Indie authors are sometimes concerned that the people with whom they do business (and remember, your book is a business) might not agree with the ideas or the religious or political beliefs of the book.
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Some indie authors new to the publishing game can’t shake the suspicion that an editor who isn’t interested in their book or disagrees with it on moral grounds will purposefully do a shoddy job on the edit—or will even outright sabotage the project, making malevolent changes.
Believe me, I understand the fear. Without a publishing company at your back, it’s up to you to find an editor, and, frankly, it’s a jungle out there.
I’m not telling you to completely drop your guard, but when it comes to finding a reputable editor, sabotage may not be the issue you should concern yourself with.
1. A serious editor would never jeopardize his or her career like that.
This is the era of online reviews and increasing transparency; someone who cares about their craft will not risk reputation and future income for a philosophical disagreement with a client’s book.
Editors aren’t paid to agree; they’re paid to help you produce the best book possible. And that’s just what your editor will do.
2. An editor with moral problems with a project will decline the offer.
Authors have a very personal stake in their book; they may be surprised to know that their editor does as well. A smooth ride through an enjoyable project is why editors do what they do. If a client comes along and asks an editor to do something out of his comfort zone, he’ll back out.
3. You may be nervous for no reason.
There’s a big difference between asking a casual liberal to edit a book with conservative overtones and asking . . . well, anyone . . . to edit a step-by-step guide on, say, how to make crystal meth.
Despite the rumors out there, editors are people too, and most of them are extremely open-minded about subject matter.
(And if it makes you feel better, statistically speaking, yours probably isn’t the most out-there manuscript the editor has ever seen. If this keyboard could talk . . .)
The bottom line: if you’re genuinely worried that you’re too sensationalist or provocative, for your editor, just ask:
“My book teaches people how to blow up mailboxes / advocates guerrilla gardening / proves that Jesus will return as a cheeseburger. Do you have any concerns about this? Please let me know if you might be interested in this project.”
If the project is outside your editor’s comfort zone—I promise, you’ll hear about it.
I mean, some people really hate cheeseburgers.
