From the Classroom to the Red Pen For Melissa Rudder, stories have always been the primary way humans make sense of the world. After spending 18 years as a high school English teacher—a role she describes as her original “dream job”—she transitioned into professional editing to find flexibility for her family while maintaining her connection to the “blossoming minds” of writers. Today, she brings that same passion for “sitting in a circle and talking about books” to her work with authors at Rudder Editorial.

Demystifying the Editing Progression One of the most significant areas of confusion for authors is the hierarchy of editing. Melissa breaks this down into three essential stages:

1. Developmental Editing: This addresses the “big picture” elements, such as pacing, target audience connection, and overall structure. It is the “glue” that brings a story together.
2. Line Editing: This moves to the sentence level, focusing on style, rhetoric, and engaging the reader through dialogue and setting.
3. Copy Editing: The final grammatical polish. This ensures mechanical consistency, adherence to style manuals, and character presentation.

While some authors may feel they only need a quick “proofread,” Melissa notes that in an ideal world, these steps provide a progression that elevates a manuscript from a draft to a professional publication.

The “Repreive” of Collaboration Handing over a manuscript can be terrifying, but Melissa views the process as a “teammate” experience. She describes the moment an author passes their work to an editor as a “repreive”—a period where the author can finally step back and take a break while a professional hyper-focuses on the details. To ensure this period is stress-free, she recommends reaching out to editors one to four months in advance to secure a spot on the calendar.

Sussing Out Red Flags In a growing industry, authors must be vigilant. Melissa points out several “red flags” to watch for during discovery calls. A primary concern is rigidity; an editor should not impose rules that ignore your specific genre or goals. Furthermore, authors should be wary of timelines and fees that seem “surprisingly short” or “shockingly cheap.” Quality editing is time-intensive, and the fees should reflect the editor’s commitment to “sitting with your words” and catching the mistakes that readers shouldn’t have to find.

The Question of AI In the modern publishing landscape, asking about an AI policy is no longer optional. Melissa emphasizes the importance of safeguarding your manuscript and understanding if or how an editor uses AI. Authors should ensure that their work is not being used to “train” AI systems without their explicit consent.

The Lasting Power of Your Words Melissa concludes her advice with a moving story about her son. After receiving a COVID shot years ago, he wrote a small thank-you note to the pharmacist. Five years later, that pharmacist still had the note posted in the back room to remind the staff why they do what they do.

For authors “on the fence,” Melissa argues that their books hold the same potential for connection. “If you have the drive to do that, I think it would be such a loss if you didn’t,” she says, “because someone might, in their heart, put that up to remind them of why they do what they do.” Your story is a power and a gift—it is time to share it.