Irina Davydova

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Everyone dreams of a prestigious profession. And one of the options for satisfying your ambitions is the profession of "editor". Creative, exciting, but also difficult work for strong-willed, purposeful people with an organizational streak.

Is it possible to become an editor from scratch, and what do you need to know about future work?

Features of the editor's work - what does an editor on an Internet resource, a graphic editor or an editor in a publishing house do?

First of all, it is worth noting that the editor is one of the most responsible professions. It is the editor who "receives a cap" in case of errors or false information in the final version of the article.

Therefore, the main task of the editor is to tirelessly and vigilantly watch, that is, to monitor the work of his subordinates and the quality of their work.

However, much depends from the job profile.

The editor may be...

• Literary.
• Technical.
• Scientific.
• Artistic.
• Or a broadcast editor or websites.

Features of work depend on the specifics of a particular job.

What an editor does - main responsibilities:

1. First of all, editing materials, their correction in accordance with standards, styles, certain formats, etc.
2. Assistance to authors (note - to improve the structure of texts).
3. Solving technical and artistic issues.
4. Selection and formulation of relevant topics of materials, the formation of an idea and the definition of the progress of work.
5. Preparation of materials for printing, for publication, for broadcasting.
6. Management functions: distribution of tasks among subordinates and control over their execution.
7. etc.

Required personal qualities and professional skills to work as an editor - is this job right for you?

WITH Among the main qualities that an editor should possess, one can note ...

• Responsibility.
• Attention and accuracy.
• Excellent memory.
• Logic and intuition.
• Patience, endurance, emotional stability.
• Analytic mind.
• Sociability.
• Organizational skills.
• Competent oral/written language.

What are the skill requirements?

The editor needs to know...

1. Fundamentals of legislative acts.
2. Fundamentals of Economics (note - publishing, media).
3. On the prospects for the development of the market.
4. On the procedure for creating plans, schedules in editorial processes.
5. Copyright.
6. Basics of editing and all preparation of articles, manuscripts, other materials.
7. On the procedure for concluding contracts.
8. Printing/production technology.

Editor Career Features and Salary

Today, the editor can work not only in the editorial office of a newspaper, in a book publishing house or on TV.

The area of ​​editorial work also includes professional activityin electronic media, radio, news agencies and production companies etc.

The editor can also work remotely (note - freelance).

What is the salary of an editor?

It all depends on where you work. On average, in large cities, the monthly earnings of an editor can be 25000-70000 rub.

It is worth mentioning the competition, which is quite high in prestigious places. If it is not so difficult to get a job in the editorial office of a small newspaper or in an electronic publication, then the line of ambitious specialists in prestigious publishing houses and the media is very long, and often the companies themselves ensure a tougher competition for vacant positions.

However, a self-confident professional with a solid store of knowledge will never be left without a job.

Career growth - what can an editor expect?

As for career prospects, they depend on experience, place of work - and, of course, region.

In the editorial office of a small newspaper somewhere in the outback, of course, it will not work to rise high.

In megacities, there are much more opportunities, and each specialist has the opportunity to become a department head or editor-in-chief.

For example, the career of an editor in a paper or electronic publication is as follows:

1. Graduate journalist turned correspondent.
2. Next is the department editor.
3. And managing editor.

And in a publishing house...

1. Freelance editor or junior editor.
2. Lead editor.

How to become an editor from scratch - where to study to become an editor?

It is clear that without education, getting a job as an editor in a prestigious place (and even in a small newspaper) will not work, higher education in the humanities is one of the main conditions.

Moreover, the closer it is directly to the specifics of the chosen profession, the more chances the applicant has for the position.

With great ambitions and requests, you will have to master ...

• Linguistics and Philology.
• Journalism.
• Publishing.
• Literary creativity.
• Editing.

There are many universities in our country that teach these specialties. And for training it is not necessary to go to the capital.

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The editor is one of the best options that can satisfy the ambitions of the humanities. But what do you need to know about this position in order to prepare yourself for professional duties in advance? What skills do you need to learn while studying? And how to build your career then?

Let's start with the fact that this is a very responsible profession. An editor is a specialist responsible for preparing material for publication. That is, it is he who will be hit hard if the final version of the article contains errors or false information. Therefore, the editor, like an educator in kindergarten, tirelessly ensures that his wards skillfully do their job.

It should also be noted that there can be several specialists in the same publication. Thus, the editor-in-chief is responsible for creating the main concept, selecting topics for articles and authors. But the art editor deals exclusively with page design, improves the quality of photographs and the color scheme of the magazine.

