Hi, welcome to the Library of Erana and thank you for talking to us today.
1. Please introduce yourself.
Hello, I’m Carmilla Voiez, and I am a published author and editor with a First-Class degree in English Language and Creative Writing.
2. How did you get into this line of work?
I started out editing for CHBB/Vamptasy publishing when they had too much work for their usual editors.
3. Are there genres you refuse, if so why is that? Do you have any you love?
I am comfortable working in any genre and in both British and American English. As someone who loves the English language and enjoys making sentences dance, I love working with any genre from drama scripts to children’s fiction.
4. Are you also a writer? If so do you self-edit or do you use the services of another editor?
I am a writer, and I always use another editor at some point in the process because it is difficult to spot all the errors in your own work. One trick to find most of them, if you cannot afford to hire an editor, is to listen to your story – most word processing programmes have this option.
5. Have you ever refused a manuscript?
Not from a paying client, but I do point out sensitivity issues and possible triggers. Whether the author uses this information or not is up to them.
6. Have you ever had an author refuse your suggestions/changes? If so how did you deal with it?
Yes, but as I am not a publisher, that is always the author’s choice. Mine is merely a supporting role.
7. Editors often receive a bad press in the writing community, what are your thoughts on this?
I don’t think it is any different to writers receiving bad press in the community. I haven’t received any negative feedback for my editing to date, but I hope I would react gracefully and let the critic rant away. I always do the best job I can, and I am proud of my interactions with clients and the writing community as a whole.
8. Please could you tell us about the process involved with editing for, say, a 100k word Manuscript. (Line edit, developmental edit etc.)
The first stage is reading through and adding comments where problems exist. I am looking for plot holes, characterisation, repetition, sensitivity, and continuity issues, but I also point out any grammatical or spelling errors that I spot along the way. The document is then returned to the author for changes. When they have made any changes they wish, I get the revised document and do a line edit, which covers grammar, spelling and syntax, to ensure the language is as compelling as possible while retaining the author’s personal style.
9. What is the difference between proof-reading and editing?
Proof-reading requires a light touch; a proof-reader isn’t concerned with plot, only spelling and grammatical errors and will usually avoid changing idiosyncrasies in the author’s style. A full edit considers every aspect of the text in partnership with the author to ensure their manuscript is the best it can be without sacrificing the writer’s unique style or voice. A content edit would come before proof-reading so that any big changes can also be checked for errors.
10. Do you have part of the process you really enjoy? Is there a part you don’t?
I love it all, to be honest. It’s an honour to be trusted with another writer’s work and share ideas with the writer to help them develop the story and their skills. I build close relationships with clients, some of whom see me as a mentor as well as their editor.
11. Outside of your work as an editor do you read for pleasure? What genre do you enjoy the most?
I am a veritable book worm. I read widely and get different things from different genres. I love horror, especially psychological and supernatural horror, but I also love reading mysteries. The only genre I don’t read for pleasure is romance.
12. What are your plans for the future?
I will be helping undergraduates develop their drama scripts later this year, and I have applied to do the PGDE (teaching qualification), which if I am accepted, will start next August. Until August 2023 (when I expect to be so busy, I will need to put other projects on hold for ten months), I will be writing and submitting short stories, taking on editing projects, and tutoring.
Please add any links to your blog/website etc.
Library of Erana 