1.
What led you to
choose a career in book editing? I started out as an English major in
college and got my first job at a vanity press. I learned the mechanics of
publishing process there, then went on to get jobs at a variety of trade publishers
working on fiction and nonfiction.
2.
What challenges
and rewards do you experience as a book editor? That’s simple: working
the authors. Working with creative and talented writers makes being an editor
one of the most rewarding professions. I always learn from the authors I work
with and truly value them. The
challenges over the years have more to do with the paternalistic nature of the
publishing business. With good representation, authors are often kept at arms
length regarding the royalty and rights structure in the publication of their
work. This leads to frustrations that fall to an editor to navigate and
sometimes to fix.
3.
How do you make a
book better? An
editor’s role is to help the author strengthen his/her fundamental vision
usually through a detailed analysis of the story, the characters and the
narrative structure. Editors are the most dedicated readers an author will
have, and serve as a sounding board for them to exercise their talent. We point
out aspects of the book such as unclear passages, overwriting, structural
inconsistencies. In fiction, we pay attention to the authenticity of dialogue
and character motivation as well.
4.
What do you enjoy
most about working with authors? Their endless curiosity and dedication to
making their work as strong and commercial as it can be.
5.
Who are some
of the authors or publishers that you have worked with? I’ve worked on a
full range of authors from bestsellers like Philip Carlo, Aphrodite Jones,
Fabio and William Johnstone to lesser known but highly talented authors like
Kathi Daley, Arlene Matthews, Tom Monteleone and Kathy Hohman.
6.
What advice do you
have for struggling writers? Don’t write with a particular market or
reader in mind. Write from the gut and take your satisfaction from the crafting
a work that you can be proud of. Market
your work after you are satisfied with it.
7.
What is the key to
editing a book successfully? Respecting the vision of the author and
working with him/her to make it come alive.
8.
What do you see as
the future for book publishing? This the most exciting time in book
publishing I’ve see in my nearly 40 decades in the business. For the first
time, authors have an alternative to the highly problematic process of seeking
a commercial publisher and/or literary agent in the new technology of
self-publishing and promotion through social media. As publishers become more
corporate, more attentive to the bottom line and less about nurturing new
talent, first time authors face difficult challenges following the tradition
submission procedures. Building a solid
social media platform, maintaining a blog and keeping you name and work out in
the world is the key to success.
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