Interview with Editor Vicki McGough
We love our Editors! We sit down with Vicki and asked her some questions to share with everyone. Hope you enjoy getting to know her, like we have!
How did you get into this business and why?
Well, I have always, always loved to read, and of course I love a good story – kind of ‘take me away from it all’ sort of thing. Then, after I finished with school and my kids were grown (sort of) I went back to work and a large part of my job involved editing and proofreading. I had done a lot of academic editing for my college-aged daughters and fellow students before this, so it wasn’t unfamiliar to me. I found that I had a real knack for finding the errors in text, finding the inconsistencies in logic and making the ‘story’ read better. It became second nature for me to find the errors and mentally polish the text in stories I read – sometimes annoyingly so. Several years ago, I was reading an author I particularly liked and found so many errors that I just had a hard time finishing the book. I just thought to myself ‘well I could do a better job than this editor’ and wrote to the author to let her know that her pre-production people were not doing her any service if they would let this kind of thing go through to print. She signed me on to help her re-edit her previous 7 books and the next 2 after that. I kind of went from there.
What do you look for when reading submissions?
When reading a submission I look for a story that has a good, solid story line that flows well and is consistent. I like to see characters that are multi-dimensional, ones the reader can really get behind, that are believable. I also like to see that if the author includes facts, dates or events of a historical nature that they have been, at the very least, googled to be sure they are accurate. My background is European History and Art History so, when a character is doing something during a period, or in a place, where they could not logically be, it creates a conflict that I find hard to reconcile.
What can authors do to get you excited about working them?
I like to work with authors who are open to discussion. While I know that no author wants an editor to come in and re-write the story as they would like it, and I certainly don’t care to do that, in order for character and plot issues to be resolved there needs to be some amount of give and take from both sides. I am open to suggestions from the author if I find something that doesn’t make sense or doesn’t line up. At the same time, the author needs to understand that I am working to make sure that their work, when it goes to publish, is the best I can possibly make it. I try to make suggestions that we can both live with.
What is the best way for authors to reach out to you?
What are your pet peeves?
Pet peeves would include repetition – of words and descriptions. The English language is broad and colorful. I like to see authors use a variety of adjectives and adverbs to describe what is going on and what the characters are doing, saying and how they are appearing.
What would like to see in the forms of submissions?
I like to see story lines that step away from the ordinary, run of the mill situations. Complexity and interesting twists in the plot or in ‘the universe’ the author creates can sometimes make the story.
What is on your to-be-read pile right now?
Susanna Kearsley’s Mariana and The Rose Garden, A Woman of Note by Carol Cram, and R.D. Brady’s The Belial Series (I’m up to #8).
What are you currently reading?
Currently, I am reading Adriana Trigiani’s The Shoemaker’s Wife.
Give us 5 facts about you that we may not know.
Wow, this is hard. Well, I was a stay-home mom/student for 30 years before going back to work. I have 4 daughters – mostly grown. I love cats. I love to bake.
What is your favorite genre?
I have a wide range of genres that I enjoy reading. While I typically gravitate to any kind of Romance, I generally enjoy Historical Fiction and Historical Romance. Specifically, Time-Travel Romance (think Gabaldon and Kurland), Romance that includes some aspect of magic or the supernatural, even reincarnation (Nora Roberts), though not so much the ‘were’ world, though I’ve read those on occasion as well. I also really like historical family sagas, ones that have complicated themes, and Action/Adventure stories.
What is your favorite type of hero and heroine?
In either case, I like to see intelligence and creativity. I like to see a hero who has a good moral compass, is compassionate and has strong character, one who develops as the story progresses, like peeling an onion – many layered.
I like to see a heroine who isn’t afraid to stand up and take a chance. Whatever the situation, I like to see strength of character to overcome adversity and, in the case of romance, not be afraid to take a chance.
About the Editor:
Vicki is an avid reader with an eye for the details. With a background in European History and Art History, she loves a good tale and never goes anywhere without a book in hand. Getting lost in a good story is her favorite escape.
Vicki has spent ten years with academic editing for her four daughters and other college students, five years in direct mail editing and proofreading, and two years of freelance work in fiction.
In addition to reading, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, and puttering in the kitchen.
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