Legacy Memoirs, Hiring and Editor, and This Year's Pro-bono Client

As I sit here with my first coffee of the morning, and look at my 'to-do' work for today, I am reminded of something that seems more rampant in my industry than I had expected. Well, not so much I hadn't expected, but it makes me annoyed.

My favourite line to tell all potential clients and/or people wanting to write a book, just remember not every editor is the right editor for your work. 

This is FACT. No doubt or hesitation about it. 

Too many people have crossed my path with similar stories. The most recent one for this year: a woman of 84 years, wanted to tell her life story of travelling all over the world as a tour guide. She sat down and wrote her heart out, remembering so many details and experiences. Then after she had written her book, she didn't know the next stage, a 'friend' of hers had just completed an editing course online (I am shaking my head already) and offered to edit her manuscript - and YES, for a few thousand dollars too. As editors do cost. 

Now, I will never badmouth any editor or person working in my industry because I believe everyone needs to learn and build their craft, however, if their work is subpar, they should be told. It is a way to better their craft. However, because she is a friend of this lady, the lady never told her what her editing did to her.

So, without rambling on too much into detail, basically the editor butchered her book. Now, this was a legacy memoir - slightly different from a memoir as it is mainly written for family members as a record of her life. For lack of better words or actually swearing at how infuriating this is, the editor deleted ALL PERSONAL STORIES from this legacy memoir and turned her legacy into a travel guide book. (I cannot stop shaking my head at this. I have no words.) From what I have picked up from interacting with this lady and her manuscript, and offering to read it early this year, was that the editor had no idea on how to edit legacy memoirs and never understood the purpose in which the book was written. She just did an editing course online (probably for fiction works) and thought she had the skills to carefully edit a legacy memoir. LIKE I SAID, THE EDITOR DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF THE BOOK, THE GENRE, OR THAT IT WAS A LEGACY MEMOIR.

My first contact with the client came early this year. Distraught, frustrated, and basically at her wits end with what to do with her butchered life story (that she wanted to throw it in the rubbish bin and give up), her daughter contacted me asking if I would be willing to offer some advice. After a three hour initial sit down, I offered to read her manuscript and give her some tips. I, of course, being who I am and how I operate professionally with my knowledge, skill, and experience, during those three hours I asked all the questions necessary for me to gain a deep understanding of what I was about to read and what genre, the purpose of the writing the book, the goals in writing this book, the audience, and all these kinds of things. 

When I sat down and read this book, I, and I cannot express this enough, I COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT I WAS READING AND THAT IT HAD BEEN BUTCHERED BY THE EDITOR. It was like reading a travel guide book and I was thinking where is the actual story about this woman's life and experiences. 

I made five pages of notes, but the same comment and theme kept creeping in - there was no personalisation, no personal experience stories, funny stories, or about her. It was just all about the places.

I rang the lady (as she was not a client at this point) and asked to meet with her again to discuss my thoughts on this book. We did, and her daughter joined us. Another three hour meeting. I could tell and feel this lady's heartbreak, disappointment, and just hopelessness with what the editor had done to her life story. We had a very good chat, and she was shocked at how many times there was repetitive countries, and especially stunned at how many stories she was telling me about her travels and stating that she had put that story in the book, and I kindly advised her that that story was no longer in the book and I had not read about it. 

An interesting note, the lady told me that the editor kept telling her to add more travel advice and more information about places, and almost pushing her to publish this to a wider market. The lady was blase about this as that was not the motivation nor goal for writing her life story.

A LEGACY MEMOIR IS THE STORY OF A PERSON'S LIFE OR MOMENTS FROM THEIR LIFE. IT IS WRITTEN WITH THE INTENTION OF THE AUDIENCE BEING FAMILY MEMBERS AND FUTURE DESCENDANTS. IT IS ABOUT THE PERSON. 

Near the end of the meeting, I had already made up my mind. This woman needed my help - the help of an experienced and skilled editor who works in this realm of genres. 

Every year, I take on one pro-bono (I do not charge a cent) client, and help bring their book to life. It could be ghostwriting, editing, coaching, or proofreading services that they receive from me FOR ABSOLUTELY NO CHARGE. I fit this work in and around my contracts and other clients. But it still gets the time it deserves.

This lady was this year's deserving recipient of my services. 

It was not going to be a quick or easy undertaking. In fact, it was massive, and over a long period of time. 

When I proposed that I help her and offered my services, of course, they asked, 'how much?'. I told them no charge at all. They were blown away a little I think. 

It is nearly five months working on this client's (as she is now a client) life story, and the client is feeling motivated, revitalised, and eager to do this once again. I am getting weekly messages from her, praising how much I have helped her and how much I have changed her legacy memoir back to what she wanted it to be like. 

The point of telling you all of this, is, PICK AN EDITOR SUITED TO YOUR WORK, BECAUSE NOT EVERY EDITOR IS SUITED TO YOUR WORK. Even me, I have had an editor edit my own manuscript and when I got the editing notes back, I instantly knew that the editor had not read my book at all past the first 1-2 chapters. It wasted my time and money.

If you are going to invest in an editor, which is highly recommended as it can transform your writing, make sure you ask questions, make sure the editor understands the genre, purpose and goal for your book. 

I am so tired, and disappointed, hearing story after story of people paying thousands of dollars for an editor that does a half-assed, inexperienced, or total butchered job of editing a manuscript. As an author myself, having an editor do this to my work would be so devastating. As an editor myself, I WOULD NEVER EVER DO THIS TO SOMEONE'S STORY. Omg, that is unfathomable. But like I previously said, I never badmouth anyone in my industry as it is like anything really, everyone has to start somewhere and learn the craft, better their skills, receive critical feedback so they can better their skills, and they need experience to be honest. However, my issue comes with charging clients thousands of dollars when you are not skilled or experienced enough to take on their manuscript. I edited so many short stories and books for no cost at all when I was learning - or fresh out of university with my Bachelors, and then my Masters. It wasn't because I was doing a bad job, no, and in fact, I did a better job than the editor in this story, I did not charge a cent as I wanted to edit as many types of books as I could to gain experience - and that is the key - TO GAIN EXPERIENCE.