Editors classification

Given the above, let's look at what types of editors exist. Indeed, thanks to this information, the future specialist will be able to decide on a specific direction and focus on its development.

So, at the moment it is known about such varieties of the profession:

• art editor;
• scientific editor;
• technical editor;
• broadcast editor;
• literary editor.

It should also be warned that each direction has its own characteristics. Because of this, it can be quite difficult to move from one category to another.

Where can you study?

This specialty requires a higher education. At the same time, the closer it is to the specifics of the profession, the more likely it is to get such a coveted position. Therefore, if a person is not satisfied with the editorial office of the newspaper, he is counting on something more, then he needs to master one of the following specialties:

• editing;
• publishing;
• literary creativity;
• philology;
• journalism;
• linguistics.

Fortunately, most Russian universities have such departments. Therefore, you should not worry about the fact that you will certainly have to go to the capital for the education of an editor.

What qualities should a good specialist have?

Alas, this job is not for everyone. The editor is a position that requires the presence of certain qualities, without which success cannot be achieved here. Let's look at them in more detail.

Responsibility comes first. Whether it's the editor-in-chief or an ordinary one, he must be able to "keep in check" both his charges and himself. After all, he is the person who is responsible for the quality of the material and the project as a whole.

Therefore, it is quite logical that the editor should have excellent organizational skills. Only in this way will he be able to create the atmosphere necessary for work and competently distribute responsibilities between his subordinates. In addition, he will have to constantly push his colleagues to improve themselves, otherwise they will not be able to grow professionally.

And, of course, endurance. Without it, the editor is nowhere, especially before the delivery of the project. At the same time, you need to be prepared for the fact that you will have to get tired both physically and psychologically. Mountains of untested material, lack of sleep, responsibility for the result of the work of the entire team... And that's not all.

Main responsibilities of an editor

Naturally, it is impossible to predict the whole range of responsibilities, since this is a very multifaceted profession. A magazine editor, for example, is busier than a specialist working for a small newspaper. Therefore, we will have to limit ourselves to only the main functions of the profession, without going deep.

So what does an editor do?

He creates the main one up to the titles of the articles, gives the task to the authors and indicates the deadlines, controls. Analyzes the material received from the writers and decides its future fate. If necessary, returns articles for revision, while pointing out errors or inaccuracies. Checks the quality of printed material and makes corrections.

In addition, the editor can participate in all stages of writing articles. He can also train authors, and, if necessary, sends them for advanced training. If we talk about the editor-in-chief, then his duties are even wider. Therefore, often in large publications there is a whole group of specialists who are distributed throughout the organization, and each is responsible for his own area of ​​\u200b\u200bwork.

The newspaper office is the perfect place to start any editor's career. Firstly, here you can get invaluable work experience, and secondly, it is much easier to get a job here than in a glossy magazine. Otherwise, when looking for a job, it is necessary to build on the available vacancies and the requirements for them.

You should also remember that the first time you can work as a freelancer. So, many electronic publications are recruiting editors who are ready to perform their duties remotely. In general, this is a good chance for those who live in a small town with limited opportunities.

Pay and competition

The editor is a profession in which the salary largely depends on the place of work. So, in small newspapers, these specialists receive no more than 20-25 thousand rubles. But popular publications offer amounts much higher. For example, the average salary in Moscow fluctuates between 40-50 thousand rubles.

Now about the competition. If it is quite easy to get a job in small newspapers and electronic publications, then it is much more difficult to get into more prestigious places. Firstly, all ambitious specialists strive to settle down there, and secondly, often the companies themselves toughen the fight for vacancies. And yet, having a good store of knowledge and self-confidence, the editor will never be left without a piece of bread.

After the article about the editor in the daily newspaper, many questions came to our editorial office. Most readers were interested in what the editor of a glossy magazine does and how his work differs from the editor of a department in a newspaper. You will find answers to all questions in this article.

Brilliant deity

If the newspaper has a rigid hierarchical structure, where department editors report to the chief editor, there is an editorial board and policy, then in a glossy magazine the chief editor reigns supreme. If the journal is published under a license, then its content is also determined by the licensor, but, as a rule, he rarely interferes in the daily work of the editorial office.

If you recall, the change of the editor-in-chief of a glossy publication has always caused, with rare exceptions, dissatisfaction among the magazine's readers. This happened with Playboy, Men's Health, Popular Mechanics and other magazines. Readers got used to the style of presenting information on the main topics, to the point of view of editors and authors, and opposed the change of editor-in-chief, as they intuitively understood that this would entail a change in the topics of articles and the style of presenting information.

