A few years ago, I got one of my short stories published in a small anthology called, “The Monsters In Your Closet.” I was proud of the work and learned a lot during the process. However, I realized I didn’t really explain much about it.

I first met Madeline Smoot at a writing convention in Minneapolis, MN. She was part of the editing panel for participants who requested to have their first 10 pages reviewed. She had reviewed my piece, and, to my surprise, she thought it was good. We got to talking after the critique and she mentioned in passing that she was doing an anthology.

Long story short, I submitted a piece I worked after the convention and it was accepted. After the excitement died down a bit, we got to business. A contract was provided, and requirements were set for the piece regarding editing. Madeline, along with another editor, reviewed each story and provided editing requests. Some was basic spelling and grammar mistakes, but most of it was about the structure and character. They asked questions such as, “Would a character talk like this?” “Would this character act like that?” The editor asked questions that required some deeper searching in the story to not only challenge you to make the story better, but to make you a better writer.

It was my first experience getting feedback from editors on my stories and I was nervous. I was in a state where I didn’t want to say no to doing an edit. If it was recommended, I did it. Mostly, it was out of fear that if I said no or challenged it, I would be rejected.

It wasn’t until later did I learn that was and never should be the case. You can fight to keep the story how you want it, but it’s important to pick your battles carefully. Don’t ever assume your story is perfect. It would be impossible. Editors are there to help make the story better. They will find things you missed. And that is great! But editors are not here to fix stories. If a story doesn’t work, they can’t fix it. Only the writer can.

Editors find your errors, put them on a pedestal, and say, “You can make this better.” They provide guidance, help make the story refined, and in most cases, champion your work. Editors are invaluable to writers and that was the most valuable takeaway from my experience.

If you haven’t picked up a copy of the anthology and want to give it a try during this Halloween season, pick it up on Amazon and give it a read.

The Monsters In Your Closet

Until next time, read, write, repeat.

-J.J.