Writer's Digest

The Writer’s Field Guide to Editors

Spend enough time in the freelance trenches, and you’ll find yourself working for an eclectic array of editors. If you’re lucky, the majority will be talented individuals who have your best interests at heart, work hard on your behalf, and use their skills to make your words shine.

Unfortunately, not all editors epitomize the ideal. Some are quirky, difficult to work with, and sometimes just plain weird. Here’s a guide to the different kinds of editors you’re likely to encounter in the wilds of freelancing and how to work with them.

Typically short on details when making an assignment, the Withholder can be among the most frustrating editors a writer will work

You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.

More from Writer's Digest

Writer's Digest1 min read
Book Awards
DEADLINE May 1, 2024 EXTENDED DEADLINE May 31, 2024 Win $10,000 in cash, national acclaim, and a trip to the Writer’s Digest Conference! • $10,000 in cash• A feature article about you and your book in Writer’s Digest• A paid trip to the Writer’s Dige
Writer's Digest4 min read
You Got The Offer—Should You Sign?
Congratulations! You’ve received an offer of representation from your Dream Agent. It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for. In the good ole’ days of threehour lunches and cocktails sharply at 5 p.m., many authors signed with their agents on a handsha
Writer's Digest2 min read
Yourstory
THE CHALLENGE: Write a drabble—a short story of exactly 100 words—based on the photo prompt below. By Meriah Osterhout of Pepperell, Mass. A rancid smell seeps into the Aegean Sea. Keadia, a sea nymph, is miles away but senses the passing ship’s leak

Related