So what ARE an editor's duties/functions?

[Robert_Moriyama]

Anyone who happened upon the hissy fit / slapfight between me and Mark Edgemon will know that there seems to be some controversy over exactly what it is that an editor's duties should entail. When I took on the job, they neglected to provide the Official Procedures Manual (much like the alien super-suit in "The Greatest American Hero"), so I have been pretty much winging it.

My approach has been (a) less organized than Cary Semar (not acknowledging submissions when received), but (b) more intensive / meddlesome in terms of doing line-editing (Cary and McCamy would make suggestions, but would never go so far as to actually do rewrites of passages). I DO try to provide at least some indication of why I don't like a particular story when issuing rejection notes; in rare cases, I have received quite nasty reactions (Mark's was not the worst, and the other guy wasn't kidding at all). The more common reaction to a rejection has been silence; the BEST reaction to a rejection has been major rewrites or further submissions, with improvements in the areas I have indicated as problems.

I would like feedback and opinions on what AUTHORS think I (and by extension, McCamy, Iain, Rob, and Dan) SHOULD be doing as editors. Are their responsibilities I have been failing to fulfil? Am I doing too much in some areas, too little in others?

The backlog of submissions didn't really HAVE to occur when we missed publishing a few issues last year -- I COULD have read and accepted / rejected stories during the missed-issue months, ending the suspense for many authors. This would have allowed authors of rejected pieces to submit their stories elsewhere KNOWING that Aphelion would not be running them; but authors of accepted pieces would know that their stories had been accepted, but not necessarily when they would appear.

So -- comments? Suggestions? Death threats? Bueller? Bueller?

RM

[Robert_Moriyama]

... Several people have read my initial post, but nobody has offered any opinions. That must mean I'm doing everything RIGHT*!  :D

(*Either that, or nobody else knows what an editor is supposed to do, either.)

I think that the way I am doing things falls somewhere between "normal" magazine (or at least webzine) editing and the kind of copy-editing that a major magazine or book publishing editor might do. Whether this is appropriate (and whether I am doing these things well or poorly) remains to be seen (or opined).

RM

(Too bad there isn't a version of that smiley with a little drool running down the chin. This one doesn't quite convey the level of stupidity I wanted to convey...)

[Megawatts]

What is an editor's job? I sure as hell don't know, except from old TV programs from the forties and fifties that depict editors as old men smoking cigars and growling at everybody. But they are usually newspaper people. And of course the old superman episodes. Perry White being the editor or chief editor if my memory serves me right.

Hollywood has given us a stereotype and even today most think of editors in those term.

I guess an editors job is very broad with each editor charting his/her own path.

Robert does a very good job. Aphelion is for writers of all levels. Most are beginning writers who need there work critiqued, and Robert understands their needs and fulfills it, I strongly feel (notice the adverb I used) in a positive and constructive style. And we get to read those stories, critique those story, read other's critiques about those stories, hash over and over again all the critiques and learn. Learning sometimes might not be on writing, but on how others think, how others feel, what others like and dislike, what motives others and the different view-points each has regarding technique, style and subject.

Just stop and think for a second if Robert replied to a submission with “I didn’t care for it” or “ I’ll print it.” How dry Aphelion would be!!

Robert knows what an editor with Aphelion should do, and he is preforming his job at a level that will and has helped others in their writing.

Don't change anything Robert!

[Robert_Moriyama]

Flattery will take you a long way. (Fortunately, talent and hard work are helpful too... ;))

[kailhofer]

The real world answer of what an editor's job is whatever his or her boss says it is. :)

Using a newspaper/magazine model, because that is who I deal with at work every day as a printer, editors are responsible for filling the space allotted to them with as high a quality material as they can get their hands on because that space needs to be read. Print zines and newspapers have only so many square inches to work with, and advertisers want to be located on pages near interesting reading, at least as possible.

If that means chopping out sections of crap, editors do that. If it means having things rewritten, they tell the writer to do it over. If that means telling a reporter what to cover, then that happens. They plan their pieces out to fit in different issues and to maintain a certain nebulous quality level.

Obviously, there are no ads, and no limits on space. However, the general principle fits. Fill your space with the best you've got, and it's really as simple as that.

How to do that is really what you didn't get the instruction manual on. And in general, I think you do a good job at it.

Nate

[Robert_Moriyama]

The real world answer of what an editor's job is whatever his or her boss says it is.  :)

Using a newspaper/magazine model, because that is who I deal with at work every day as a printer, editors are responsible for filling the space allotted to them with as high a quality material as they can get their hands on because that space needs to be read. Print zines and newspapers have only so many square inches to work with, and advertisers want to be located on pages near interesting reading, at least as possible.

If that means chopping out sections of crap, editors do that. If it means having things rewritten, they tell the writer to do it over. If that means telling a reporter what to cover, then that happens. They plan their pieces out to fit in different issues and to maintain a certain nebulous quality level.

Obviously, there are no ads, and no limits on space. However, the general principle fits. Fill your space with the best you've got, and it's really as simple as that.

How to do that is really what you didn't get the instruction manual on. And in general, I think you do a good job at it.

Nate

... Aside from occasionally printing things that aren't "stories"... ;) Did you see my suggestion for having Kailhofer submissions handled by another editor, regardless of length? Or are you directing your output to paying and pro markets first / only?

