Contrary to a popular perception among writers, editors are not the enemy. In fact, a good editor has nearly as high a stake in your work as you do: If your book does well, your editor looks good to his superiors, because he's the one who recognized your talent and potential. He's your ally in the publishing house, first convincing the pub board your work is worth the publisher's investment and then taking care of the innumerable details involved in seeing a manuscript from acquisition to publication. Anything you can do to foster a good relationship with your editor is well worth doing — as long as you don't make a pest of yourself.

“Meeting” Your Editor

More often than not, you'll never meet your editor in person. Most of your communication will take place over the telephone or via e-mail. When you first sign the contract, your editor will usually call or e-mail you to introduce herself and to talk briefly about your book. If you have any questions about how the process works, this will be the time to ask them. Don't worry about appearing to be naïve or uninformed; if this is your first book, your editor is aware of that, and she'll be happy to give you a little insight into how things work.

Keep in mind that your editor, like your agent, will want to hear from you about important things, but she won't have time to indulge in idle chitchat. When important things do come up, e-mail is a convenient communication tool; it also provides a record of what was discussed should questions arise later. Most e-mail programs allow you to sort and archive your e-mail in folders, and it's a good idea to create a folder where you keep copies of all communications between you and your editor.

Creating Buzz

An editor who is enthusiastic about your book and enthusiastic about working with you can do wonders for your career by creating “buzz” about you and your book. Buzz starts in-house with an editor whose excitement about your work and its potential spreads among the rest of the staff. Maybe he's gotten positive feedback from the sales staff, or from key book buyers who like your book so much that they increase their orders. The news gets around the publishing house, and the publicity department starts paying attention, eventually deciding to invest part of their precious budget in promoting your work with ads or media interviews, which leads to out-of-house buzz, which further promotes you and your book. Before you know it, you might find your book has gotten endorsements from prominent people or great critical reviews, and suddenly you're climbing the bestseller lists. And it all starts with an enthusiastic editor.

Communicate, Communicate, Communicate!

It's important to keep in touch with your agent or editor during the writing process. You don't have to alert him every time you sneeze, but it's a good idea to send brief, periodic updates (usually easiest to do via e-mail, and less intrusive for the agent or editor) as you reach important markers in your manuscript. A one- or two-line e-mail saying you've finished the first third of your book is sufficient.

You should let your agent or editor know if you'll be out of town or otherwise unavailable for more than, say, one business day. This is especially important after you've turned in your manuscript. Issues may come up during editing that need your attention, and your editor (and agent) will appreciate knowing in advance that you'll be on vacation until next Tuesday.

Finally, should any crises or major problems arise during your writing, be sure to let your agent and editor know as soon as possible. There might be a sudden illness or accident; your coauthor might encounter a problem that pushes back your planned schedule; a computer virus may wreak havoc with your hard drive; a massive power outage two days before one of your interim deadlines may prevent you from finishing the chapter you were working on. When the agent or editor is aware of the situation, she's more willing to work with you to make adjustments.

If you have an agent, tell her first about any problems that come up, and let her work with the editor to find a solution. Editors don't have time to listen to a litany of personal problems; they need to know when the author can meet his obligations. Your agent is the best person to keep this discussion on a professional level while still making sure everyone's needs are addressed.