Editing Is Just Reading, Right?

Whenever I tell someone I edit books for a living, the most common response is some version of “Ooh, you get to read books all day!” Sometimes their eyes go all dreamy and I know they’re picturing themselves kicking back in an easy chair, a cup of coffee or herbal tea in one hand, a good book in the other, and a hefty paycheck in the bank (presumably from the last good book they read). I can’t fault anyone for thinking this way—heck, that’s my dream too!—but the reality of the editing life is not quite like that.

It’s true that I spend most of my day, every single day, day after day after day, reading. Don’t get me wrong—I love reading and I love editing, but at some point it all becomes work. Reading closely to catch typos or decide if you really need to add a comma (or should it be a semicolon?) is not the same as reading for pleasure. I’m always at my desk, editing on screen, with a shelf full of reference books to my left. Those references are not just for show either. I might check four or five different books trying to find a solution for a burning comma/semicolon/colon issue. And yes, deciding how to punctuate a sentence can become a burning issue, and I often end up thinking about commas more than any normal person should.

In the “reading for a living” fantasy, the reader always gets to choose the book. In reality, I almost never get to choose what I read. If I’m in the mood for a fun children’s adventure story and someone sends me a gory, blood-soaked horror novel, I spend the day soaked in blood (metaphorically, of course). This isn’t necessarily a bad deal. I have developed a certain openness and sense of adventure from taking each day and each job as it comes, and I’ve read and learned things I otherwise never would have read or learned. I’ve also ended up loving some books I was absolutely sure I didn’t want to read. A novel about motorcycle racing comes to mind; I thought I would hate it but it turned out to be great fun, and I learned that racing isn’t just zipping around in circles at suicidal speeds. You’re not going to find me in the stands at the local speedway anytime soon, but I’m happy to have had my horizons expanded a little bit.

Speaking of expanding, editing is a sedentary job. I work at home, so the job also offers constant access to a kitchen full of yummy food. An expanding waistline is a definite occupational hazard. I’m not usually tempted to munch all day, so this hazard hasn’t hit me yet, but the possibility is there. So far, my main hazards are backache, carpal tunnel syndrome, tired eyes and numb butt (I’m sure there is a technical term for this last one; sadly, I don’t know what it is).

Oh, and that hefty paycheck in the bank? Very funny—we won’t even talk about my take-home pay.

The moral of the story? Editing is not for sissies! Fortunately, at the end of the day you can always kick back in your easy chair, with a cup of tea and a good book, throw your editing hat in the corner and just read, read, read.