Editorial structure of a glossy magazine

The editorial board is headed by the editor-in-chief, who is simultaneously responsible for the creative and organizational processes in the editorial office. As a rule, a publisher works hand in hand with him, who, in fact, is the CEO of a company that publishes a glossy magazine. The publisher also acts as a negotiator with the company that licensed the publication.

If the editor-in-chief is invited to a new project, then he hires two or three editors for himself. Thus, the main backbone of the editorial board is formed. Editors of a glossy magazine are required to write articles for the issue, look for freelance writers, suggest and discuss topics with them, edit articles and prepare them for publication.

Each staff editor "covers" one of the magazine's key topics. For example, for a men's magazine, there will be full-time editors who are responsible for nutrition, fitness and style. A motoring magazine will have one or two auto editors on staff.

When a journal opens a new column, the editor-in-chief may hire a freelance editor who is assigned responsibility for it. He also needs to write articles for the issue and work with freelance writers. The difference in the work of a freelance editor from a full-time one is that he is not required to regularly visit the editorial office. He does not receive a fixed salary for his work, his earnings are based on the amount of payment for his published articles and a certain percentage of the published articles of the authors with whom he works.

Maximum outsourcing

A glossy journal typically has a pool of subject matter experts that it regularly calls on for scientific commentary. This is critical for the publication, as most glossy magazines operate on a learning-by-entertainment model. Naturally, the list of experts is formed depending on the subject of the journal.

If no editor is fond of photography, then the images are selected and bought in the largest foreign photo banks. The cost of a photo can range from $500 to almost infinity if the magazine acquires the exclusive right to it. This happens if the photo is the main photo of the article, is placed on the page or spread. It is not recommended to use cheap photo stocks for the main articles of the issue, in order to avoid the situation when the selected photo appears somewhere else, which can undermine readers' confidence in the magazine.

The layout of a glossy magazine is done by a freelance layout designer, who is invited to the editorial office for five to seven days of work, when all the articles and images are up for publication. Proofreading and literary editing are performed either by freelancers or by companies that professionally provide proofreading services, for example, the Corrector company. The role of production editor is assumed by the editor-in-chief or one of the staff editors.

Editors are engaged in the release of printed publications (books, newspapers, magazines, etc.), that is, their publication. Publication as a whole consists of preparing the publication for release (compiling it, requesting and receiving texts from authors, etc.), editing texts, their layout, design; organization of printing, as well as distribution, or sale.

Editing- this is the preparation of a work for publication (correction and polishing of the content, language and style of the manuscript) and the organization of publication. Editing is divided into literary and technical. Literary editing is editing the composition, style and language of a work; technical editing is the technical design of the printing of a printed publication, i.e. choice of format and fonts, placement of text and illustrations, etc.

Editors are the pillar of the publishing business. Their work is the preparation of printed publications, the organization of their publication and publication. They review, rewrite and edit original and translated texts. From time to time, they also have to write original texts themselves, such as editorial columns, advertising texts and editorials for newspapers or magazines. The content of an editor's work and the scope of her responsibility are very different depending on the type of institution he works in and what his position (position) is in this institution. It may be the responsibility of editors to plan the content of books, magazines or newspapers. They decide what material readers might like, read and edit the manuscripts of books, articles, and translations, make suggestions for improving the work, and make suggestions for finding titles. Editors may also play the role of publishing overseer. When publishing books, the editor's first task is to review offers for publishing books and decide whether to buy the author's publishing rights to his work or not.

In the editorial offices of large newspapers and magazines, as well as in book publishing houses, there are usually several editors with different duties and responsibilities.

Chief Editor determines the face of the publication and its content and monitors them. The editor-in-chief is the general head of the publication, who determines the ideology and target group of the newspaper or magazine and is responsible for the content of the publication. His task is to coordinate and ensure the work of subordinate structural units so that the newspaper / magazine always reaches the reader. The editor-in-chief employs all editorial staff. The editor-in-chief is also the link between the editors and the owners of the publication.