[Robert_Moriyama]

... I had a lengthy quoted passage from this month's "Ralan's Market Report", but Ralan Conley requested that I remove it, as it could compromise the potential for a sale to a paying market (something we can all understand!) and maybe reduce the incentive to sign up for the newsletter (which is FREE, and does not seem to attract any spam -- Ralan doesn't sell his mailing list or otherwise distribute it).

The article, "How to sell your story", had some excellent tips on how to maximize your chances of placing a piece with any market (including this one). Most of them are obvious things that people someone manage to forget; the last one was particularly relevant to this Forum topic, as it detailed some of the things that editors do.

Go to www.ralan.com and click on the "Join Ralan's Mailing List" link to subscribe to the newsletter; you will receive this month's newsletter, including the article described above, and the regular "Market Report", with updates on various markets, writing tips, and useful links, every month thereafter.

Other "must click" links include pages for "Anthology Markets", "Adult Markets", "Semi- and Pro Markets" (paying at or close to SFWA-qualifying rates), "Paying Markets" (paying 1/2 cent - 3 cents per word), "4theLuv Markets" (Aphelion is one), "Writing Links" and "Writing Help".

The "Markets" pages contain links to information about hundreds of publications, including contact info, whether e-mail submissions are accepted, basic descriptions of the type of material wanted, and Submission Guidelines.

"Writing Links" contains (surprise!) links to various useful resources for writers. "Writing Help" contains various articles by Ralan (eventually including "How to Sell your Story").

Go. Join mailing list. Read list of markets and READ GUIDELINES for ones you think might be a good fit for your stories and stories-to-be.

RM

[Robert_Moriyama]

Wow. An amazing thread, and I only have time for a couple items.

"... Several people have read my initial post, but nobody has offered any opinions. That must mean I'm doing everything RIGHT*! Cheesy

(*Either that, or nobody else knows what an editor is supposed to do, either.) "

No, for the reason we get "where are all the posts" threads every six months. I think this will be a thread that will slowly bounce around people's DiscussionSphere before it's all complete.
(I slept for 11 hours, then went to the 24 hour laundromat, and then straight to a work meeting, thus preventing me from reading Robert's timeless post. I could have skipped the meeting, but then I would have had to emigrate to Canada and live in Robert's Basement for 3 months as a consequence of losing my job.)

Now we know why all companies eventually gravitate towards a bland communication department. It's the Fan Anti-Dispersal Department.

I think it's a great idea to at least partially process a submission even if the issue gets delayed; that way the author can get back to the next phase of their writing meta-strategy. (Re-write story, Get The Sulking Over With, Start Fire With Manuscript, etc.)

Tales of Old Parnassus (Publishing before the Web) talk about zillion-month waits to receive "Declined." Despite the occasional flare ups, I think Value Received from the "Shorter Than War&Peace Editorial Department" would pay off someone's national debt. (Robert, how bad is Canada's? Can we have some?)

It might both save your time and also reduce the severity of the flares to respond in two layers. The first is a variant of "Sorry, I can't run this story as written. I think ___ could be improved. Would you like to discuss the details?"

If that never gets responded to, ... then Robert M. gets to save the valuable time for the next item in his pile. If the author responds, they tacitly know that it's going to be involved. Even then you can still give them warning before unloading the high-powered power core. "I saw ____ problem with the characterization. I'm not sure if someone that emotional at the start of the story would be this calm during the crisis. Did I miss a growth period he went through that made him a stronger person?"

Then the THIRD email would descend into editorial labyrinths. "Oh, I mistook THAT sentence as a sign of ..... How does that tie to THIS remark over there? ..."

--TaoPhoenix

Geez. That sounds like a lot of work...

[kailhofer]

One idea is to announce that the advisor's services are private, so if the author has already been dealt a few rough turns of the deck on the proper forums, for their next story they can "dry-run" their story to repair it before actually submitting it to the official editor. This should have a linear link to the quality of posts it receives as well.

It sounds to me essentially like your proposing what I've always been told is called a "story doctor", since any author I know already passes their pieces past any friend/spouse/interested party they can get to look at it before they submit. Said doc would read the story, edit & correct grammar, as well as make suggestions as to how to clean up the plot and turn the characters into something.

Such a service costs when you can't get a loved one to do it. This is just not the kind of expertise that is freely given. I know because I've had people offer to pay me for doing just that, so I researched it, and rates.

The way Aphelion works is the next best thing, and a lot cheaper. You can't sell your story easily afterwards, but you usually get the feedback you need to make your next one better.

I think we all have to bear in mind Aphelion's spot in the marketplace. Don't get me wrong, I love the community here, or I wouldn't haunt the place. But Aphelion is a free, for-the-love market. That means there a 3 kinds of stories: ones by good authors that didn't sell to paying markets but the author still wants to add more sites to his or her publishing resume or keep their name out there, ones written by Usual Suspects because they want to contribute to their community of friends, and newbies who are learning the ropes. I have little doubt that most of those "from Valhalla" authors fit into the 1st two categories. The rest are going to need help--a lot of help. Then, when they get better, they'll want to make money & move on to paying markets. After that, we'll probably only see them when its one of those 1st category stories.

So, the practical upshot of what I'm saying is that I don't think you'll get anybody to do as you suggest, because Aphelion itself already fills a good portion of that role.

Nate

PS--Since we're in this thread, and I don't think you're likely to be offended by my asking... what exactly are an Archive Editor's duties? It's never really been said. (Not that anybody ever said what anyone's job entails, of course, we just know their titles.)