How Does it Feel to be a New Editor by Rachelle Abbott

I am excited for this new opportunity to work for Mystic Publishing and learn more about writing, editing, and publishing. I am not a huge fan of change, and I would be very content with a predictable, stable—boring even—life; however, I have become far too familiar with the adage, “The only thing constant is change.” I am sure I am not alone when I disclose that my life has not enfolded exactly as I planned. That is not a complaint, but merely a confession.

My bachelor’s degree is in secondary education with a major in English and journalism. Initially I planned to teach for a few years, save money (I know laughable on a teacher’s salary), and eventually go to law school. Let me make a long story short. I fell in love, married, taught for 5 years, and then stayed home to raise 7 magnificent human beings—at least that is my hope for them when they are fully grown.

Reading has always been an important part of my life. I have been a part of many book clubs and a few writing clubs as well as secretly aspiring to be an author myself! I am not yet ready to debut a best-selling novel, but hopefully that will be a part of my future.

The circumstances of how I ended up in editing can only be described as an evolving process accelerated by a series of events that put me in contact with the right people at the right time. That is a story for another post. I don’t believe in coincidences, but I do believe in a Higher Power that is involved in my life.I am fortunate to work with and learn from some amazing people here at Mystic Publishing.

The most challenging part of this new adventure is teaching a middle age dog new tricks. I have never liked feeling incompetent or inferior. While deep down I still think I am an intelligent person, I am now doing something I have never done before (which involves new specialized terminology as well as new rules to writing— the writing rules teachers teach students, don’t always translate the same for writing novels), but I am doing it while living with 4 teenagers in my house. Anyone who has teenagers doesn’t need further explanation, but just in case, let me explain: it is a daily assault on your intellect. Teenagers know how to parent better than you; they know all the answers to every question, and they are not afraid to let you know it!

My best resource in this business is my fellow editors. I can question and discuss things with them. The internet is extremely helpful as well. I have decided my college research papers would have been so much easier in today’s world with awesome search engines unlike my research experiences of the 1990’s. A lifetime of reading definitely hasn’t hurt either.

The most rewarding part of being an editor is working with authors. I am intrigued that their words and imagination can breathe life into fictional characters and stories. The revising/editing process can be long, frustrating and even exacerbating at times, but in the end, it is satisfying to see the final product of hard work turn into a published book!