The Secret Life of an Editor

By Jane Curry, Publisher and Director of Ventura Press.

‘Who’s the editor?’ I have only been asked this question once in my career and it was by a very savvy US fiction agent who really knew how to assess a manuscript with forensic precision.

It is very rare for an editor to receive credit for their work on a book or get a mention in the sales points. Any appreciation shown is usually from the author, tucked away in the acknowledgments. And yet at the very core of our industry is the quality of the writing.

How has the role of the editor become hidden in plain sight? Time and money are the main culprits. Ever since the 1980s, when the consolidation of small companies into large multi-nationals began, the need to feed the engines of turnover has seen every publishing schedule reduced to the fastest turnaround. The pressure is on from payment of the advance to the pub date: to be first to market, make the catalogue deadline, make the budget, maintain market share, impress investors, sign the next book, publish simultaneously with other countries.

Commercial imperatives are the antithesis of good editing because editing needs time: time for re-reading, re-drafting, reflection and discussion. At Ventura, for example, debut novelist Craig Ensor has been working with his editor on The Warming for well over a year. What came to us as a brilliant novella has been reworked into a full literary work. We allowed him this time but we can make our own rules as a small press and not every publisher has that luxury.

Of editing’s three distinct stages, the most satisfying for me is the structural edit where the book is reviewed as a whole, with the characters, narrative, timeline and length all assessed for their credibility and contribution to the overall work. To do this properly the manuscript needs to be read and re-read—with the money clock ticking.

After the structural edit comes a thorough copyedit, and the manuscript is then typeset before the third editorial stage—proofreading and taking in corrections—takes place. The three stages of the editorial process each need extraordinary expertise and experience—and time.

Compounding the issue of editors’ work hiding in plain sight is the fact that managing directors—the corner office folk who set the corporate culture—most often come through the ranks of sales and marketing, and very rarely come from the editorial side. Our best editors may rise to become publishing directors but they usually stay there. Most often the people who call the shots have never edited a book.

American publishing is a wonderful exception to the ‘hidden editor’ rule. US authors are very close to their editors and often move with their editor if the editor changes house. Editors are more highly valued as a result because they are seen as profit centres—they keep the big authors on the list. You will often see a US editor given their own list (a great way to keep them in the tent).

But in Australia we have seen a curbing of the editor’s power, not only because of commercial factors but also because editing has become gendered. It is now seen as a female profession and, like nursing and teaching, it is undervalued as a result. Editors may ‘lean in’ in terms of commitment and skill but they certainly don’t get valued for these attributes on payday.

Of course the converse is often true too. An editor or publisher with the Y chromosome is seen as a serious thinker. They are seen as adding gravitas and depth to the same job, rather like a dad getting brownie points for doing what mothers do every day.

I was as guilty as the next publisher of treating editing as something that could be minimised or rushed—trying to squeeze another book into the month or onto the Christmas list—but I have changed my ways since working with the wonderful Zoe Hale, who joined Ventura as managing editor a few years ago.

Thanks to Zoe’s gentle yet firm professionalism, we have instituted a minimum turnaround of nine months from receipt of manuscript to release into bookshops.

I am soundly rebuffed if I say we can move a pub date forward—a decision that I respect as I know it is right. And Zoe also has power of veto over our marketing material so I can no longer make ambit claims on ARC covers!

Our list has matured and our reputation has grown as a direct result of putting the editorial process at the centre of our company. I hope it heralds the start of a ‘slow publishing’ movement where we can pursue both editorial excellence and commercial success.

This article was originally published on Books + Publishing.

How To: Create the Perfect Book Title

You may be surprised to read that the title of your book is one of the most important marketing strategies you have as an author. The title is most often how a person will hear about your book for the first time. It has the power to lure the reader in, capture their imagination, or let them know what lies between the pages.

In that moment it doesn’t matter if you’re an unknown author, whether your book is hardcover or paperback or digital, if the genre is unfamiliar, or the price is expensive. A title that successfully captures the essence of your book will help overcome all those obstacles, which is why you need to spend as much energy crafting and editing your title as you would the rest of your manuscript. The last thing you want to do is underrate your book with a poorly crafted title!

