Johnny Smythe

Johnny Smythe was born in Carlsbad, New Mexico in 1979. A large volume of music, books, comics, and daydreams fed his imagination and still inspires his work today. He has dabbled in crime fiction, romantic suspense, and poetry, and is currently diving into traditional and urban fantasy. Johnny received his BA in Writing and Linguistics from Georgia Southern University where he met his wife Kristina. They reside in Southern Maryland with their children and two cats.

1. What background do you have in writing and editing?

I started writing in high school, where I spent most of my math classes writing. That may or may not have been a contributing factor to my abysmal math grades. After high school, I spent 10 years in the Navy where I wrote off and on and edited short stories and portions of novels for a friend. It wasn’t until I got out of the Navy and had to actually figure out what I wanted to be when I grew up that I went to Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, Georgia, and got a degree in Writing and Linguistics. College was also when I edited my first full-length novel. After graduation, I spent 7 years figuring out what kinds of jobs I absolutely didn’t like, tried a writer’s critique group in North Carolina, and then settled down in Southern Maryland and started acting like I wanted to be a writer. I also enjoy editing short stories or the first few chapters of novel-length work, and I especially like helping other writers improve their craft. 

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2. What type of editing do you do and what does it entail?

I normally do a combination of copyediting, proofreading, and developmental editing. Copyediting involves checking for readability, rhythm, and consistency; proofreading is a grammar and syntax check; and developmental editing is a top down look at character development, overall plot points, and the beats of scenes.

3. What is the most common mistake writers make in editing?

​The most common mistake that I’ve seen writers make when attempting to self-edit is failing to put sufficient distance between themselves and their story to 1) see what must be done, and 2) have enough emotional distance and commitment to the story to actually do it. What that means is that I catch logical inconsistencies in character decision making, obvious inconsistencies in world building, or I find large sections of prose containing critical information for the author to know but shouldn’t be dragged out in front of a reader.

4. What inspired you to start freelancing as an editor?

Stories make up the better part of what it means to be human, and I am just grateful to be a part of that.

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5. What genre(s) do you work on?

Genres I’ve edited in the past: Memoir, Crime, Romance, Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Military, Horrorwriting this book.

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6. Are you a writer yourself?

Until I run fast enough to escape the random scenes that pull me out of reality, yes.

7. What is your favourite part of being an editor?

Hard to say. One of my favorite things is when I can help an author improve their craft in noticeable ways and they don’t take offense. Another is when something I say gets an author unstuck and writing again.

8. What top three tips would you give an author when self-editing their novel?

1) Specificity is like salt. It brings out all those complicated flavors. 
2) Get to the point. Choose your words carefully. Be direct when you can.
3) Either read it out loud or get an AI or another person to read it out loud to you.

9. What top three no-no’s would you give an author when self-editing their novel?

1) Assuming you don’t need an editor just because you self-edit.
2) Leaving it for the real editor that you think you will get when you make it big.
3) Failing to read it out loud.

10. Do you think it is a must for an author to hire an editor or can they do self-editing, and give their novels to alpha and beta readers to get it to the best novel they can?

It is a must to get an editor. I consider that a non-negotiable. I don’t think an author can get the kind of quality edit from a reader that they can get with an editor. It has to do with making our stories the best that they can be, and I just don’t see how we can make that happen without an editor.

11. Are there any other social media links, websites, or other places to learn about you that we should add? 

Not a single one. My marketing is currently word of mouth.

12. If you could give any advice to a writer/author, what would it be? 

Writing is the most value-added activity that you can give to the world. Keep that in mind when you are planning your daily activities.