I’ve mentioned how some reviewers write their reviews how they would have edited or written the story instead of simply sharing their opinion. I want to explore more the flip side of this – having a reviewer as your editor. It does feel as if I’ve talked about this before.
As you know, I am both and will get back to editing soon enough.
When I’m reading for pleasure…no review or edits involved…I read without thinking. The story is a complete escape. Reviewing, I step back and make notes on this, that, and whatever other thing, my editor brain never enters the picture.
To edit, my reviewer brain is constantly there. So is my escape brain, although it tends to forget the fun and grades the story on the lack of understanding bits and pieces.
Editor…nitpits or nic-pics or nickpicky, the mechanics, the missing and the overly repeated.
Reviewer…what’s buggy, annoying, confusing, drawn way out, overused.
Escape…enjoyment, what will be overlooked without issue.
Shouldn’t an editor look at all this? Maybe, but a reviewer reads content so much it becomes second nature to us. We know what little grammar breaks we can let slide. What we need to go back and read again because the author has just lost us.
Plus, we’re pretty sure of what has been overdone. What’s old and tired and what’s exciting us. Even to scream what we want to read. What, maybe, you’ve previously wrote in another book or what you’ve forgotten was told would happen in this one from a previous story.
What does this have to do with a review site?
I’ve been “hearing” comments that everyone’s an editor…everyone’s a reviewer…not quite.
Research, research, research…reviewers and editors and if they are a two-in-one how much of both crossover into the other. You might want to stay away from that reviewer or you might want to have that reviewer. Same with the editor.
Know what you’re getting into when you seek a review from anyone. Learn who they are and how they approach their work. Can they shut either mind off? Are they a writer, too?
You’re looking for the person who will appreciate your work and help you and it find the right readers.
What’s that saying…two heads/minds are better than one.