Technical Topic -- What an editor does

I was relaxing after the long sprint to the final on the manuscript of MAGGIE. And I knew I had to come back and face my echoing, empty blog. I feel like this teenager sneaking home and tiptoeing up the stairs WAY after curfew.

So this is me pussyfooting back into the blog, all casual like, and whistling a nonchalant little tune.

Anyhow ... I was posting an answer to a message board in response to how manuscripts get bought -- or not bought -- after an editor has shown some interest.

Having thought about this and made some notes about it, I thought I'd put the information I gleaned here in the blog, too.

n.b. I am not talking about things I have direct knowledge of. I'm pointing towards some more knowledgeable folks. This is useful and interesting but no one should mistake it for me actually knowing anything.

So. What happens after an editor says, "Yes. I like this"?

In a big New York print house, the editor takes the manuscript to a regular committtee meeting of the various associate and senior editors and the managing editor and some sales folks. They've mostly read the manuscripts.

The committee chooses among the possibles. They're going to do this based on what's good, but also on what books they've already bought, what other manuscripts are being offered this week, and generally what they think will sell.

The choices is ALSO going to depend on how enthusiastic the editor is about the manuscript. I think this is why we hear about editors turning down a manuscript they 'like but don't love'.
. . . Because the editor has to convince a hard audience to love the manuscript as much as she does.


Some 'day in the life of' blogs about being an editor are
Lori Foster's interview with Monique Patterson, Cindy Hwang and the much-missed Kate Duffy here, and a bit more stuff, here.
Bloomabilities here.
Moonrat, League of Reluctant Adults, here. And since you're nearby, go ahead and read about The Dream Author (from the Editor's point of view,) here.
Lucia at the Avon blog, here and here.
A Witchy Chicks interview with Kate Seaver of Berkley here.
And an interview with Betsy Mitchell of Warner here.
Steve Whacker, (Ok. Maybe it has nothing to do with committees,) here.