Editor: Edmond Addeo Company: Freelance # of years in editing: 40 years.
Tell us a little about yourself, including how you got started as an editor?
Started as newspaperman/assistant editor on LA paper, then correspondent for McGraw-Hill World News, then West Coast editor of a trade magazine, then communications consultant, then executive editor of weekly newspaper chain, then owned my own PR firm, and author/screenwriter. I am the author of eight non-fiction and four novels.
What is your area of focus and why did you select this niche?
Fiction & non-fiction book length, and articles.
Walk us through a typical workday. How do you manage your time?
Check what movies I might miss; work on any current assignments; work on current novel/screeenplay; take long walk; drink Chardonnay. Actually, I find I am a sloppy time manager.
What is your favorite thing about being an editor?
Teaching writers how to punctuate and write dialog using contractions. I'm always taken aback at how many young writers have not yet been taught these skills
What is your biggest challenge and how do you work through this?
Getting authors to understand the difference between criticizing and teaching. I work through this by showing them comparison writing.
What are you currently working on?
Currently I am working on a mystery novel with my grandson and screenplay, a modern day version of "High Noon."
What advice do you have for someone who is just starting their career as an editor?
Don't be afraid to use references such as the AP Stylebook, Strunk & White, et al. Study, study, study. Also, be certain you understand precisely what the writer is trying to accomplish.