The work of the editor-in-chief has both a creative and an administrative side. Together with the owners of the publishing house, he develops the general direction of the magazine or newspaper and puts this strategy into practice. The Editor-in-Chief regularly holds editorial meetings where the work plan is approved, who gets to write about what, and discusses what topics and areas of life could be covered now and in the future. At meetings, members of the editorial board try to find fresh ideas and new directions of activity in order to attract even more readers. The Editor-in-Chief is responsible for guiding the journal through its content. He reads all the articles that go to the publication, and gives instructions on how to make changes and corrections. He also reads the finished issue and evaluates it. In order to survive the competition, the editor must become familiar with the content of other publications of this kind and find opportunities to improve his publication. Along with this, the task of the editor-in-chief is to coordinate the work of journalists and editors. He makes sure that journalists have enough work to do and divides current tasks between them or shares information about events of interest. Part of the editor-in-chief's work also takes place outside the working premises of the editorial office. To make contacts and find interesting topics, he tries to take an active part in social and social life, meet other journalists and exchange information. This is also facilitated by the fact that the editorial office receives many invitations to presentations, banquets and receptions every week. If possible, the editor-in-chief takes part in these events himself or delegates another journalist to participate. The editor-in-chief has a rather difficult time, especially when the publication does not make a profit. Then the reductions begin, and this may end with the replacement of the editor-in-chief himself. The task of the editor-in-chief of a book publishing house is to look for what books to publish so that they are sold.

Executive Editor is the one who actually implements the general settings of the log and monitors this. He is responsible for the day-to-day activities of the editorial office and monitors the implementation of the publishing strategy and work plan, as well as meeting deadlines. It is his responsibility to ensure that the entire issue of the publication is ready in a timely manner and to ensure that it reaches the printer. The Executive Editor supervises the work of editors who are responsible for covering specific topics, such as local and international news, sports, and culture. In most cases, he writes headlines for finished articles or, if necessary, changes them. The executive editor ultimately has the final say on what materials will be published and how articles will cover different topics. The executive editor also deals with personnel-related issues (eg submits salary proposals to the editor-in-chief).

Duty of a newspaper/magazine editor (so-called page editor)- order materials and edit them. Sometimes the editor has to write the materials himself, but in most cases this is still not his task. His duty is to combine the material in content and form. Often the editor of the pages is the one who must make a selection from the accumulated additional material and evaluate its significance for the reader. If necessary, he should explain to the reporter what flaws there are in the material. When the material is collected, it is sent to the literary editor for review. Then all the material goes to the technical editor for layout. The drafted manuscript should be reviewed again by the editor.

Technical editor checks the layout of the pages and sees how the planned materials fit it. He also monitors the readiness of information graphics and helps to solve problems that arise during layout. Layout designers and computer graphics work under the editor of the strips.

Because good appearance periodicals are becoming more important, some newspapers have a position of photo editor who helps to find the required photos and is responsible for the quality of the photos going to the newspaper.

In a small editorial office of a daily newspaper or a weekly newspaper, one editor may have very different duties or share responsibility with only a few other employees. Managing editors typically employ contributing journalists, reporters, and other workers. They may also be involved in budget planning and negotiating and drafting contracts with freelance journalists.

Responsibilities of the editor of publications– to ensure the correctness of publications coming out of print in terms of language and form. The editor usually works in a publishing house or translation agency, where he receives from the authors and translators the text to be edited. The editor corrects the linguistic and stylistic errors encountered in the text and sends the work for proofreading. Later, he checks whether the comments and additions made are taken into account in the proof. If we are talking about the translated text, the editor checks its compliance with the original text. In the course of editing by content, the editor checks that the meaning of the source text is conveyed in the translated text correctly and nothing is missed, that the sentences are built logically, and the use of terms is uniform. In special editing, the correctness of the terms in the translated text and their appropriateness in terms of use are checked. Thus, the editor identifies discrepancies and errors found in the author's text or in the translation and draws the attention of the author or translator to errors in spelling, translation and formatting in order to correct them. If necessary, the editor checks the correct spelling of the names of the mentioned persons, factual data and historical events in reference books.

Editor also coordinates the work of the author and designer. He meets the author with the designer, discusses with them the financial and technical possibilities of printing and ensures that the technical, design and editorial work proceeds according to the planned time schedule. The editor has done a good job if readers and critics appreciate the language level of the work and there are no factual errors in the work. The work of the editor is inconspicuous and selfless; the editor combines a stylist, a person who creates the reputation of the publication, and a manager in a single person.

The editor of a print publication has the content of what he edits in front of his eyes - the editor of a newspaper has to deal more with the creation of the content of the publication. Editing books allows you to sit and work in solitude more - work in a newspaper or magazine does not give such an opportunity.

