One of the best things about being an editor is the interaction you get to have with your client. Developing this rapport can elevate your work immensely, but what do editors do when their client has passed away? What liberties is an editor allowed to take? How much is too much when editing in this way? What is an editor to do when they need clarification?

We discuss all this and more in Episode 11: Posthumous Editing.

In this episode of The Editor’s Half Hour, I am joined by Dan Letchworth of Desert Owl Press to discuss the challenges of posthumous editing. Dan, who currently works in corporate communications for Illumina, has over 15 years of professional publishing experience. We discuss the numerous and varied challenges he faced when he worked on two memoirs based on his father’s and grandfather’s military careers after they both passed away.

Dan also has experience working in a freelance capacity for Scholastic, Hachette Book Group, and Penguin Random House. With an MFA in writing from Columbia University, Dan is also a blogger and online journalist!

Find out more about Dan and the two books he posthumous edited on his website: desertowlpress.com

Connect with him on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/danletchworth