Editors Don’t Get No Respect

I had a nice chat with Dan Wagstaff about what purpose publishers actually serve, given that any old schmo can publish her work herself online and in POD. And Dan’s answer, which to me defines a healthy future for “publishers” was:

The publisher’s job is to advocate for the writer in the wider world.

Working out that advocacy in the digital age will be an interesting challenge. In some sense there are two parts to that though, one outward looking – something like “advocating for book sales”; and one more inward looking – something like “advocating for the place of the book in the wider world of literature.” The second role is that intimate and crucial role of the editor. Somewhere once I read a quote that went something like this:

There are no good writers, only good editors.

(Anyone have a reference to that one?)
In any case, good editors are always going to be in great demand, no matter the distribution channels. Maybe they will become more like freelance investors/advisors on independently published books, who knows. In any case, whatever happens, Damien G. Walter, in the Guardian, makes the case that they ought to get fancy prizes, just like writers.

In the world of speculative fiction awards aren’t just given to editors, they are named for them. The Hugo awards are a permanent tribute to “the father of science fiction” editor Hugo Gernsback. At this years Hugo awards not just one but two editorial awards will be made – Best Editor, Long Form and Best Editor, Short Form, with additional awards for Best Semi-Prozine and Best Fanzine that also honour editorial contributions. And each year the genre’s Best New Writer is awarded the John W Campbell award, named after perhaps the single most significant editor in the history of science fiction. [more...]