: What exactly is an editor? I recently read the assertion that many great works of fiction were chiefly down the contribution of a good editor. I must admit I was a little taken aback by this

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There are different levels of editing which are lumped together under the same term, which might be what's confusing you.

"Syntax glitches and spelling" is line editing, aka proofreading, sometimes called copyediting. Similar to this is fact-checking, where the editor is looking up anything based in reality or researching anything made up for plausibility.

Pointing out things which don't work in terms of plot, character, setting, world-building, etc. is content editing, also called developmental editing. Whether phrased nicely as a suggestion or bluntly as a direction, the editor is saying that something about the story itself has to be changed. (This is what you're calling "critique," which isn't totally inaccurate, but critiquing leans more towards style and less towards mechanics.)

The assertion which you heard refers to the idea that a writer and editor (one single editor) work together over multiple drafts to shape a book. The writer is the person coming up with the main idea, the plot, the characters, and the actual words. The editor points out what is and isn't working, suggests moving this bit to over there in that chapter, points out where foreshadowing could be inserted, objects to out-of-character behavior, and chops out chunks of unnecessary narration (among other things).

A good editor is someone who works with you, someone who respects your style and your ideas but pushes you to improve. Speaking as both a writer and an editor, I think what goes on the page is ultimately the writer's privilege and responsibility. So an editor's job is to suggest, and make arguments in support of suggestions, but the writer gets the final decision.

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We're the ones who take your manuscript and make sure you've succeeded in getting an idea from your head onto the paper. We look for plot holes, grammar mistakes, and things that just don't make sense.

Any good editor also knows what sells. They will offer suggestions and advice on parts of your book that a majority of readers may not like. They'll look for places where you need more details to paint a clear picture for your reader. They Looks for parts of the story that are boring or rambly and offer advice to tighten it up and make it more engaging.

In short, our job is to help you perfect your manuscript. We're here to help you succeed in writing and make sure your readers keep coming back for more. We're not just there to correct your grammar and find your typos but to offer advice that we feel will improve the manuscript.

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