1. Anyone is prone to be sensitive or defensive in the face of criticism, especially about something as personal as writing. So when you receive editorial advice, do your best, on the one hand, not to dive into self-flagellation nor, on the other, to buy a gun and go looking for your editor. Keep in mind that if the editor has only praise and no suggestions for improvement, aside from the ego boost, you've wasted your money. Even the best writers can get better.

2. Your friends and family may have told you they love your work, but remember that they're not unbiased and probably don't have the skills or experience to effectively help you improve your manuscript. A good cheering section is valuable to a writer's ego, but more objective readers are crucial to a writer's developing skills.

3. Once you've recovered from any initial emotional reaction to your editor's comments, have a good look at each and make sure you understand what he or she is getting at, then see if the criticism does in fact open the door to making the manuscript better. Take time with this step.

4. If you have questions, don't be shy and deferential, ask your editor. Editors expect questions and want to make sure you understand any criticism or advice they give.

5. Most notes from your editor implicitly contain two elements: the problem, and a suggested solution. You may disagree with the proposed solution, but that doesn't mean the problem doesn't exist. See if you can come up with better solutions, but don't dismiss the problem itself.

6. If despite questions on a particular point, you still disagree with your editor, stick to your guns. It's your manuscript. But remember: your editor won't emphasize a point without good reason. Make sure you've soberly considered all the angles.

7. Keep in mind that getting published is a highly competitive endeavor. To that end, instead of trying to rush your manuscript off to an agent, take a more perfectionist approach. Do everything possible to make it the best you can rather than as little as possible to make it passable. Particularly in the current market, good is simply not good enough. Your manuscript will have to be great to stand out.

8. When revising your manuscript, don't work only on the areas your editor commented on, but throughout. A manuscript is a living, breathing organism; all its parts are interconnected. For example, if you do a great job fixing the plot weaknesses your editor pointed out, also look at how this affects your characters and their dialogue, and make improvements on those fronts. Revising only the aspects that have been specifically pointed out will slow down the process. Again, take your time.

9. Along those same lines, expect to make many passes through your manuscript. Writing is hard work and even bestselling authors go through many drafts, much self-editing, wee-hours soul-searching, and a lot of editorial help.

10. If you read other writers' published books while you're working on yours, see how they handle the same issues you're tackling; it may well give you some ideas. If you see a writer do something that your editor took you to task for, have a good look at it. Is it really the same problem? Should the author's editor have corrected him, too? Every writer, from Shakespeare to Grisham, gets away with things. Your aim is to have to get away with as little as possible, because agents and publishers aren't very forgiving to new writers.

Through it all, keep in mind that most art forms are collaborative. Composers have conductors; playwrights and screenwriters have directors; dancers have choreographers. In the end it's your manuscript, but your editor is on your side.