Literary editor edits the language of books, articles and other texts. Its task is to correct errors in language and expressions, bearing in mind the correctness of the text and the unified use of linguistic means and terms. In addition to "smoothing" the language roughness, the duty of the literary editor is to check the facts, if necessary, he must shorten the text or add explanations in footnotes. A literary editor is something like a teacher who enlightens his colleagues in the editorial office and, through the pure use of language, also the reader.

Corrector- this is an employee in a publishing house or printing house who makes proofreading - that is, checks the language correctness and understandability of the text and corrects spelling errors and typos that occur in the text.

It is impossible to draw a very clear boundary between the work of a proofreader and a literary editor; they are distinguished from each other primarily by the degree of thoroughness and depth of work on the text. The literary editor works more deeply on the text: he unifies the use of language in the text, makes corrections at the level of sentence and style, corrects word order, word choice and logical errors. The proofreader also often makes some word substitutions and stylistic corrections that actually belong to the editing. In most cases, a literary worker (whether he is a proofreader or a literary editor) working in a publishing house is expected to be literary editing, not proofreading.

In a publishing house, work proceeds in most cases in such a way that first the manuscript is given to the literary editor, who deals with it, starting from a draft manuscript to proofreading. He reviews the compliance of the manuscript with the system of footnotes adopted by the publisher, notes contradictions and errors that the author will need to clarify and correct. Then the manuscript, put in order in terms of literature, together with the prepared and signed illustrations, is sent for typesetting. The drafted manuscript is read by the author and then by the editor and literary editor.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Working environment - tools/materials - working hours
Although editors' working hours are officially set, the nature of the work often requires them to work overtime and dedicate themselves to off-duty duties. The work is quite mentally intense, as there is always not enough time when editing periodicals. The constant fluctuation of the scales: we will be in time - we will not be in time - sometimes causes stress and a tense working environment. What makes the job attractive is the opportunity to introduce new ideas and find many letters from grateful readers on the table.

In the editorial office of a daily newspaper, two meetings are usually held a day - summer meetings - in the morning and in the evening, in which the heads of all editorial offices participate. In the newsroom and in the sports editorial office, you often have to be on site until the last minute (until 11 o'clock), when the newspaper goes to the printing house - suddenly there will be some kind of sensation or some game has just ended, which needs to be reflected in the outgoing newspaper. The deadline for submitting the finished material in, so to speak, "softer" editions (economics, culture, entertainment) is between 7-8 hours. The work of the most mobile nature is with the employees of the sports editorial office.

The working time of the editor of the printed publication is set by him, it is only important to observe the contractual deadlines. The editor can do his work at home, but still need to be available from time to time for publishers and authors of works, so that you can mutually exchange information and confer. The editor should often study dictionaries and reference books, as well as literature related to the field under work. To do this, he must visit libraries and use databases.

The working day of the literary editor and proofreader is less regular (primarily in the editorial office of the journal). It can often be too long, and one must be prepared to work at night as well.

Much of the editor's and proofreader's work time is spent sitting, which can exacerbate varicose veins and knee pain. The constant load on the eyes can worsen already problematic vision and cause burning and stinging sensations in the eyes and dry eye syndrome.

PROFESSIONAL CONDITIONS AND PREREQUISITES

A prerequisite for working in the publishing industry is an interest in literature and a great deal of reading.

It is desirable that the editor-in-chief has a higher education (eg, in the media, economics), a deep knowledge of journalism is required (primarily for the editor-in-chief of a magazine and a newspaper) and, of course, a broad outlook. Contacts with different people and a wide circle of acquaintances are very important for the editor-in-chief. In the editor-in-chief, creativity and economic thinking should be combined. He cannot afford to have his head in the clouds, but must be firmly on the ground with both feet. The ability to lead goes hand in hand with the ability to communicate and the ability to persuade people to act in the desired direction. The editor-in-chief must be demanding both to himself and to his subordinates. The editor-in-chief of a magazine and a newspaper must also have a good command of the pen, which implies the ability to express one's thoughts well and the ability to analyze. He must be able to extract information and be resourceful in considering topics from a new angle.

The editor must be able to analyze both the text in terms of literature and information in general. He must be aware of changes in the rules of language use and spelling rules and have an extensive knowledge of history and literature. Interest and love of reading also bring a lot of benefits, since being well read helps to develop a sense of language and style, which is a quality of paramount importance in the work of an editor. Thanks to reading, the horizons of the editor also grow. When editing translated works, he must know the target language at a good level – both oral and written. The editor will also need the ability to communicate - it allows him to better explain all sorts of points to the authors of the works, translators and other involved persons. Extensive contacts also give him the opportunity to “keep his finger on the pulse” and keep abreast of current events.

