5 Phrases to Warm Your Editor’s Heart

Okay, I was having a bad day when I wrote “5 Phrases to Raise Your Editor’s Blood Pressure.” Some authors are annoying, but they are in the minority, at least in my experience. As I wrote earlier, most of the people I have contact with are very pleasant, and I feel privileged to work with them. I’ve gotten my share of compliments over the years, and they outnumber the insults by a wide margin.

If you know an editor who deserves a compliment, try one of these:

1. I only found one mistake in the edited book. Great job! (Purrr…)
2. You make me look good in print. (Yes, that is my job, and I am rather good at it.)
3. I never dreamed my book could be this good. (I do love a diamond in the rough.)
4. Wow—I can work with this! (Who doesn’t love an author who is happy and excited about their book?)
5. Thank you, thank you, thank you! (Self-explanatory.)

I recently read a news article about employee burnout. According to the article, people don’t burn out simply because of heavy workloads; feeling frazzled on the job often has more to do with not being recognized and appreciated for the work you do. Writers, don’t forget to compliment your editors. We work hard to make you look good, and a simple thank you will warm our little hearts.