I still do a bit of freelance developmental editing, and while I can mentally grasp this idea that editors distort the writer’s authentic voice, it runs counter to the way I actually approach things, which is to help the best version of the author’s voice come forward. Like you say, making the book more itself—helping writers think through the stories they want to tell, to recognize where they’ve gotten in the way of that story, and clearing the path.
Yes, definitely - I think I didn't understand enough about editing in general when I first said this. Probably from a place of insecurity about my own skills!
I still do a bit of freelance developmental editing, and while I can mentally grasp this idea that editors distort the writer’s authentic voice, it runs counter to the way I actually approach things, which is to help the best version of the author’s voice come forward. Like you say, making the book more itself—helping writers think through the stories they want to tell, to recognize where they’ve gotten in the way of that story, and clearing the path.
Yes, definitely - I think I didn't understand enough about editing in general when I first said this. Probably from a place of insecurity about my own skills!