If you could sit down with an editor...

Barbara R. · Jun 5, 2012

My editor at Viking has agreed to do an interview on my new blog, IN COLD INK. I thought I'd open-source it here. If you had the chance to sit down with a major-league editor and ask anything at all about the business or craft of writing, what would you want to know? Questions from self-publishers as well as those who have or seek mainstream publishers are welcome. I can't promise every question will make it into the interview, but I'll include as many as possible.

mccardey · Jun 5, 2012

If your editor is anything like my editor, I'd just want to give her a little kiss. And a bottle of Moet. And apologise for all she went through, poor blossom.

shadowwalker · Jun 5, 2012

My question would be "How do you deal with 'Golden Word Syndrome', and is there a point where you go to your boss and say, "This is just unworkable!"?

Barbara R. · Jun 5, 2012

shadowwalker said:
My question would be "How do you deal with 'Golden Word Syndrome', and is there a point where you go to your boss and say, "This is just unworkable!"?

Interesting---but what is "Golden Word Syndrome?" Is it a matter of writers resisting editing?

Barbara

Barbara R. · Jun 5, 2012

mccardey said:
If your editor is anything like my editor, I'd just want to give her a little kiss. And a bottle of Moet. And apologise for all she went through, poor blossom.

I'll bet she loves you!

mccardey · Jun 5, 2012

Barbara R. said:
I'll bet she loves you!

Poor darling, she's probably in a rest home now.

Not to derail, but I've ordered your book. I wish it would come.

lorna_w · Jun 5, 2012

Does s/he think the way things were done in the 60's, hiring lots of editorial assistants to read slush, was preferable to the agent-as-slush-reader system of today? Why is one better than the other, iho.

shadowwalker · Jun 5, 2012

Barbara R. said:
Interesting---but what is "Golden Word Syndrome?" Is it a matter of writers resisting editing?

Barbara

Yeah - think that's what it's called. Coffee doesn't seem to have kicked in yet today...

mccardey · Jun 5, 2012

I'd like to know how safe a writer should feel putting voice before editorial constraints. I have a terrible feeling I was awfully lucky with Old Book - and the book before it as well. I'm not sure in the current climate that writers can hope for editors to spend too much time explaining why b follows a in plot terms when the author says but - it's the rhythm... which is what most of my explanations come down to... :blush:

(And don't get me started on copy-editor stuff like ellipses. That, my friend, is a whole nother bottle of Moet...)

Barbara R. · Jun 5, 2012

shadowwalker said:
Yeah - think that's what it's called. Coffee doesn't seem to have kicked in yet today...

I figured it didn't have to do with pay rates.

Barbara R. · Jun 5, 2012

lorna_w said:
Does s/he think the way things were done in the 60's, hiring lots of editorial assistants to read slush, was preferable to the agent-as-slush-reader system of today? Why is one better than the other, iho.

I could ask but her answer would be theoretical. She wasn't alive in the 60's. Nor in the 70's. My guess is she's around my son's age. A new experience, and a good one. For a long time my editors were much older than me; suddenly they're younger.

Karen Junker · Jun 5, 2012

I would ask your editor if she is interested in coming out to the Northwest to appear at my writers' workshop.

Unimportant · Jun 5, 2012

Barbara R. said:
My editor at Viking has agreed to do an interview on my new blog, IN COLD INK. I thought I'd open-source it here. If you had the chance to sit down with a major-league editor and ask anything at all about the business or craft of writing, what would you want to know? Questions from self-publishers as well as those who have or seek mainstream publishers are welcome. I can't promise every question will make it into the interview, but I'll include as many as possible.

I know a lot of slush is really godawful, spork-worthy stuff, but I've also seen a lot of manuscripts that I think are really great, yet the authors just keep getting rejected by agents and publishers. So I'd be interested in hearing what, in his/her opinion, separates the "almost there" manuscript from the "we must publish this!" manuscript. Is it the storyline/content that makes your editor sigh and say "It's great, but...nope, couldn't sell it to the masses." Or is it some subtle thing at the craft level?

kaitie · Jun 5, 2012

Would you like to buy my book? It comes with cupcakes!

Okay, I'm just kidding. A real question? What happens if an author returns the manuscript after edits that the editor feels aren't quite what she expected?

Barbara R. · Jun 6, 2012

Karen Junker said:
I would ask your editor if she is interested in coming out to the Northwest to appear at my writers' workshop.

She'd be a great addition. If you're serious (and can cover all expenses) I'll put you in touch or pass along the offer. Or you could invite me, too, and get two presenters for the price of...well, two.

Barbara R. · Jun 6, 2012

kaitie said:
Would you like to buy my book? It comes with cupcakes!

Okay, I'm just kidding. A real question? What happens if an author returns the manuscript after edits that the editor feels aren't quite what she expected?

Good one.

