There are no doubts now that e-books are changing the way we publish. Designers have to worry about how their layouts will look on Kindles and iPhones instead of just the printed page. Those in marketing have to set up Facebook pages and Twitters for their authors and their presses. And gone are the days when all an editor had to do was decide between a semicolon and an em dash (if those days ever existed).
Editors are now expected to know how to blog, for example, and explain viral marketing to their clients. Now, suddenly, editors have to worry about links in the written text. This is far different from a reference at the end of the book. Now, the reader can immediately leave the page and be scanning a new document—and whose job do you think it is to make sure all those links work? Editors are now expected to be web and tech savvy. One suddenly has to know the difference between an OCF and OPF, or what an .epub file is, for that matter.
Though e-books mean that publishers can get the author’s work out to the public more quickly and easily, it doesn’t diminish the amount of work that goes into making the writing publishable. Editors will do no less for e-books than they have in the past for print books. Or will they? If the time line of book production is sped up and the cost of the book goes down so significantly (not to mention the potential of hackers being able to get the books for free), will editors be able to spend the time and care that they are accustomed to? These are important questions about the overall quality of writing that will be produced and distributed. It is easier than ever to get your writing in the public’s eye, through blogs, POD, and viral self-marketing. In this brave new world of publishing, what is the editor’s role?
Written by Kathryn Foster, Ooligan editing work group member.
You make very good points! Another change is that e-publishing and short-run printing have made it easier for authors to self-publish. The allure of having their work in the public eye may entice them to publish their books without proper editorial treatment. I have heard from some freelance editors the difficulty they face in convincing authors that good, professional editing is vital to a book’s quality (and an author’s reputation).
I wonder if the case for editing is clearer for nonfiction than fiction. That is to say, the need for editors seems more evident for nonfiction, where reader expect the content to be reliable (thus the author or publisher needs to have the work edited and fact checked). In scientific publishing, results can be so crucial and influential that I would cringe if a published work were not peer reviewed and edited. On the other hand, fiction readers can be a discerning lot; they care about the craft of writing. So I can see a strong case for editing fiction as well.
In any genre, editors are essential. Sure, I say that as an editor. But I say that as a writer and reader, too! Editorial tasks may change with the times, but the editorial responsibility to serve and protect clear written communication remains. I hope it always will.