90-minute session. Most traditionally published authors have a deep-seated understanding of how their relationship with the publishing house's editorial team impacts their book's journey through the publishing process. Being on the same page—professionally and, to some extent, personally—ensures that you'll each give your all to the editing process. This means working seamlessly to churn out the cleanest, most impactful manuscript before you head for the next stage of formatting, design, marketing, and release. Independent and self-publishing authors sometimes struggle with this part of the publishing journey. They may not understand why editors are needed, the editor's skill sets in improving certain aspects of the manuscript, or how much communication is too much (or too little). Through this workshop, you'll get a broad overview of what each level of editing covers, what the editor's responsibilities and relationship to the author entail. Most importantly, you'll get a peek at the author's responsibilities in the editing process and—especially—what they should work on to build and/or improve their relationship with their editor.
Shannon Scott (they/them [preferred]; she/hers [accepted]) is the founder and owner of Shannon S. Scott Editing Services, LLC, where they work tirelessly to deliver top-notch service through line editing, copyediting, and proofreading (with some dabbling in fiction developmental editing). They ensure manuscripts are as polished as possible, regardless of the level of editing requested. Shannon opened their editing business with the intention of working with independent and self-publishing authors in the military and espionage thriller, psychological and legal thriller, and LGBTQIA+ romance fiction subgenres. They also are experienced in business communication and technical documentation editing, and are a vocal advocate for building awareness around mental health.