{"id":85219,"date":"2022-05-09T18:17:56","date_gmt":"2022-05-09T18:17:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/?p=85219"},"modified":"2022-05-24T17:17:50","modified_gmt":"2022-05-24T17:17:50","slug":"thomas-womack-editor-spotlight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/thomas-womack-editor-spotlight\/","title":{"rendered":"Thomas Womack – Editor Spotlight"},"content":{"rendered":"\n[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”2px|||||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

After growing up on his parents\u2019 small cotton farm in southeast Missouri (the crops of which the family picked by hand), Thomas went on to be a worker in factories (for auto parts and axe handles), an office boy, and a junkyard sifter. After earning a journalism degree from the University of Missouri, he became a reporter for the Daily Tribune in Columbia, Missouri, and a few years later became a full-time book editor. He\u2019s been an in-house editor for NavPress, Multnomah Publishers, and the WaterBrook imprint of Random House Publishers, and has been a fulltime freelance editor since 2007. He became part of the Book Editing Associates team of editors in 2017.<\/p>\n

Thomas\u2019s decades of editing experience have centered on Christian books, especially in the categories of spiritual nurture and care, spiritual disciplines and devotion, Bible study and theology, and marriage and family, as well as memoirs, fiction, and business and leadership books. The authors he\u2019s worked with include Jerry Bridges, J. I. Packer, Henry Blackaby, Randy Alcorn, Louie Giglio, Os Guinness, Tony Evans, Larry Osborne, Christopher Yuan, Bob Kauflin, Kay Arthur, Larry Crabb, Jeramy Clark, Dave Harvey, Greg Laurie, Richard Blackaby, Ruth Myers, C. J. Mahaney, Andy Stanley, Thelma Wells, David Jeremiah, Norm Wright, James Kennedy, Richard Halverson, Carolyn Castleberry, Ken Blanchard, and a great many others.<\/p>\n

He has edited a number of children\u2019s books over the years, and is also a children\u2019s book author himself (using the pen name \u201cMack Thomas\u201d), with about twenty published titles for children going back to the 1990s.<\/p>\n

Besides editing fiction, Thomas also writes it–he\u2019s currently writing the third volume in a trilogy of historical fiction set in the second century in the ancient regions occupied now by Syria and Iraq.<\/p>\n

He lives with his wife of forty years in the evening shadow of the Cascade Mountains in central Oregon USA. They\u2019re blessed with five married children and fourteen grandchildren.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_divider _builder_version=”4.17.3″ _module_preset=”default” divider_position=”center” module_alignment=”center” custom_padding=”20px||20px||true|false” width=”40%” color=”RGBA(69,122,154,0.2)” divider_weight=”2px” hover_enabled=”0″ sticky_enabled=”0″][\/et_pb_divider][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” custom_padding=”2px|||||” hover_enabled=”0″ global_colors_info=”{}” sticky_enabled=”0″]

How long have you been an editor?<\/h2>\n

I began editing books way back in 1978, after a few years as a daily newspaper reporter.<\/p>\n

How long have you been with Book Editing Associates?<\/h2>\n

I\u2019ve been with BEA since November 2017 — five years this fall.<\/p>\n

Why did you decide to be an editor?<\/h2>\n

One attraction that sticks out: I would be working on projects with far longer time frames than the grind of daily deadlines in the newspaper realm.<\/p>\n

Are you also a writer? Please tell us about a couple of things you wrote.<\/h2>\n

Yes, I wrote some children’s books back in the 1990s (mostly retellings of Bible stories), and I’m currently writing the third volume in a trilogy of historical fiction.<\/p>\n

What one thing can make most books you write or edit better?<\/h2>\n

I encourage authors to keep patiently and diligently rereading and revising their manuscripts on their own–continually striving for greater clarity, honesty, and vitality. Don’t force your editor to have to spend time on fixing problems that you could have easily identified and fixed yourself. Let your editor invest his or her time in helping your manuscript achieve the highest levels of excellence, instead of having to concentrate so hard on simply making it “acceptable.”<\/p>\n

What\u2019s your fave\/least fave\u2026Most challenging\/easiest \u2026aspect of editing?<\/h2>\n

Favorite part — helping to further magnify the impact of a manuscript that’s already very strong and alive at its core.
Least favorite — spending time trying to correct factual or referencing flaws resulting from an author’s sloppy research.
Easiest part — getting a quick feel (from an author’s sample content) of their overall writing ability.
Most challenging part — fixing structural weaknesses in a manuscript’s flow.<\/p>\n