Important qualities are a sense of tact, the ability to lead and encourage. A book, a magazine, a newspaper and other printed publications are born in cooperation with many people, and the editor has a coordinating role in this process. Equally important for the editor is the ability to use reference publications and library collections, then he can easily and without spending much time find the required information.

Of the personal qualities, patience, a sense of duty, observation and attention to detail and flexibility, as well as openness and the ability to analyze are important. In the work of an editor of both a book and a newspaper or magazine at any level, initiative is required to suggest new topics and suitable literature for publication. The work of a literary editor and proofreader requires precision and the ability to notice typographical errors.

EDUCATION AND TRAINING

The publishing industry employs people with very different backgrounds and backgrounds. An editor of a journalistic publication will benefit from journalism training in his work, and a literary editor will benefit from a philological education (Estonian or foreign philology) in his work. The editors of special printed publications often work precisely with specialists in the relevant specialty (for example, in a medical publishing house - a person with a medical education, for example, a doctor, an editor of technical literature - a specialist with an engineer's training, etc.).

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Editors are a taciturn people. Trade secret, possible problems with management - it is not surprising that not all of them are ready to talk about their work.

The editor agreed to answer our questions, through whose hands a huge number of books have passed - from collections of criticism and memoirs to ladies' novels and action films - but on one condition: it will be an anonymous interview.

Elvira Baryakina: What do you think about the state of the book market in Russia?

Editor: The situation on the Russian book market sometimes changes faster than a book is published. I am glad that now a turn towards intellectual prose has finally begun, the release of low-quality crime literature has sharply decreased, detective stories have become more interesting (publishers and authors are haunted by the success of The Da Vinci Code), romance novels - with a claim to the mainstream, where they are already visible ability and wit of the author. Many memoirs, excellent books on art, history, many good workshops. A couple of years ago, it was already discussed that practical publications would soon come out on top in sales. It looks like we're moving towards that.

Elvira Baryakina: Could you describe the "average" contemporary author? What is he?

Editor: If we immediately cut off graphomaniacs, of which there are a huge number (although less than 2-3 years ago), then perhaps the portrait of the “average author” is as follows: this is a person who knows how to write smartly, easily inventing plots (more often everything is fine with plots , but with their implementation - not so much). Not always with a philological or journalistic education. Oddly enough, the most interesting authors I've worked with are "techies".

Elvira Baryakina: What topics are of interest to contemporary authors?

Editor: The authors are always selected according to the subject, the style of the publishing house, so each has its own topics. By chance, from unfamiliar authors, we mainly receive manuscripts about modern Russia or about its last decades. Women's novels - about friendship, love, motherhood; men's - also about friendship. Crime has become much less.

Elvira Baryakina: How do you explain the fact that in recent years a lot of frankly bad books have appeared on the shelves? Is it the fault of editors who do not need quality literature, writers who cannot write, or readers who are quite satisfied with the simple texts of graphomaniacs?

Editor: I think it's the fault of the publishers and readers. The latter were satisfied with what “flowed” onto the shelves, while the former did not consider it necessary to bother and worked under the slogan “people eat”. Two years ago, readers began to buy such books much less and they became unprofitable for large bookstores. Only after that did publishers begin to change their policies. If the publisher sets the bar, then the editor will not let a thing below it into work, and a bad author will not be published. So the quality of literature is exclusively a matter of relations between the producer and the consumer, as, indeed, in any other area of ​​trade.

Elvira Baryakina:. How widespread is “literary negroism” now? How does this scheme work?

Editor: It's hard to say how widespread it is, publishing houses do not advertise such things. Authors are suspected of it, under whose name many works are published. Still, the norm for an author who writes with the reader in mind is at least three months for a novel, and in general, no more than two novels a year. If new books come out every month - there is reason to think. Although, according to Dontsova, she writes a novel a month. But then - respect to the editors who bring these texts "to life".

The question of "literary Negroism", in my opinion, is always interpreted in the wrong direction. Like, it's not fair. In my opinion, this is naive. Firstly, if others write under the name of one author, and the reader buys it (however, there is no other situation, “blacks” are needed only to increase the “gross product”), it means that the reader arranges the quality of the book and he doesn’t care, Wrote this Vanya Pupkin or someone else. The main thing is to be interesting, and this is the direct task of the publisher. Secondly, why should this not be considered at all as the work of an author under a pseudonym - in our country more than half of the authors do not put their name on the cover and this does not bother anyone. Thirdly, “Negroes” get good money, becoming a “Negro” is not so easy, there must be the ability to write quickly, the ability to style text well, build a plot, fit into the format and volume specified by the publisher ... Not all writing people can do this , and this brings good earnings, unlike, by the way, from publishing works under your own name. So I wouldn't call it "Negro" - "Negroes" get more non-Negroes. And I don't see any cheating either. If you like a book - they read it, if you don't like it - the series is closed, it's business, nothing personal.

