A few thoughts on the traditional relationship between authors and their editors, compared to what we seem to have today. Imperfect and flawed, I admit; I was trying to get some ideas out. There have certainly been more intelligent things written about this subject.
I was rereading Terry Brooks’ writing book Sometimes the Magic Works, and I was struck by the chapter “Tough Love.” #amwriting
— Jim Cormier (@jcormier) April 8, 2015
Brooks’ initial attempt to write a sequel to The Sword of Shannara was, in the words of his editor Lester Del Rey, “a mess.” #amwriting
— Jim Cormier (@jcormier) April 8, 2015
Del Rey called it unsalvageable, and recommended he start over. #amwriting
— Jim Cormier (@jcormier) April 8, 2015
Brooks describes his emotional response to this, as well as the ultimate realization that Del Rey was right. #amwriting
— Jim Cormier (@jcormier) April 8, 2015
His manuscript was bad; he needed to start fresh. So put it aside and wrote Elfstones of Shannara, one of his most famous books. #amwriting
— Jim Cormier (@jcormier) April 8, 2015
I read this and asked myself: would this happen today? Would an editor continue to work with an author who failed so utterly? #amwriting
— Jim Cormier (@jcormier) April 8, 2015
Yes, Sword sold well immediately, and has since become a modern classic, so that affects the calculus. #amwriting
— Jim Cormier (@jcormier) April 8, 2015
But it strikes me nonetheless as unlikely that a modern editor would spend the time and effort working with an author like this. #amwriting
— Jim Cormier (@jcormier) April 8, 2015
Would a modern fantasy author, even a successful one, receive such an enormous second chance in this way? #amwriting
— Jim Cormier (@jcormier) April 8, 2015
Or would the editor move on to another writer? Contracts aside, would the author control the same amount of attention? #amwriting
— Jim Cormier (@jcormier) April 8, 2015
Sure, when you sell enough books, editing ceases to be a true hurdle: we can all name a bestseller that sucked. #amwriting
— Jim Cormier (@jcormier) April 8, 2015
But the age of editors developing writers seems to have passed. #amwriting
— Jim Cormier (@jcormier) April 8, 2015
It used to be that an editor would see some talent and develop it, like a coach training a baseball player. #amwriting
— Jim Cormier (@jcormier) April 8, 2015
Doesn’t really happen that way anymore. These days you’re either good enough to sell with minimum effort, or you’re not. #amwriting
— Jim Cormier (@jcormier) April 8, 2015
At least, that’s the way it seems. The lack of serious editing on the high end (bloated authors putting out bad work) seems to confirm this.
— Jim Cormier (@jcormier) April 8, 2015
Somethings been lost, there, I think, even if there are a few houses still working this way. #amwriting
— Jim Cormier (@jcormier) April 8, 2015
These are good questions. Food for thought.
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Thanks!
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