The journey of writing a horror novel can be filled with twists and turns. You need to provide your readers with spine-chilling moments that keep them on the edge of their seats. When investing yourself in these details, it is easy to make small mistakes along the way.
That’s where a professional horror book editor can help you out. They are an important part of refining the narrative of your story, improving its atmosphere, and ensuring that every scare hits its mark. But before hiring an editor for your horror book, you need to assess their skills and qualities.
Below are some important qualities and skills you must consider before hiring a horror book editor for your book.
- Consider Experience in the Genre
The horror genre can be very complex. You cannot trust anyone without relevant experience to help you improve your manuscript and bring out the best in it. Therefore, it is crucial to consider only the editor who has relevant and hands-on experience in the genre.
Ask the editor you are considering hiring about their relevant experience with horror manuscripts. If they claim to be proficient at the job, do not just take their word for it. Instead, make some time to have a detailed conversation with them to make the right decision.
You can discuss horror sub-genres, popular themes, and a few horror book authors that both of you may have studied. An initial conversation can be enough for you to determine whether the horror editor you are considering is right for the job or not.
- Demand their Portfolio
In addition to asking the horror editor for their experience in your initial conversation with them, it is also important to demand their portfolio. A portfolio is an important document that helps you access the skills and experience of a horror editor.
You can thoroughly view the experience section to see exactly how much potential they have to work with the horror genre. While viewing their portfolio, do not only look for how many projects they have worked with or how many years of work they have in the genre.
Although the time and number of projects they have worked in the genre matter a lot, you must also consider the variety of horror subgenres they have written for. Diverse experiences are a signifier of expertise, versatility, and adaptability in any genre.
In addition, the portfolio can also help you see samples of work from their past clients. These samples can tell you about the quality of their edits and attention to detail. All this information can help you make your final decision with full confidence.
- Inquire About Subgenres
The horror genre is more engaging than many people think. It is not based on simply making the readers imagine vile monsters and crazy men with chainsaws. This genre stimulates the readers both mentally and physically.
The horror genre encompasses a wide range of subgenres. Each sub genre has its own conventions and audience expectations. Whether you have written a piece of folk horror or zombie horror, your editor must be well-versed in that genre and its themes as well.
You can ask them about relevant experience and also seek samples on their portfolio to hire them with full confidence. If they have the relevant knowledge and their samples show their expertise in your subgenre, you can proceed to make the final call to hire them.
- Gauge their Understanding of Fear
Every horror genre author works towards eliciting fear and unease in their audience in different ways. Whether they incorporate psychological elements or supernatural phenomena, they want the readers to be on the edge of their chairs.
In order to ensure the success of your horror book, you must only hire an editor who has an in-depth understanding of what fear is and how to capitalise on elements that induce it. This seemingly simple concept can be hard to weave together in a manuscript.
When you consider an ideal editor for your horror book, make sure that you ask them about their understanding of the concept. You can also ask them how they will be able to maximise the impact of all the elements that you have already incorporated into the story.
- Figure their Attention to Detail
Another important quality that sets a brilliant editor apart from any ordinary editor is their ability to pay attention to detail. Of course, the need to pay attention to detail becomes a lot more important because that is where the devil lies when it comes to horror books.
Little sensory details, subtle cues, and atmospheric details are what captures the attention of a horror book reader. While the author understands the importance of every little detail, a brilliant horror book editor must be able to do the same for your work.
Brilliant horror book editors must be able to pay even more attention to these aspects of their work to bring out the best in it. Their efforts in the right direction can ensure that every word serves to heighten the tension and immerse readers in your spooky world.
- Learn About their Sensitivity
One of the most prominent reasons why many authors are not comfortable stepping into the horror genre is its exploration of the dark side of the imagination. Horror literature often explores dark and taboo subjects such as violence and trauma. Such subjects can be a challenge to cater to, even for the most seasoned authors.
If you are also concerned about the sensitivity of your content, it is not a big enough reason to give up your passion for writing horror books or stories. In addition to doing your best to be sensitive while talking about such matters, you can rely on a horror book editor to explore darker aspects of human nature with care.
The right editor will approach your content with empathy and respect. Based on their industry experience and work history with different clients, they can recognize the impact of every word you write on the reader and offer their expert guidance on handling sensitive themes with care.
