For the Epstein, many of you have read this as a pre-requisite for a copy-editing course, but this time, please read the Preface and Part 1 from a different perspective as to how the future of American or global book-publishing and the editor’s role will change. Underline passages and be prepared to discuss your thoughts in class. You should also be reading the Schiffrin at the same time as the Epstein for the contrast between the two books.
For this class, we will be reviewing the different types of editors there are at various houses (and notes, depending on the size of the house, not all publishing houses will have all of these editors). But a listing to get you started:
Types of Editors;
a. editorial director - oversees the entire operation and reports to the publisher, oversees other editors and is responsible for the tone of the house.
b. editor in chief - is just under the editorial director and manages all of the senior editors. This editor determines with the Editorial Director what the list should or will roughly look like.
c. senior editor - these can be specialized editors, such as fiction, nonfiction, self-help, etc, depending on your genre. The Editor in Chief oversees all genre of books, but the Senior Editor is responsible for her section.
d. acquisitions editor - actively seeks new work, acquires books that come in that speak to him/her. Meets with agents and contracts agented-books. This is one of the most sought-after positions in a publishing house.
e. developmental editor - develops books based on ideas they have. For example, if they have an idea to publish a book about women on divorce - essays - they will put together an anthology and find the best women's writers on the topic and create a book out of that.
f. series editor - runs a series of books that are successful and in the same genre and have the same look and feel (generally). A translation would be a good example of this - a translation series - or a series of specific children's books etc.
g. line editor - works line-by-line with the author and carefully crafts the manuscript to polish it and bring out the best it can be to find the "gem" in the book. Think of that block of marble i mentioned and how you carve around it to get to the very best you can until you see something taking shape.
h. copy editor - Follows a given set of rules like Chicago Manual of Style and Websters etc to make sure that there is consistency throughout the book.
i. managing editor - is almost like a project manager and pulls all of the threads together.
j. production editor - shepherds the book through the editorial process and works mostly with the design and look and feel of the book. Often goes "on-press" to check to make sure the printing is going well. We'll have a guest speaker on this topic.
k. assistant editor - usually assists one of the senior editors. Lots of proof-reading, fact-checking, copy-editing and so on. Sort of a catch-all but you can learn a great deal from this job and also perhaps have your own books to edit, depending on the house.
What do you think the roles are of each editor (discussion) (*while you are expected to participate, a definition of each will be posted in this section as a follow up for each editor for your notes.)
Editing has changed a lot in the past twenty or even fifteen years – How do you think it has changed? What do you think, and what did Maxwell Perkins teach you and what about the Epstein? - Where have we been and where are we going.
How edit marks are made; track changes versus paper edits. In this class, you will be expected to make your edits on paper with a red pencil using standard editing marks.
Discussion on Editing versus Copy-editing. I know you have taken copy-editing, or many of you have, but there are very obvious differences between the two, so please note that and we will be discussing that.
Why it’s important to know both (because track changes are based on paper edits and you should know the basics of editing marks in order to be a good editor, regardless of whether or not you will be using track changes.)
How do you think the Editor’s role has changed (any editor? Who are they answerable to now? to the author, yes, to the book, yes, but to the Conglomerate and the head office, or what we hear as “the suits.” – the head office, often based in another state or city or even country (Continuum would be one example of this), Random House another - any house that is based in a large corporate office, often with an international base.
Discussion
until recently, many houses were managed by their owners and as such, the list was an expression of the editors at the house – with the advent of conglomerates, this has changed – For example, perhaps the largest would be Bertelesmann:
- Bertelsmann consists of 6 corporate divisions:
RTL Group, a European broadcaster
Gruner & Jahr (officially Gruner + Jahr, a magazine publisher, biggest in Europe and second biggest world wide)
Prisma
BMG (Bertelsmann Music Group)
BMG Music Publishing
Random House, the world's largest trade book publisher (popular literature)
Direct Group, the world's largest book and music club group
arvato, an international media service provider and editing house
Doubleday Canada
