Publishing a book comes with a lot of questions:
Should I self-publish?
Where do I market the thing?
How do I find an editor?
This last one can be particularly tough, especially if it’s your first time through. After all, you might be new to the world of writing and editors don’t just appear out of thin air.
That is, unless they do.
Back when I was starting my first book concept, I was freelancing and working out of a local co-working center. After striking up a conversation with a new member, I learned she happened to be a freelance writer and editor.1
At this point, I thought I was ready to take the plunge but after overthinking things, I quickly talked myself out of it and put this first book on ice.
It wasn’t until a few years later, after starting my second book concept, that I reached back out to this editor and asked if she was still available. It turns out she had moved away from St. Louis but she did, in fact, have some time to take on a new project.
We hopped on a call, talked through all of the details, and decided to go full-steam ahead. This time, I decided I wanted to try the traditional route and pitch the book to agents and publishers. We dived in and she helped me put together a book proposal.
As I came close to wrapping it up, I once again started poking holes in my approach. I realized that in the grand scheme of things, this book would be focused on a series of interviews which meant it would likely be better off as a potential podcast.
I shared this realization and we agreed to put this book on ice, too.
Fast-forward a few more years and I had finally landed on the perfect concept: Fumbling Forward: Short Stories & Life Lessons From a Rather Unusual Career. It was a combination of a few different concepts and it seemed to check two important boxes:
A book others would find valuable
A book I would actually enjoy writing
With an outline and half-finished first draft in place, I reached out to see if she was interesting in working together once again. After a little back and forth, we worked out the details and put a plan in place.
Things were once again on track.
That is…until I realized I made a huge mistake. I, being the overly-optimistic person I am, set an unrealistic deadline. My initial plan was to publish my book on my birthday (August 12th) but that would mean finishing the first draft, receiving and making editing updates, getting feedback from early readers, and setting up marketing opportunities all within four months. Even I can admit this would be bonkers to attempt.
After bringing this concern to my editor, we realized I would need to push back the launch date which was going to ultimately bump up against her other work. It was a bummer but in order to do this right, I was going to have to find someone else.
She could’ve peaced out but in an act of total professionalism, she instead introduced me to another editor in her network.
In no time at all, we set up a Zoom call and immediately hit it off.
Within a few minutes, I quickly learned:
He went to college and lived in St. Louis for a few years
He specializes in memoir and non-fiction (my book is both)
He resonated with the overall premise of the book (fumbling through a creative career and sharing what I’ve learned with others)
As of today, we are signing a contract and making things official which means things are finally back on track!
I know this probably seemed more like a winding road instead of a straightforward story but that’s how these things go. You (rarely) ever get it right on the first try and it can take time to find the right fit.
In my case, my first meeting with my first editor was a chance encounter, but I was at a co-working center, a building literally made for chance encounters. Thanks to word of mouth, I finally found someone who is both willing and able to help me bring this book to life.
Which reminds me…I should probably get back to writing it so I don’t have to find a third editor…
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Billy is a principal experience designer, writer, and leader who’s fumbling forward through a creative career while helping others do the same. Subscribe for updates on his first book!
St. Louis really is the biggest smallest city there is.