Protecting Your Voice

I’ve been thinking a lot about voice lately.

I mentioned last month that I used to do some copywriting back in the day. While I didn’t love writing marketing and salesy content, I can say one thing copywriting taught me is how to match voice.

What many people don’t realize is that copywriting requires quite a bit of research. Not only do you have to learn what a company or brand offers, but you also have to dig into their preexisting content so that what you write actually sounds like them.

And editing can look a lot like that too—the research process is just different.

Personally, I try to get as many words out of potential clients as possible before I ever receive their manuscript. To even schedule a discovery call with me, you have to write a message and answer some questions. And what do I do with those responses? I analyze them.

What do you sound like?

What are you saying/not saying?

What seems to be most important to you?

How do you speak about your book and your writing process?

Then, when we have our discovery call, of course, I ask about your writing voice and the tone you’re aiming for, but I’m also listening to see if the way you speak matches the way you write. In my experience, most writers—whether writing fiction or nonfiction—write in a way similar to how they speak.

Once I receive a manuscript, I read it without editing first. I want to make sure I truly know the writer’s voice and their characters’ voices before I even touch the text.

And once I know those voices, that’s when the magic happens.

I can tell when ungrammatical things are intentionally ungrammatical. I know exactly what word the writer meant to use or forgot to insert. I can make suggestions confident that my client will appreciate them because I ✨get✨ them. I’ve gotten to know and understand them and the world they’ve created.

If you’re looking for an editor, make sure they’re doing their research on you. Never hand off your manuscript to someone without talking to them first. I don’t care how impressive their portfolio or reviews look; you’ve gotta make sure they understand your voice.

I’m rooting for you.