Taking the Sting Out of Editing with Ariel Anderson of ‘Edit Your Darlings’
As a new-ish editor, I spend a lot of time researching and learning about editing, whether that’s through reading books, watching videos about it on YouTube, or listening to podcasts. Unfortunately, finding the latter can be a little tricky, since “editing podcast” or “podcasts about editing” or “show me an editing podcast, damn it” all yield results about how to edit your podcast. While I’ve learned it helps to be more specific (searching “podcasts about copyediting,” for example), to emerging editors who haven’t quite found their niche yet, it can be a little daunting when you don’t know where to start.
So I was delighted to learn that Seattle Guild member Ariel Anderson has her own podcast, titled Edit Your Darlings, where she covers a broad range of editing subjects through her interviews. I got the chance to chat with her and learn all about how she comes up with guests, how she keeps it interesting, and what other podcasts she recommends.
Q: What gave you the idea to start an editing podcast?
A: The idea to launch a new editing podcast came from three or four different directions all at the same time, so I knew the timing was right! I'm an avid podcast listener, and I've been a guest on the Mythcreants podcast a few times, so I knew I liked the medium. With the pandemic putting more and more financial strain on a couple of my clients, I found myself with less work coming in and long stretches of time on my hands.
I couldn't stand to sit idle, and the urge to create something was building. I watched a few webinars from the Editorial Freelancers Association about marketing my services and riding out the downtime, and they suggested spending more time creating content. Then I turned to my mastermind group for ideas! They were super encouraging, and even helped me come up with the name, provided feedback on the messaging and format and branding, and from there it was just a matter of launch.
“Teal Typewriter Beside Printer Paper” by Pixabay on Pexels.com.
Q: How do you choose guests to feature on your podcast, and do you have any dream guests (people you'd love to have on but haven't yet)?
A: I try to pull guests with as wide a variety of experiences as possible, from veteran writers with hundreds of publications to debut authors, of every genre, all ages, and hopefully also making space for marginalized writers. I've found most of my authors through Twitter, word of mouth, and the editorial associations I'm a member of (Northwest Editors Guild and EFA), but I'm always on the hunt. The hardest part has been finding contact information and knowing when it's appropriate to reach out to an author directly or when I need to go through their publicist. The list of dream guests is about 78 rows long (I keep them all in a spreadsheet!). Some authors I'd love to talk with but are way out of my league are Trevor Noah, Stephanie Pearl-McPhee, Malcom Gladwell, Justina Ireland, and Elizabeth Gilbert.
Q: What is your process for coming up with questions for the interview, and how do you keep it interesting?
A: When a guest agrees to join me (and I stop dancing around my living room long enough to reply), I send them a pre-interview form to help steer the conversation. If I have time, I also make a big effort to read their work, because that sparks all sorts of curiosity in me as I try to imagine what earlier iterations of the book were like. Then as we're talking, other questions might pop up to add more flavor to the conversation, like what sort of treats they use as rewards. Keeping it interesting is a juggling balance because I think there are two main audiences, writers and editors, who are listening to the show for different reasons, and I try to make sure there's enough information in each episode to please both sides while still laughing a bit and generally aiming for warm fuzzies.
Q: Do you have any podcasts (in addition to Edit Your Darlings, of course) that you'd like to recommend? Not necessarily editing or writing related, just whatever you're loving right now.
A: The Mythcreants podcast is great for overall story knowledge and geekery. I subscribe to several podcasts that I mostly listen to while cooking: Sawbones, This Is Love, The Paris Review Podcast, Ologies, Everything Happens, Be the Serpent, and others. There's just so many great shows out there.
Q: On your website you mention you enjoy knitting. Are there any projects you’re working on or have finished recently that you’d like to share?
A: The podcast has taken up a hearty chunk of my spare time, and tendonitis has further kept me from use of my hands for the last month, so I don't have a project on the needles right now, but it seems like all I've knit for the last few years has been scarves for a favorite local nonprofit organization, Christmas House, and baby blankets for my lucky expecting friends.
Q: Your puppy, Ruger, and cats Cheddar and Brie were featured a while back as #StetPet editorial assistants on the Guild's social media accounts. How do they help you with your editorial and podcasting work?
A: I love my #StetPets! My two cats and giant puppy remind me to take regular breaks for a walk or a snack so that I don't burn out trying to juggle work and hobbies.
Q: At the end of your podcasts, you give an opportunity for your guests to give a shoutout to anyone who inspires them. Is there anyone you’d like to give a shoutout to?
A: Huge shoutout to my mastermind group, past and present: Camille Daum, Pam Greer, Rachel Rawlings, Patricia Collins, Graham Clark, Daniel Heila, Julia Boss and Abby Marshall-Jaworski! Your advice and camaraderie have been a sweet tonic keeping my imposter syndrome under wraps. You're like a hot mug of tea on a cold winter day, and I'm so grateful!
Thank you for speaking with me, Ariel! I look forward to including your podcast into my listening library. Edit Your Darlings is available on Apple, Spotify, Stitcher, and other streaming sites, or you can visit edityourdarlings.com for full transcripts.
As a freelance copy editor and proofreader, Ariel Anderson works with indie authors and publishers to polish wordcraft and eliminate grammar stumbling blocks. With a BA in creative writing and an editing certificate from the University of Washington, she draws on her 7+ years of experience to edit speculative fiction and YA as well as nonfiction "how-to" books for crafts like knitting and sewing. In addition to hosting and producing Edit Your Darlings, she's a senior copy editor for Mythcreants and active in the Northwest Editors Guild and the Editorial Freelancers Association. Find her on Twitter as @ArielCopyEdits for updates on the show, grammar tidbits, and frequent #StetPet pics.
