express themselves with the written word. This method, the way it is expressed in their work, is their "voice". Some authors have a very distinct voice; it is bold and noticeable from the first paragraph. Other authors have a tiny voice; it stays hidden in nuance, quietly whispering from the corner and rarely speaking up loud enough to really be heard.

As an editor, one of the most important elements of my job is not only preserving that voice, but, providing amplification of it as well; this is also one of the most difficult elements of my job. As an editor, you simply must have a complete comprehension of the written word, grammar, spelling, slang, etc. That complete comprehension can also be a difficult hurdle to overcome as it can cause you to take the “red pen” to the author’s voice and change that voice to your own.

How then, do you preserve? Amplify without changing?

Here are a few tips to for the preservation of voice:

- Always completely read through the work prior to making any changes. You may be tempted to make spelling or grammar corrections on the first read through but, DON’T DO IT! Instead, make notes of problem areas to look for on the next time through and move on. This gives you the opportunity to find (and get to know) the author’s voice and helps to prevent its removal.

- Use the “Track Changes” capabilities of your word processor; make sure the settings are such that the original work is left on the page along with your changes. This enables you to read through them again and ensure that you didn’t “change too much”.

- After you have edited the work, re-read the changes you made and cross reference them with other similar sections of the work. Did you change something about every instance of the author expressing their personal style? Did you make the section stand out from the other sections surrounding it? Does it sound like something you would write? If you can answer those questions with a yes, you should re-work the section; remove your voice and restore the author’s.

These are a few of the methods I employ in when editing, hopefully they can be of use to anyone considering this line of work. An author’s voice is the most important part of their work, changing their voice is detrimental, not only to the author's work but to your own. No one wants to work with an editor that makes their work unrecognizable to them.


Until next time - M