Why Can’t I Be in the Manuscript Document While My Editor Is Working
This seemingly frustrating guideline is created to protect your manuscript and ensure the strongest possible edit.
It can feel counterintuitive to be asked not to open your manuscript while your editor is actively working on it, especially when you’re excited, curious, or eager to see changes as they happen. This seemingly frustrating guideline is created to protect your manuscript and ensure the strongest possible edit.
Below are the key reasons we ask authors not to be in the document at the same time as their editor.
1. It Can Slow Down the Document and Risk Errors
Google Docs is designed for collaboration, but large manuscripts with heavy use of tracked changes and comments already push its technical limits.
When multiple people are actively editing, scrolling, accepting changes, or loading comments at the same time, it can:
- Cause lag and freezing
- Increase the risk of comments failing to save
- Lead to syncing issues
- In rare cases, contribute to document corruption
Keeping one active editor in the file at a time helps maintain stability and protects your work.
2. Accepting Changes Too Early Disrupts the Editing Process
Editors often revise their own suggestions as they continue reading.
A change that seems correct in Chapter 3 may need to be adjusted after seeing:
- A reveal in Chapter 12
- A shift in character voice
- A structural pattern that emerges later
If changes are accepted while the editor is still working, they lose the ability to:
- Revisit and refine earlier edits
- Maintain consistency across the manuscript
- Adjust suggestions based on the full context
This can unintentionally lock in decisions before the edit is complete.
3. A Mental “Reset” Helps You Review More Effectively
There’s also a creative and cognitive reason for this policy.
While your editor is working, your brain gets a break from the manuscript. That distance:
- Makes issues easier to spot later
- Reduces emotional attachment to individual lines
- Helps you evaluate feedback more objectively
- Speeds up your own review and decision-making
When you return to the document after the edit is complete, you’re seeing it with fresher eyes—and that leads to better revisions.
When You Can Be in the Document
Once your editor has finished their round and hands the manuscript back to you, the document is fully yours to:
- Review changes
- Respond to comments
- Accept or reject suggestions
- Make revisions
At that point, collaboration becomes productive rather than disruptive.
In Summary
Authors are asked not to be in the document during active editing because:
- It protects the document from lag and technical issues
- It allows editors to refine suggestions as the full manuscript takes shape
- It gives authors mental distance that improves the review process
This approach ensures your edit is thoughtful, cohesive, and technically sound—without unnecessary complications.