It’s interesting to read about things from the editor’s viewpoint. It’s not the same as a writer viewpoint, not the same as a reader viewpoint, although I have known some editors who started out writing~or vice versa. All editors have to be readers, first, I’d think. If you don’t love to read, how can you possibly tell if a book is worth buying?
For the most part, I’ve been reaalllllyyyy lucky with my editors. My editor at EC, Pam Campbell, is wonderful. She tolerates my little neuroses (and there are several) , she puts up with my gripes when I have a gripe, and helped me work on POV issues. Yes, I know, I switch on POV a lot but it’s no where near as bad as it used to be.
I conned politely asked Pam if she’d mind answering a few questions and I have a couple of other editors lined up as well. If somebody has questions, leave them in the comments and I’ll see if I can get Pam to drop by and answer.
SW: How long have you been an editor with Ellora’s Cave?
PC: Four years
SW: How did you get into editing and who was your first author? (;o) I know this one, but others don’t.
PC: I love books and always wanted to be an editor, but live in a small town and don’t really want to leave. The internet and Ellora’s Cave gave me the opportunity to fulfill that dream.I started as a reader at EC, then applied for an editing position when they starting hiring. I love my job. Shiloh Walker was my first author. I did my job training with her. LOL.
SW: Exactly what does an editor do…I know a lot of people don’t know all the steps required to take a book from the unedited MS to the full print/eprint version.
PC: Well, first we read a submitted ms. and decide if we will accept or reject it. BTW, I have accepted all of Shiloh’s submissions. If accepted, we settle on a great title, sign a contract, do a cover request and write a blurb, then begin edits. We do content and line edits, any revisions that need to be done—timeline, additions, deletions, etc. After everything suits both me and the author, I format the ms. and blurb, then do a final read to try to catch anything we missed. I then send the formatted book and blurb to EC. The book then goes to the final line editor. After the FLE is done it comes back to me for a final edit, then off to the publisher with the chosen, formatted excerpt. Then it is released and the readers are very, very happy.
SW: What do you like to read personally? Has it made it harder to read for pleasure now that you edit?
PC: I like to read just about anything—fiction, biography, news articles, cereal boxes, LOL. I have always had a soft spot for romance novels, so I am very happy with my job.Yes, editing has dramatically curtailed my reading. I keep buying books, but my TBR pile is far outdistancing my finished books.
SW: What’s your favorite part of your job? Least favorite?
PC: I like everything, even the formatting. I love working with the authors and opening a new submission to discover what magic lies inside. Least fav? Having to tell an author that I don’t like something in the book.
SW: What are you looking for when you read a book, whether by a new author or an established one?
PC: I’m looking for inherent writing talent—the kind that gives one goose bumps. The desire to want to turn each page, anxious to see what happens next. Good story, great characterization. I want the characters to jump off the page.
Man, I knew she was sick. She even likes the formatting! Only a seriously twisted mind could enjoy something so….. hmmmm…. organizationally minded.Thank you, Pam! Smooch~