ethics | a reason to lie? | class notes

Is there ever a good reason to lie to an author?

No.

A big lie will always come and slap you in the face: you must never lie to an author about his or her work. As I said, they count on you. Your relationship with the Author is a symbiotic one.

BUT, what authors may not need to know:

However, there are a class of things that Authors do not need to know that do not relate to their book, and this is not lying, but these things are just not pertinent to the Author. Such things would be:

The everyday operations of the Publishing House (this information is proprietary information, unless it relates directly to the Author's book.)

How you conduct your business and how you acquire books.

Which other books your house has acquired of late - unless this information is already public - this is not up to you to necessarily share.

What the author DOES need to know is that you are an Ethical Editor and an Ethical publishing house with a good reputation and that information will ‘out’ pretty soon, or is already known. Most houses have established and known reputations and most Authors have agents to guide them as they negotiate the world of publishing as to the 'right' houses and Editors. You want to be one of those 'right' Editors... so build a reputation as an Ethical and fair editor.