Have you wondered if it’s okay to ask questions of your editor after you have received the editing job? The answer is, “Of course!” (Or at least, “Usually.” Best to ask your particular editor…)

So, what kinds of questions might a writer ask? What kinds of answers might the editor give? Below is an email conversation I had with one of my writing clients who was developing a memoir. I hope you’ll find it interesting and informative. By the way, the answers reflect my generally conversational editing approach and personality; your editor’s answers might be more formal or casual or otherwise different stylistically. (And yes, I have permission from the writer to share this conversation!).

Q: I’m wondering if the correction you made: “I had witnessed no evidence of His power in my parents’ lives, and I had no reason to believe I would experience it in mine” could read: “I had witnessed no evidence of His power in my parents’ lives and had no reason … In a couple of places like this, I think it sounds better without the comma and second sentence. 

A: You totally can make changes (or leave as in your original) as you wish. This is YOUR manuscript, and you know what you mean more than an editor can know. I just made changes where I thought perhaps the writing could be clearer—but oh my goodness, I do not want to change your meaning. As for commas, I put them where I thought they should be “technically,” but “rules” are technical guidelines, and if they confuse meaning or whatever, by all means you have the right to do with them as works best for you.

Q: In some, but not all instances, you have corrected “Grade” to “grade.” When I google it, it indicates “Grade” should be used if it is followed by a numeral. Can you please explain why you changed it to “grade?”

A: First, my apologies for not being consistent. I definitely should have been more careful… That said, whether to write “Grade 2” or “grade 2” depends on a couple different factors. First, different style guides give different answers; for example, APA and MLA have different opinions, while CMS (Chicago) doesn’t even tackle the issue. The different guides are for different kinds and levels of writing. Secondly, it depends on the audience for whom you are writing. British tends to go with “grade 2” while American” tends to go with “Grade 2.” Canadians, of course, often go one way or another (for example, some will write “colour”—British form—while others will write “color”—American form; the same kind of thing goes with grade levels). You as the writer are free to choose which format you want to use (grade 2, Grade 2, second grade, 2^nd grade….), based on your writing purpose and audience and even your personal preference (but be consistent, whichever you choose). Top Google entries are frequently American forms (in this case, usually “Grade 2”) partly because it is an American company with a predominately American audience.

Q: I had to chuckle when I saw your suggestion that “I entered, innocently, into” didn’t need commas. That was a direct quote you gave me after editing the prologue previously. 

A: Aha! Commas are probably the most confusing aspect of punctuation there is. While there are about 15 “standard rules” there are also many variations, depending on the Style Guide, and, in this case, on “sound” and “meaning.” When in doubt, I tend to go with meaning, but sometimes I go with “sound” instead. In this situation (in which I had edited at two different times quite far apart), due to the initial context the first time, I was focusing on the word “innocently” which is why I used the commas. (Other reasons for using the commas could include using them much like parentheses, providing extra information; and/or thinking of how a reader would “hear” it).

On the other hand, not using the commas (as I did the second time after your changes), I felt that there were already many commas (this being the end part of a long sentence) and the writing was becoming “cluttered.” So, I decided to remove the least important ones.

Editing is often as much subjective (how it sounds or feels or what the meaning is) as it is objective (the “rules” … which in this case have options anyway, depending on the style guide and the audience).

Q: Why are “seventy” times and “fifty” years not in numerals?

F: CMA (Chicago Manual of Style) in 9.2 reads: Chicago’s general rule—zero through one hundred. In nontechnical contexts, Chicago advises spelling out whole numbers from zero through one hundred and certain round multiples of those numbers. [examples: thirty-two, seventy, ninety-nine, 103, 540, 5893]. …. That said, in 9.3 they say: An alternative rule—zero through nine…. Follow the simple rule of spelling out only single-digit numbers and using numerals for all others… Round multiples of hundreds, thousands, and hundred-thousands, however, are typically expressed as numerals when the alternative rule is in force. [And then CMA goes on to list many, many other alternatives all the way to 9.67!]. I tend to go with 9.2 most of the time, which I did in your case. If you wish, of course, you are most welcome to use numerals instead. Up to you. Just be consistent.

Q: I shortened the Mennonites in Europe chapter and created the Appendix you suggested. I don’t know whether I can find or create a map of the journey to Poland, and I don’t know their departure point. But I think I have a map of lower, middle, and upper Chortitza I will use. Thanks for the suggestion.

A: Sounds good! I think a map will be very helpful in such a detailed “travelogue,” especially for people who aren’t strong on political geography (which often changes anyway—resulting in events like the current war in Ukraine… ugghh!).

