Musings on the role of an editor
How many times have you
heard an editor say, "I have to fall in love with a book," or something
similar? I’ve heard that a lot, but I think there’s something more that
the editors aren’t saying.
In order to acquire a book, I think
that an editor not only has to love it, they also have to have a vision
of what the book can become. This is why you hear so many authors
talking about how great their editors are, especially at awards time.
The
editor has a vision for the book and conveys that vision to the author
through conversations on email, phone, and revision notes. A good editor
will help the author by enhancing the original vision for their book.
There
would never be a book without the author’s imagination and skill in
writing the story, but an editor can change what the final book will be
through questions and comments that make the author think.
An
editor needs to love a book to acquire it, but they also need a vision
of what it could be. Each book that’s published (or wins awards) would
be a different book if the author had worked with a different editor.
What do you all think about that? True? False?
Notes from Cheryl Klein illustrator talk hopefully tomorrow.
Recent reads that I’d recommend (in A-Z order):
Araminta Spookie (books 1 & 2 ) by Angie Sage – LOVE the art & the stories are a lot of fun
Breathe by Cliff McNish – chilling, original ghost story
Confessions of a Closet Catholic by Sarah Darer Littman – great book about growing up & questioning your faith
Little Earthquakes by Jennifer Weiner - (adult book) humerous look at what it’s really like to have children
Sammy Keyes and the Runaway Elf by Wendelin Van Draanen – one of my favorites in this great series, there’s a mystery to be solved & Sammy saves the day
The Silverskin Legacy
(books 1 & 2 - 3 comes out later this year) by Jo Wittemore –
fantasy adventure on a cool world where everyone can do magic- each book
is a separate story, but it’s more fun to start at the beginning
SOLD by Patricia McCormick – hard to read, but a story that needs to be told about girls sold into the sex trade
What I’m hoping to read next (in A-Z order):
Good Girls by Laura Ruby
Looking for Alaska by John Green
Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr
Tattoo by Jennifer Barnes
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