On his Blog, The Graveyard Shift, author Lee Lofland, interviewed Benjamin LeRoy: the founder of Bleak House Books (Madison, WI.) whose company specialises in a publishing crime and dark literary fiction. THE EDITOR PASSES YOUR WORK AS FIT FOR PURPOSE:
Benjamin Leroy says an editor is like a Building Inspector.
An author is like a general contractor. The author’s job is to make the best possible use out of the tools accumulated and experience gained to build a sturdy, up to code building. When the author is done with the construction and the clean up, the inspector is brought in to check the big things: is the foundation level? Does the plumbing work the way it’s supposed to? The electricity? After the inspection is over the author receives a checklist of things that need to be fixed before the structure is ready for occupancy.
The building inspector doesn’t pound nails or rework the wiring, that’s the contractor’s job.
Too many authors get the checklist of major problems and think if they hurry and throw a new coat of paint over the walls, nobody will notice that the building is still crooked. (I saw visions of my first house where the “new” wiring joined to the ancient, out of sight, under the floorboards.)
Often what we see in the slushpile are buildings that are better off condemned. And, more often than not, the people put in charge of the repairs are either too lazy or too unskilled to fix the trouble spots.
"We receive over two thousand submissions a year. We publish somewhere between 15-20 books, and most of those are from authors that have a history – have proven that they can successfully... build skyscrapers that won’t crumble in a stiff wind."
I’ve got a busy weekend ahead, following my architectural plans, I'll be laying a few more bricks J
WHICH PART OF THE BUILDING PROCESS WILL YOU BE OCCUPIED WITH?
Holy Crap Elaine what a freaking fantastic metaphor!!!
ReplyDeleteI am installing wiring this weekend, and hopefully by Monday I'll be able to hang the sheetrock. Then it's on to spackle and paint and I will be done baby!!!
I'm praying to the construction Gods my work will pass inspection.
I'm still structuring the framework.
ReplyDeleteAs someone who's helped build a house, I can tell you, this is a great thing to relate writing to!
You're right about the repairs. Doing a surface job masks the problems that will come to light soon.
ReplyDeleteHave a great weekend.
What a great analogy! I'm working on putting up the walls right now of my second book... what I like to call the skeleton. Later I'll add muscle and flesh it out.
ReplyDeleteHi Anne
ReplyDelete:D It is a great metaphor; it cleared up the role of the editor for me. (Hard-headed ;))
You sound close to completion, good luck with the work this weekend.
Hi Amy
Good luck on the foundations and the framework :) Writing and building are both gritty and strenuous but the end results should be durable and stand the test of time :D
Hi Medeia
He had it right: if a writer smooth-skims over major defects the problems will soon come to light.
Hi Alexia
Are you town planning or just building a semi-detached? :D Good luck building up your work.