I'm waiting for some passionate self-publishing advocates to jump in with questions like, "How many writers did you eat for breakfast this morning?" Sadly, AW seems to attract mostly reasonable people.

Barbara R. · Jun 6, 2012

Unimportant said:
I know a lot of slush is really godawful, spork-worthy stuff, but I've also seen a lot of manuscripts that I think are really great, yet the authors just keep getting rejected by agents and publishers. So I'd be interested in hearing what, in his/her opinion, separates the "almost there" manuscript from the "we must publish this!" manuscript. Is it the storyline/content that makes your editor sigh and say "It's great, but...nope, couldn't sell it to the masses." Or is it some subtle thing at the craft level?

Great question and I'm adding it to the list. What makes it especially good is that editors don't read the same slush agents do. They read only books that agents have chosen, maybe the top 2 - 3% of submissions; yet they still reject most of what they read.

Torgo · Jun 6, 2012

Unimportant said:
I know a lot of slush is really godawful, spork-worthy stuff, but I've also seen a lot of manuscripts that I think are really great, yet the authors just keep getting rejected by agents and publishers. So I'd be interested in hearing what, in his/her opinion, separates the "almost there" manuscript from the "we must publish this!" manuscript. Is it the storyline/content that makes your editor sigh and say "It's great, but...nope, couldn't sell it to the masses." Or is it some subtle thing at the craft level?

Various things, for me anyway. 'Is it better than what I already have on my list?' is an important one. 'Can I sell it effectively?' is another.

It's interesting, though - I can't think of many great MSs I've seen that have gone completely unpublished. I really can't, and I have been reading stuff for publishers for over a decade. The things I've really liked have all found homes. (This is one reason having a wide variety of publishers to choose from is a very good thing.)

Mustafa · Jun 6, 2012

kaitie said:
Would you like to buy my book? It comes with cupcakes!

Okay, I'm just kidding. A real question? What happens if an author returns the manuscript after edits that the editor feels aren't quite what she expected?

Seconding this one.

But I also wanted to add, How many revises and resubmits are they willing to do if the author doesn't get it right the first time? (before offering a contract)

Barbara R. · Jun 6, 2012

Torgo said:
Various things, for me anyway. 'Is it better than what I already have on my list?' is an important one. 'Can I sell it effectively?' is another.

It's interesting, though - I can't think of many great MSs I've seen that have gone completely unpublished. I really can't, and I have been reading stuff for publishers for over a decade. The things I've really liked have all found homes. (This is one reason having a wide variety of publishers to choose from is a very good thing.)

That's good to hear. On the other hand, my agent has told me that she's had a number of books she really believed in that would have sold in the past but haven't sold in the current climate. She'll be another interviewee on IN COLD INK. I kind of resisted the whole blog thing (for years) but now that I've started, it's kind of fun.

Barbara R. · Jun 6, 2012

Mustafa said:
Seconding this one.

But I also wanted to add, How many revises and resubmits are they willing to do if the author doesn't get it right the first time? (before offering a contract)

Interesting question. I don't think editors do many R&R's. Those usually come from agents. Generally, editors won't edit a book or even offer suggestions unless they've signed it. Not a good use of time.

Torgo · Jun 6, 2012

Barbara R. said:
That's good to hear. On the other hand, my agent has told me that she's had a number of books she really believed in that would have sold in the past but haven't sold in the current climate. She'll be another interviewee on IN COLD INK. I kind of resisted the whole blog thing (for years) but now that I've started, it's kind of fun.

One thing that might play into that is that sometimes the agents have passed on the MS and I never get to see it!

The prognosis is a lot better for authors than individual manuscripts, I think. Often if your first MS gets passed on, but people think it's good, it's an excellent foot in the door. The first novel I ever edited was off the back of my trying, but failing, to acquire the author's first book (still unpublished.)

DahlELama · Jun 6, 2012

One thing I've been interested in ever since I was an editorial assistant at a major publishing house is "What kinds of books fall under the category of 'No matter how much I love this, it's unsellable and therefore unbuyable'?" I was shocked at an editorial meeting once to see an entire subgenre wiped out in a second due to this. (In that case, it was the equivalent of chick-lit for men.) It's always made me wonder what else would spark that reaction. My guess is that right now, vampire, shapeshifter, and dystopia novels would generally fall under that category, but I'd definitely be curious to ask.

Mustafa · Jun 6, 2012

Barbara R. said:
Interesting question. I don't think editors do many R&R's. Those usually come from agents. Generally, editors won't edit a book or even offer suggestions unless they've signed it. Not a good use of time.

I've gotten two. By editors at publishing houses.

Torgo · Jun 6, 2012

Mustafa said:
I've gotten two. By editors at publishing houses.

What kind of response did you get - a short note, a long letter, a marked up copy of the MS?

If you could sit down with an editor...

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