Although
I am the “new” editor,
I have been working with the wonderful people at Medallion
for two years come June. Consequently, I have worked on the
books of most of our authors, in some capacity. I am still
amazed at the depth of imagination and the degree of talent
that I see every day.
Readers
and book buyers are a unique group. Escapists, I think.
And why not? I have been curling up with
books for as long as
I can remember and escaping into adventures, fantasies, mysteries,
and of course, love stories. When I was an undergraduate,
I sat in the front row of a crowded literature class as the
professor
scrolled down a list of important works and asked students
to raise their hands when he named ones we had read. After
class,
he asked me if there was anything I hadn’t read. It never
occurred to me that the students sitting behind me weren’t
compulsive readers too. Needless to say, I didn’t sit
in the front row the rest of the semester. Yes, I am a lover
of the classics. Both old and new. And here lies the beauty:
in the last two years I have read some truly “new classics” from
our authors at Medallion.
I
come from an academic background and much of my writing
was scholarly and my early editing was done
on the books of
professors.
Academic writing takes logic, a self-critical mind, and
endless research. And It can’t
compare to the wonderful world of fiction.
One
important thing I did learn, however, is the possessiveness
a writer feels for her creation. Our story
is like our child;
it’s extremely painful to listen to anyone saying it’s
not perfect. Having it critiqued is a hard pill to swallow.
Knowing
that, I approach editing with an attempt at kindness while
I direct my attention to helping you make
your book
as perfect as it can be. Admittedly, my method comes
from the perspective
of a reader first. So on occasion, if I tell you something
isn’t
clear or I don’t know what this means, it is most
likely what your reader would say, not just your editor.
And now I will get back to doing what I love
to do most in the whole world. Reading.
Janet
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