How do you balance between the author’s style and vision, and the taste of commercial publishers or readers?<\/h2>\n

I place a far higher value on the author’s style and vision. Tastes constantly change among readers and publishers, but there will always be an appreciation for a book that’s written with honesty and aliveness and passion, and that stays true to the author’s unique personality and voice (it’s unpretentious yet bold and confident, and it’s not trying too hard to be trendy).<\/p>\n

What are some things that make a book appealing to a publisher today?<\/h2>\n

An insightful message, or captivating story, or a trustworthy exploration that truly helps readers toward greater wholeness, calmness, and personal significance in today’s unsettling world.<\/p>\n

What are your top goals as you approach an edit?<\/h2>\n

Stay true to the author’s voice and style while also helping them achieve greater clarity and conciseness.<\/p>\n

What fills your time when not editing?<\/h2>\n

Writing, reading, hiking, spending time with family.<\/p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” custom_padding=”40px||20px||false|false” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}”][et_pb_button button_url=”\/thomas-womack\/” button_text=”Learn more about Thomas Womack” button_alignment=”center” admin_label=”David Alan Button” _builder_version=”4.17.3″ background_layout=”dark” custom_padding=”2px|45px|5px|45px|false|true” box_shadow_style=”preset3″ box_shadow_vertical=”6px” saved_tabs=”all” global_colors_info=”{}” button_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_size__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_text_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_width__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_border_radius__hover_enabled=”off” button_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_letter_spacing__hover_enabled=”off” button_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_one_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_two_bg_color__hover_enabled=”off” button_text_size__hover=”null” button_one_text_size__hover=”null” button_two_text_size__hover=”null” button_text_color__hover=”null” button_one_text_color__hover=”null” button_two_text_color__hover=”null” button_border_width__hover=”null” button_one_border_width__hover=”null” button_two_border_width__hover=”null” button_border_color__hover=”null” button_one_border_color__hover=”null” button_two_border_color__hover=”null” button_border_radius__hover=”null” button_one_border_radius__hover=”null” button_two_border_radius__hover=”null” button_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_one_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_two_letter_spacing__hover=”null” button_bg_color__hover=”null” button_one_bg_color__hover=”null” button_two_bg_color__hover=”null”][\/et_pb_button][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]\n<\/span>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

THOMAS Womack<\/strong> is a veteran book editor and writer, with four decades of full-time work in book publishing, focusing on Christian books. Clients include Richard Blackaby, Tony Evans, John MacArthur, and Andy Stanley.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":85363,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"Thomas Womack is a veteran book editor and writer, with four decades of full-time work in book publishing, focusing on Christian books. Clients include Richard Blackaby, Tony Evans, John MacArthur, and Andy Stanley.","_seopress_robots_index":"","_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"\n

Ann is the best-selling and multiple-award-winning author of several novels for children and adults. Her first adult novel, The Magic of Ordinary Days<\/em>, was turned into a critically acclaimed and instant smash hit film for CBS television by Hallmark Hall of Fame, garnering the highest ratings for a Hall of Fame film in a decade. While You Were Mine<\/em> became an instant #1 Kindle bestseller, followed by bestsellers including The Whiskey Sea<\/em> andThe River Widow.<\/em> For younger readers, she has published standalone novels as well as novels in the American Girl \u201cGirl of the Year\u201d series. Her latest adult novel is Mercy Road<\/em> (Lake Union, 2019), which also became a bestseller upon publication. For over fourteen years now, Ann has also been editing via Book Editing Associates, helping other authors improve their writing and their manuscripts to ready them for publication.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How long have you been an editor? How long have you been with Book Editing Associates?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I began editing with Book Editing Associates fourteen years ago and have been with the network ever since.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> Why did you decide to be an editor?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I love the creative process of writing a book, and as much as I enjoy working on my own projects, I find a strong sense of satisfaction while helping other authors improve their manuscripts and achieve their goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> Are you also a writer? Please tell us about a couple of things you wrote.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

After twelve novels published, I look back on them all with fond memories. But the standout is THE MAGIC OF ORDINARY DAYS<\/a>, my first adult novel published by Viking (Penguin Putnam), which was made into a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie<\/a>. That was before the Hallmark Channel, when Hallmark films were aired on CBS on Sunday nights. A decade later and several novels in between, I dearly loved writing THE WHISKEY SEA<\/a>, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> What one thing can make most books you write or edit better?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