Elvira Baryakina: Many aspiring authors fear that publishers will steal their manuscripts. How real are these fears?

Editor: These fears are groundless today. We have a copyright and related rights law. If the author's work is published without a contract, then he can safely go to court, and the case will be won.

I would advise the authors to worry about something else: not to let everything take its course when the manuscript is accepted for work. Before signing the contract, read it carefully and ask all your questions; pay attention to the terms of publication of the book, the period for which rights are bought, the essence of the rights transferred under the contract (you can buy rights for the entire term of copyright, and they will include the right to use your work in any form - publish on the Internet , use as a script, radio play, publish on CD, and you can ask for a separate fee for all this). It is also important to agree with the editor to let them see the text after editing (Sometimes terrible mistakes are made in the text, for which everyone is ashamed later - from the author to the publisher). The fact is that no matter how much you trust the lead editor (whoever you work with in the publishing house), the text is often edited on the side, and the lead editor, with a large amount of work, cannot reread manuscripts for freelancers.

I've been told a few creepy stories about it. One of them, by the way, is quite common: the author brought the manuscript, it was returned to him for revision, he redid everything, and, through an oversight, the first, really bad version came out - the editor mixed up the files. There was also a case when a freelance editor (I don’t know what went into his head) transferred the famous St. Petersburg prison “Crosses” to Moscow - he made edits throughout the novel ... But such cases, of course, are rare.

It is important to understand one thing here: if factual errors were made in the text during editing, then it is your duty to ask them to correct them. But just saying: it was not so with me, I want not to be corrected - this is stupid, after all, professionals work in publishing houses and they should be trusted. Although editors are people too, they are not immune to mistakes. The whims of the author will only delay the work on the book, and they will not take the manuscript from him in the future if he interferes with the work of the editors.

It's also good to ask to see the cover of the book, to make sure it has the correct title and author's name. But do not jump in with advice: draw a butterfly here, and a gun there. A cover is a package, it is made for sale, those who sell it to accept it for printing, and far from always its artistic merits are in the first place.

Elvira Baryakina: How does modern literature combine the quality and commercial perspective of a book? Have you ever dealt with good books that "didn't work"? If yes, what was the reason?

Editor: In my opinion, quality is by no means a guarantee of success, and vice versa, good print runs are not evidence of quality. And there are many examples of this. Publishers often rely not on a talented work, but on a commercial one (theme, presentation, unusualness, the author is a star, something else). Money is invested in the book, and it is sold. An example is the translations of Harry Potter, for which the publisher received the Paragraph Award (for the worst translation). But it had no effect on circulation. Quality literature is rarely supported by advertising today, and most really worthy books remain unknown to the general reader. I have had to deal with similar books, in all cases the reason for the failure was that the implementation did not make the slightest effort to increase sales. To do this, you need to think, work with wholesalers and retailers, invest in promotion - it’s easiest for them to put the work in a serial cover and expect that the minimum circulation (3-5 thousand copies) will be beaten off anyway. But now the situation seems to be slowly changing.

Elvira Baryakina: Do you think literary talent is a gift from nature or a skill acquired through long training? Do you remember times when a weak newcomer came to you, who then developed into a serious author?

Editor: I think that here is both a gift and skills: the proportions depend on what kind of literature we are talking about. I remember one case when a girl with a great desire to write a novel, but with a complete lack of understanding of how this is done, took up "the pen." The first version of the manuscript (15 author's sheets!) was thrown into the wastebasket with a review of "a nightmare that cannot be cured." She did not calm down, she completely rewrote it once, the second ... The sixth version was accepted for work and came out, had reprints, good reviews from readers. But in this case, the author worked under the strict control of the editor: they built the plot together, did the proofreading and editing. And nothing would have happened if it were not for the monstrous, simply inhuman desire of the author to achieve the goal. But it was also her last work, after that she stopped writing.

Elvira Baryakina: Does a book by an unknown author have a chance to break into bestsellers without advertising support from the publisher?