Q: I appreciate your suggestion about using an inclusive descriptor instead of “craftsmen.” I agree with using inclusive language, but I suspect the teachers were all male. 

A: You are probably right about them being male, so historically “craftsmen” would work; but current readers might be inclined to want more inclusive wording. I personally tend to feel that current readers sometimes get carried away with their inclusiveness, and it annoys me when “classic” writing from the past is “banned” because it reflects the period in which it was written, rather than reflecting current ideas (which, of course, are not all agreed upon anyway, but that’s another issue). I feel, as an historian as well as an editor, as if new editions of older writing could include a short discussion about the way perspectives on certain issues have changed, and how it is useful to see what people used to think and compare that to current thought—rather than outright banning the material or editing it to reflect current perspectives. My 2 cents!

Q: I have a lot of photos I want to add, including one of a housebarn in Chortitza and some pictures my dad took in the bush camps.

A: That would definitely add to the interest of the book, especially in this day and age when “graphics” are more and more important, especially to younger readers. I’m sure you are aware that the more illustrations there are, the more the book costs to print (and in the case of e-books, it can be a bit trickier to set up, but that’s another issue). Colour illustrated books are almost always significantly more expensive than black-and-white coloured books. Just some things to consider.

Q: I have no idea when my paternal grandmother arrived in Canada. I expect my grandfather met her after she’d arrived.

A: Okay. Obviously, we don’t know all the details, so it’s best to go with what we are sure of. If you wanted to, you might say something such as “I like to imagine that…” or “In that time period, ____ was common; however, I can’t be sure of this particular case.” It’s best to just “tell it like it was” rather than imagining how it might have been. Memoir is a form of “creative nonfiction,” so you can include some imaginings, but they need to be indicated as such, or else the work becomes more fiction than nonfiction. And of course, autobiography (as opposed to memoir) requires FACTS (not creativity).

Q: You suggested italicizing German words. Would this include the ones I have put in parentheses?

A: Yes. CMS reads in 7.53: Use italics for isolated words and phrases from another language unless they appear in a … standard English-language dictionary. If a word from another language becomes familiar throughout a work, it need be italicized only on its first occurrence. If it appears only rarely, however, italics may be retained…. This rule does not extend to proper nouns. … Commonly used Latin words and abbreviations should not be italicized.

And then, of course, there is a list of “further discussion” options! I used to be a member of an Okanagan group of editors—which sadly no longer exists—and my goodness! We had some pretty amazing and long-winded discussions and, yes, arguments, about all the rules and regulations in CMS and other style guides. As I mentioned above, despite the rules (or perhaps because of them, with all their complications and options), editing often ends up being pretty subjective. And that, of course, leads to the sort of good questions you have asked.

Q: Thank you for the idea of creating a family tree. I’ll see what I can do.

A: Again, especially in this day and age of everything being so “graphical,” a family tree could be very helpful—and interesting. Many readers love genealogy and family trees.

Q: I’m not sure why you suggested that this phrase–“the passenger door swung open and I tumbled out”–doesn’t need a comma after “open”.

A: Well, it could include a comma. After all, “the passenger door swung open” is a full sentence in its own right, and “I tumbled out” is also a full sentence in its own right; technically, since they are connected with the conjunction “and,” there should be a comma. The problem is that they are also part of a longer sentence with more commas. When sentences become long like this one, with multiple commas, they can feel and look cluttered (and thus distracting) to the readers, so leaving out that comma makes sense. Also, because “I tumbled out” is so short, style guides suggest that the conjunctive comma can be left out, even if there wasn’t more of the sentence previously. If you prefer to use the comma, please feel free to do so. It is “technically” correct, according to “comma rules.” Your choice.

Q: I very much enjoyed reading about the similarities in our childhoods, which you included in your editing comments.

A: I was so amazed at all the similarities. I almost felt as if I were reading about my own childhood—or at least the “social/community/religious” childhood I grew up in. (Kind of like when I read old school “readers” from the 1950s (like Fun With Dick and Jane) that are so much like my memories—good memories to me, but of course there were other children in that time period—and more now—for whom a family of Dad, Mom, and 3 kids, with the mom staying at home and family car trips to visit the grandparents on their country farm, were concepts totally outside their existence. (Nevertheless, I still like those books. I even have a collection—which  some people doubtless would think is terrible of me…)

Q: I have included a note on my “credits” page about the name changes in the book. Maybe I’ll change the names of the cities, too.

