Should Editors Be Writers Too?
(This isn't a trick question)
This question was posed in one of my editing courses, and for a while, it stumped me. Probably because my brain works in this way that it tries to uncover the hidden agenda, even when there clearly isn’t one. What was the right answer? What was I expected to say? What was the trick?
My journey as an editor definitely evolved from my writing journey. A side quest, if you will. I learned the value of honest feedback while completing my Graduate Certificate in Creative Writing. It humbled me and forced me to improve. I quickly realized I didn’t know a fraction of what I thought I did, and so I shut up and listened to every scrap of feedback and instruction, and worked on two more novels (unpublished and will forever remain so), all so I could understand stories better.
Okay, so a writer needs to know how to tell a story. An editor should also have a solid grasp on story. I’m not sure how many writers take that into consideration when thinking of what their editor should know. Most think of grammar and punctuation. Those are definitely assets, but they’re skills most English majors have, and an English degree doesn’t make you an editor (please don’t fight me on that).
An editor goes through a different set of trials. We become better editors by practice, by studying, taking courses offered by accredited institutions to ensure we are working toward established professional standards (some courses are better than none, but there is accountability in belonging to an accredited organization, and I think accountability is a good thing).
As a professional editor, I can confidently say the skills I need to do my job are not the same as the skills I need to write a novel.
An editor should also have a passion for stories and for helping writers. Wouldn’t you want your editor to care about your story? However, we are not creators, we don’t craft, and passion does not mean perfection. Even with the best of intentions, we can sometimes get it wrong (Yikes! It’s sadly true). We’re here to serve the interests of readers and make your creation the best it can be. That’s the ultimate goal.
As a professional editor, I can confidently say the skills I need to help my clients are not the same skills I need to write a novel. I know it seems like they should be, but the best way to get better as a writer is to write, get feedback, learn, revise, finish, and write something else. It can take years to become proficient at your craft.
So from a writer’s perspective, I don’t care if my editor can write. I knew within the first 10 pages she understood my story and my writing style, and was pointing out sentence issues I hadn’t noticed.
Trust built immediately.
Can she write? I never asked, and I don’t care. She’s good at what she does and she’s the right editor for me. That’s what really matters. Your editor needs to build trust with you so you’re confident those changes will either serve your reader better or allow your vision to come through clearer. If they do all that, does it matter if they can write or not?
Interested in reading what my editor read? My award-winning dark fantasy, From the Flesh of the Mighty, is being published by Word Alive Press in the fall of 2026.
Editors and writers seem to have similar skills but from different angles and perspectives. At the moment, my editor is me, myself, and I, though I do try to put on a separate thinking cap when I’m officially in editing mode. It’s working for now 🤷♀️
I agree with your conclusion. To me, the important question isn’t whether an editor can write a novel, but whether they understand storytelling, recognise the author’s intentions, and respect the author’s voice.
That respect must be mutual, though. An author should also trust a good editor enough to consider difficult advice; such as being told that a passage relies too heavily on exposition and would be stronger if the information were developed more naturally through the story. The editor should not try to take ownership of the work, but the author must be willing to see what familiarity with the manuscript may have made invisible to them.
That balance of respect, honesty, and trust seems far more important than whether the editor writes fiction of their own.