Editor: I doubt it. True, this happens, but it takes time - for word of mouth to work. For example, the favorite of Russian women, Ekaterina Vilmont, has been writing her “adult” books, if I am not mistaken, since 1999. But the first success came to her in 2002. They say that Akunin's books lay in warehouses for a long time until the public "smelled". There are also accidents - when authors and publishers are just lucky. This happened to Dan Brown, who was first released, and then the film was released, and the advertising company of the film inflated circulation. The same is with Lukyanenko's "Patrols". But in general, in such a stream of books, the reader is simply unable to choose a worthwhile work, he buys what he is told about - friends, TV, advertising.

Elvira Baryakina: How do publishers learn about reader needs? Are there any statistical studies on this subject or is everything done by eye?

Editor: Everyone works differently. Many major publishers go to foreign book fairs, follow "that" market, believing that we are lagging behind. They say that what is going on “there” now will soon go with us. As far as I know, today the only strictly market-oriented publishing house that regularly conducts market research is Eksmo. They even welcome financial education from leading editors and require experience in conducting market analysis.

Elvira Baryakina: What "instances" go through the manuscripts that got to the publishing house by gravity?

Editor: Manuscripts come to the secretary, he sends all letters without exception to the editorial office - to the responsible secretary. Sorting is already underway there: something is sent to the editors by subject, the executive secretary answers something himself. Further, the editor reads the manuscript, although more often he skims: sometimes two paragraphs are enough to understand the essence. If he approves of the style and plot, he recommends the book for publication. The final decision is made by the management - either the editors or the publishers (depending on the size of the company).

Elvira Baryakina: How many manuscripts per day do you receive?

Editor: Our publishing house receives an average of 3-5 manuscripts a day. Approximately 1 out of 10 is suitable for printing. But here we are talking not only about the quality of the text: a manuscript can be good, but not suitable for the format of the publisher.

Today there are almost no manuscripts that do not need to be corrected; they all necessarily go through editing, often serious. For all the time I had a chance to work with 3 authors, for whom not a word could be changed.

Elvira Baryakina: How do publishers select books worth spending advertising budgets on?

Editor: Read collectively, see what's on the market, what readers love today. Or they come up with an idea that they think is successful, and then they find authors for it.

Elvira Baryakina: Describe your work day.

Editor: Morning: checking mail, reading new applications from authors, answering their questions, feedback on what they read, returns for revision (review). Informing new potential authors about the interests of the publisher; reminding authors of deadlines, adjusting the work plan, tracking the preparation of contracts; preparation of materials for coordination with management. Mid-afternoon until evening: either reading new texts or editing. Writing annotations, advertising texts for the cover. Search for authors - on the Internet on special sites, etc.

Elvira Baryakina: How well do editors get paid? Do editors receive awards for successful projects? If yes, in what size? Do they have the motivation to search for potential bestsellers?

Editor: An editor in a book publishing house is not the most well-paid position, and a freelance book editor generally receives ridiculous money - about 200-300 rubles for an author's sheet (although there are exceptions). In my memory, editors were sometimes rewarded for novels that were sold for a script to a good studio. They say that the bonus system is practiced in Eksmo - editors almost receive a percentage of sales (I don’t know how true this is).

Search good books, which can become bestsellers, in my opinion, is a manifestation of the professionalism of each editor. This should not depend on the salary, although I do not at all welcome disinterestedness. In addition, the books that bear my last name are my portfolio, I try not to be ashamed of them, so that I can be proud of them.

Elvira Baryakina: If you could change anything in today's book market, what would you like to change first?

Editor: Literature quality. But we are moving towards this. I would also like more specialization of publishing houses - so that not everyone does everything, but there are specialists who know the subject on which they publish books. It's funny when a publishing house that has been dealing with action films for many years takes on books on art; when those who earn "extras" take on expensive gift books, scientific publications, dictionaries and encyclopedias. It is terrible to imagine what quality (not printing, but in terms of the level of preparation of the material) they produce a product. Of course, these books are cheaper, but they are unlikely to meet the needs of readers. I also want specialization of retail outlets, but I don’t know if this is even possible.

Elvira Baryakina: There is an opinion among writers that publishers often make reprints without notifying the authors about this and without paying them for circulation. Is it so?

Editor: Among publishers, too, there is a similar opinion. But only they are afraid of deceit from printing houses. It seems like they print books on their own and sell them in their regions. Maybe the publishers themselves have a hand in this - I don't know. In any case, only large firms that own printing plants and a wide retail network, in which a whole circulation can dissolve, can do this. Tracking this is very, very difficult.