A: I think that sounds like a good idea, as you want to protect certain people included in your memoir. I was also wondering a bit about references to the “Okanagan.” It may be broad enough, geographically, but it is going to have some readers familiar with the valley making all kinds of guesses about which towns are actually being referenced. I wouldn’t really worry about that, but at the same time, if you think it might be a problem, you could maybe say something like “a popular, sunny region in the BC interior.” On second thought, that’s probably too long and complicated. Sticking with Okanagan is probably best. (What I just wrote there is an example of the kinds of kind of subjective “thinking/pondering/mind wandering that goes on in my head when I’m editing).

Q: At the beginning of the Family chapter, you suggested I explain the layout I chose and why. I put this explanation at the beginning of Part 2, My Story: Note: “The following chapters are not necessarily in chronological order. I found it made more sense to organize my life story into themes, so there is overlapping time between the chapters.” Would you suggest additional or alternate wording?

A: I understand that, although I still think it might be helpful to place a short explanation at the very beginning of the book with the overall layout explained, even if it was just a few sentences. That said, there are times when I think there might need to be just a bit more “overlapping” (such as when your children arrived on the scene, and while you were still working, or moving, or whatever). Those references to important life events (and obviously, changes they would make to the other “themes” in your life) will help readers see the “big picture” a bit more clearly and keep the story line flowing through the entire memoir. These don’t need to be long—even a sentence or two would quite often be enough for a “placeholder”—either looking back or forward—in the stream of your life. Just a thought.

Q: I have permission from J. L. to use the verse I quoted from his song. Do I need permission for the quote from Malcolm Gladwell’s book: “autonomy, complexity and a connection between effort and reward are the three qualities work has to have if it is to be satisfying”?

A: No, you can quote or paraphrase short pieces from books or even articles, as long as you either mention the author and title at the time you write the quote/paraphrase (e.g., In his book ____, Malcolm Gladwell says that….), or else include a footnote at the bottom of the page or at the end of the chapter, or—which is done more often now—in an “endnotes” page at the end of the document.

Q: I hope this isn’t asking too much of you. You’ve already done so much.

A: Not a problem. Actually, these were all very good questions. In fact, if you don’t mind, I would like to use them in a blog post on my NormaJHill.com blog to show people the kinds of decisions that editors make and why they sometimes struggle (and even change their minds) about what to suggest. Editing often is subjective, not just objective. And in the end, the author always has the right to decide what suggestions to accept or reject.

Q: Is it acceptable to include a link to the Mennonite community in Ukraine and their emigration to Canada in the Appendix I created in order to shorten the chapter on the Mennonites in Europe? I found an incredible resource when searching for the route they took to Canada.

A: Absolutely. Links are commonly used in fiction or creative non-fiction books these days (as well as more traditionally in non-fiction books), especially in appendices.

Q: I listed Wikipedia and Gameo in my credits, but I believe you indicated I don’t need to do that. Yes?

A: That’s right… unless you have directly quoted, or have included someone’s new idea, new information, or opinion (as opposed to commonly accepted facts, which don’t need to be credited unless you quote them directly).

Q: I have removed the page numbers from the Table of Contents as I have no idea what it will look like if it’s published. Would that be how I send it to a publisher?

A: Yes. After the publishing company has done the layout, they will know the exact page numbers. (If you end up self-publishing rather than finding a traditional publisher, you will probably need to hire someone who knows how to do layout—either an individual who does that, or a self-publishing assistance company who can do it for you).

Q: Although I’m not ready to send it to a publisher, I’m wondering whether I send it as a single document or in pieces such as the above. 

A: It will depend on the publisher. Different publishers have different requirements, which are usually listed on their websites. I am including below a list of links you may find helpful about different kinds of publishers (traditional, hybrid, and self-publishers) and sites that warn you about “publishers” who aren’t real publishers and are scammers.

Q: And in what order do I place the items above at the beginning of the book?

A: This link explains it clearly: https://blog.reedsy.com/guide/parts-of-a-book/   Also, if you get traditionally published, they will help you with the ISBN number, etc. But if you end up self-publishing, you will need to obtain those things. ISBN numbers are free in Canada. https://library-archives.canada.ca/eng

SO…. Do you have questions you’d like to ask an editor? Why not post them in the comments, and I’ll do my best to reply! By the way, this blog is packed with useful information about writing and editing and related topics. If you’re looking for a particular topic or question, check out the “Writing and Editing Articles” page–it’s a thorough Table of Contents for all the information you’ll find on this site.