More and more I hear agents and editors say that they want something that blows them back in their chairs and makes them say, \u201cI\u2019ve never read anything like this before.\u201d This could come in the form of a startling new voice or narrative style, but most often it comes in the form of a plot element or premise. With this in mind, I help authors enhance the \u201cuniqueness\u201d factor that the market demands today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> What\u2019s your favorite aspect of editing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Being a part of an original creative endeavor excites me. I feel it every time I open a new writing sample or manuscript and begin reading the first lines. The talented authors I work with never fail to impress me. The biggest challenge comes when I recommend a heavy revision, but I always propose different options and offer my ideas. I don\u2019t hesitate to advise honestly, even if it means the author has more work ahead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> How do you balance between the author\u2019s style and vision, and the taste of commercial publishers or readers?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I make recommendations while keeping in mind that all writers have their own voices and each should be allowed to reveal itself. My goal is to help make the book the best it can be in collaboration and also make it the most marketable. I advise authors as to what changes I think will make the book more likely to be well-received, but if the client chooses to run with my suggestions, they write the new and changed passages in their own voice, using their own style. I always caution against emulating others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> What are some things that make a book appealing to a publisher today?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Other than uniqueness, it\u2019s all about the writing and finding an authentic, original, and strong voice. Editors at publishing houses and agents tell me they want to discover an author who has exciting ideas and a voice that jumps off the page rather than simply discovering a good manuscript. They\u2019re looking to launch an author\u2019s career rather than publish just one project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> What are your top goals as you approach an edit?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I help authors strengthen and improve their manuscripts so their talent shines through. I make recommendations on all aspects of the story: plot; setting; characters; dialogue; timing; pacing; voice; theme; tone; description; formatting; title; the beginning, middle, and ending; and anything else that needs addressing. I also offer my advice on marketing and help with query letters at no extra charge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/a> What fills your time when not editing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I continue to write my own novels and hang out in the Great Smoky Mountains, hiking, river running, and sighting bears in the wild.<\/p>\n","_et_gb_content_width":"","inline_featured_image":false,"ub_ctt_via":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-300x169.jpg",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-768x432.jpg",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"bloom_image":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-610x343.jpg",610,343,true],"et-pb-post-main-image":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-400x250.jpg",400,250,true],"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"et-pb-portfolio-image":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-400x284.jpg",400,284,true],"et-pb-portfolio-module-image":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-510x382.jpg",510,382,true],"et-pb-portfolio-image-single":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"et-pb-gallery-module-image-portrait":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-400x450.jpg",400,450,true],"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth-large":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"et-pb-image--responsive--desktop":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"et-pb-image--responsive--tablet":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"et-pb-image--responsive--phone":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-480x270.jpg",480,270,true]},"post_excerpt_stackable":"

THOMAS Womack<\/strong> is a veteran book editor and writer, with four decades of full-time work in book publishing, focusing on Christian books. Clients include Richard Blackaby, Tony Evans, John MacArthur, and Andy Stanley.<\/p>\n","category_list":"Editing & Editors<\/a>","author_info":{"display_name":"Marc Greenwald","author_link":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/author\/mgreenwald\/"},"comments_num":"0 comments","featured_image_urls_v2":{"full":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-300x169.jpg",300,169,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-768x432.jpg",768,432,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"bloom_image":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-610x343.jpg",610,343,true],"et-pb-post-main-image":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-400x250.jpg",400,250,true],"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"et-pb-portfolio-image":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-400x284.jpg",400,284,true],"et-pb-portfolio-module-image":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-510x382.jpg",510,382,true],"et-pb-portfolio-image-single":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"et-pb-gallery-module-image-portrait":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-400x450.jpg",400,450,true],"et-pb-post-main-image-fullwidth-large":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"et-pb-image--responsive--desktop":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"et-pb-image--responsive--tablet":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg",800,450,false],"et-pb-image--responsive--phone":["https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner-480x270.jpg",480,270,true]},"post_excerpt_stackable_v2":"

THOMAS Womack<\/strong> is a veteran book editor and writer, with four decades of full-time work in book publishing, focusing on Christian books. Clients include Richard Blackaby, Tony Evans, John MacArthur, and Andy Stanley.<\/p>\n","category_list_v2":"Editing & Editors<\/a>","author_info_v2":{"name":"Marc Greenwald","url":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/author\/mgreenwald\/"},"comments_num_v2":"0 comments","featured_image_src":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/Thomas-Womack-Banner.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85219"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=85219"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85219\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":86707,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/85219\/revisions\/86707"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/85363"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=85219"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=85219"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.book-editing.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=85219"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}