If you think of writing a book as sculpting, the first draft is the author carving the basic form out of clay, or wood, whatever material works best for you in this metaphor. When they’re done, the basic shape of what they want it to look like is there, but it’s very rough. Very basic.
Then they revise, breaking off pieces and either putting them in other places or discarding them altogether. Adding detail, bringing things more into focus. Some authors need to do this only once before they’re satisfied. I do it twice. Some do it many more times than that.
However long it takes, the artist/author eventually lets someone else take a look at what they’ve made. Ideally, this is a beta reader or readers, which are covered in the very first post in this blog series. They make suggestions, then freelance editors make suggestions, then agents make suggestions, then acquisition editors make suggestions, then developmental editors make suggestions until—finally!–the thing is pretty much what the thing is going to be.
Except for a few small bumps. Some leftover rough edges. It looks like what the author had in their head but it’s not quite as…pretty…as it could be.
That’s where Print Editors (sometimes called Copy Editors) come in. They are the last person holding a piece of sandpaper, showing you every little spot that still needs some smoothing out. And they are the difference between a good story told with occassionally clunky writing, and a good story that flows effortlessly off the page.
Blackstone gave Cole Barnes a piece of sandpaper and told him to make The Recruiter shine, and he did not disappoint. Cole earned his Bachelor’s of Arts in English from Southern Oregon University in 2019, and has worked as a Print Editor at Blackstone for about four-and-a-half years. He lives in Portland and enjoys live music, art museums, dark roast coffee, old movie theaters, and rainy days. All of which means he was basically created in a lab to be the perfect person to live in Oregon. He’s also a really cool dude, and was nice enough to answer a few questions about his role in the publication process.
This is my first job in the publishing industry, but I’ve been at Blackstone for about four and a half years now. I was lucky to find a job pretty soon after graduating from Southern Oregon University in Ashland, Oregon.
You know, I also like to take my time when reading. I think us “slow readers” savor and retain a lot going at our own speed. But when reading a manuscript, it usually takes a good couple of weeks, sometimes longer depending on the length.
By the time a manuscript gets to you, the story is pretty much set and you’re just looking to polish up the writing. Are you able to tell whether or not a book will be a hit as you edit? If so, have you ever been really right or really wrong about a book’s prospects?
I suppose you never know if a book will be a hit or not until it’s out in the world, but I’ve read some really stunning work ever since I started to help edit print books. If it’s a hit with the author and a hit with the reader, then I would consider it a hit book.
Like many folks in publishing, I have been drawn to books my whole life. I love taking part in bringing an author’s words to the page. Everybody has a story, and I’m just happy to have a hand in helping those stories reach the hungry readers of the world.
Time’s yours! As a way to say thanks for lending some insight into what you do, please feel free to use this space for whatever you see fit. Brag about an upcoming project, rave about a favorite TV show, whatever you want!
I hope that everybody has a nice, happy, and peaceful new year! Thanks so much Gregg!
Very nicely done. I enjoy reading about the process of having a book published. I’m really looking forward to reading your book soon. I always knew you would be famous or infamous, I’m glad you chose famous.