Every great once in a while I have to pull my head from the clouds and remind myself I’m an editor.Actually, that happens just about every Monday morning.Surprisingly, academics who have trouble getting published don’t bother to consult editors for advice.Having sat on both sides of that particular desk, I certainly don’t mind sharing what I’ve learned since publishing isn’t as straightforward as it seems.It has its own mythology and authors—I speak from experience here—feel extremely protective of their books.Nevertheless, editors are under-utilized resources when it comes to figuring out how to approach a topic.They often possess valuable advice.
It’s easy to think publishing exists to preserve and disseminate ideas and insights, tout court.The idea that if you get past your dissertation committee you’ve done service that requires wide readership is natural enough.Publishers, however, have other angles to consider.Books incur costs, and not just paper, glue, and ink.There are many people involved in bringing a book from idea to object, and each of them has to be paid to do their part.(Many academics in the humanities may not understand the concept of “overhead,” but it’s an everyday reality in the publishing world.)Not only that, but even the book itself is a matter of negotiation.My latest book (and I suspect well over 90 percent of the authors with whom I work have no idea that I write books as well) had a chapter expunged and a new one written at the behest of my McFarland editor.
One of the pervasive myths in this business is that authors write whatever book they want and then find a publisher.Sometimes that works.Often when it does the authors are disappointed in the results.There are presses that specialize in cranking out such works, slapping an enormous price tag on them, selling them to libraries, and then letting them go out of print.I’ve been there.I know.Academics want prestige presses to take their books to a higher profile, but without having to change things according to the advice of an editor.There are hidden lives of editors.I can’t share much of that here, but I can expound its corollary—taking advantage of free editorial advice makes good sense.I wouldn’t be bothering you with such mundane thoughts on this blog, but when I rolled out of bed today I learned it was Monday morning.