One of the best ways to start thinking about your title is to research what makes a good title. Think of a title that has tempted you into picking up the book or clicking on the cover – what was it that sparked your curiosity? What was it that made it memorable for you? A strong title should be distinctive but not distracting. Some titles we love here at Ventura include:

• The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Mark Haddon)

• To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)

• Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)

• Between a Wolf and a Dog (Georgia Blain)

• The Museum of Modern Love (Heather Rose)

• Paris Savages (Katherine Johnson)

And just in case you weren’t convinced yet, here is further evidence of how important titles are. Consider what these well known books could have ended up with as titles.  

• The Great Gatsby could have been Among Ash-Heaps and Millionaires

• 1984 was suggested by Orwell’s publisher, but it was originally The Last Man in Europe

• To Kill a Mockingbird was simply Atticus

• Pride and Prejudice could have been First Impressions

• War and Peace was originally titled All’s Well that Ends Well

• Of Mice and Men was originally Something That Happened

• Gone with the Wind was Tomorrow is Another Day

• Lord of the Flies was originally Strangers from Within

EVERY GOOD BOOK TITLE SHOULD: 

1. Be unique and personal to your story. The easiest way to tell if you have an original title is to Google it. While titles aren’t subjected to copyright, and in theory you could name your book Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, it’s probably not a good idea.

2.  Be memorable. Your title should be one that readers will never forget, so that when they want to recommend it, or have it recommended to them, they remember what they are looking for when they get to the bookstore or are searching for it online. A good tip here is to select precise nouns and strong active verbs.

3. Provide insight. Many readers consider your title twice: once when they pick up the book, and a second time when they finish reading. What can the reader expect from your book? Provide a glimpse into the world of your book, something that will become clear as the reader comes to understand the characters, the plot, or the argument of your book.

HOW TO ACHIEVE TITLE GREATNESS:

1. Relax. Stress inhibits creativity and won’t help you. If you haven’t yet finished your manuscript, then focus on that. The telling of the story or the finishing of your argument may uncover the perfect title in the process.

2. Brainstorm. We recommend a minimum of five titles, but don’t feel you have to stop there. Keep going if you want until you reach 20 or 30, or even 50 titles!

As you brainstorm, try to think of you book in different ways.

Who is the book about?

• Rebellious Daughters (Edited by Maria Katsonis and Lee Kofman)

• The Girl on the Train (Paula Hawkins)

• My Cousin Rachel (Daphne Du Maurier)

What is the book about?

• The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)

• The Rosie Project (Graeme Simsion)

• The Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern)

When does your book take place?

• Nineteen Eighty-Four (George Orwell)

• The Last Anniversary (Liane Moriarty)

• Love in the Time of Cholera (Gabriel García Márquez) 

Where does your book take place?

• Camino Island (John Grisham)

• The Light Between Oceans (M. L. Stedman)

• Black Rock White City (A. S. Patric)

Why should someone read your book?

• See What I have Done (Sarah Schmidt) – What has she done?

• The Many Ways of Seeing (Nick Gleeson with Peter Bishop) – What are the many ways of seeing?

• A Girl Is a Half-formed Thing (Eimear McBride) – What is a girl only half-formed?

Also as you brainstorm:

• Don’t forget voice and point of view – make sure your title is consistent with the point of view in your story. For example, if your crime fiction book is written in third person, don’t call it My Encounter with A Killer.

• Avoid sabotaging your plot with your title – if your book is a mystery or suspense, don’t give away the ending on the cover! By the same token, don’t take your title from the first or last lines of your story as this can dampen the curiosity for your potential reader and also comes across as trite.

• Make sure your title matches your story. This is the most important rule of coming up with your title. If you crafted your title before you finished your story, or even think of a great title during your brainstorm session, it’s critical that you can clearly state how this relates to your story.

• If your non-fiction book is part of branding, make sure this is worked in to the title, for example, Impact Press author Renee Mill uses her brand Anxiety Solutions in her book, Anxiety Free, Drug Free.

EDIT IT!

Your title, just like your manuscript, will need to be edited and polished. The team at Ventura will help you come up with the best title that will have the most cut-through in the market, will have the most appeal to readers, while still successfully reflecting the content of your book.

Good luck!