Edit me, baby.

Soooo...

I had no idea what edits really were until today.  That's because my novel, Changing Worlds, came back to me this afternoon and let me say, if my editor hadn't taken a pause in the beginning to let me know she actually really liked the story, I might have cried.  Today, I learned the real difference between a beta reader and an editor.  A beta reader is generally a friend, probably someone who likes my work, and usually limits him or herself to suggesting improvements and notesing grammar/spelling errors.  An editor is someone who is under no contract, friendly or otherwise, to like what I've produced.  This person is being paid to do a job, and a thorough one at that.  This person has studied structure, style and form and would probably hand me my ass in a game of Scrabble.  This person is the one who won't let me defend my plot points or word choices with "I just like it this way."  Madam, I salute you.  You make me feel so adult.  You also make me feel a little childish as well, actually; it's the nature of the beast.

This is my longest publication to date, and definitely the most thoroughly gone over.  I have two weeks to make changes, and I think I'm going to need all of them.  My publisher and I are working on a blurb for the story that I'll share when its readable, and the artist is currently doing sketches for the cover.  Actual sketches, not just beautiful photoshopping.  I admire it all, but I'm really looking forward to a cover drawn just for me *helpless giggle*  God, I need to stop it with the beer.  It's making me silly.

Happy St. Patricks Day, guys!