Latinx in Publishing (LxP): Claudia, can you speak to what surprised you most as you went deeper and deeper into your own specific relationships with Ali and Caroline?
Claudia Cardona (CC): As I grew to know Caroline Bleeke, I was pleased to discover how much we had in common as editors and shocked at little I knew about the publishing industry. Caroline graciously shared her experiences and knowledge from her editorial experiences. In every conversation we had, I grew a new branch of editorial knowledge.
I figured the editorial grind was tough, but I didn’t realize how much work editors put into their manuscripts, during and after working hours. It gave me a new perspective on how much energy and care editors put into their clients’ work. It also showed me how much unpaid labor is expected in the literary world.
Additionally, our conversations gave me more insight into the structural issues of the publishing world. Caroline and I had incredible conversations about these problems and our perspectives on these issues. Our conversations helped me imagine the type of editorial work I would like to do in Texas.
LxP: In my experience, there's some key element to the relationship between the editor and the writer that needs to be there in order for the process to really function or function as well as it can -- in your own mind, how would you describe that key element and how did you see it play out over the course of the fellowship, regarding your own work with each other one-on-one, or even what you observed about each other and then your own approach to the work having participated these past ten months in the fellowship?
CC: Through my experiences in and out of the fellowship, I feel like the key element of an editor-writer relationship is understanding and communication. Above all, editors should bring out the best version of a writer’s work. When Caroline spoke to me about working with past authors, she shared a similar sentiment. In her editorial process, Caroline notes questions about their writing choices and asks her authors these questions so that they can articulate what they are trying to accomplish. During my fellowship, I worked on my father’s poetry manuscript I plan to publish this summer. I got to try out this technique of asking questions so that he could articulate his poems, which led to great revisions.
LxP: As writers, I feel like we all have a kind of preconceived notion about what the work of an editor is or might be before we actually work with an editor -- or maybe it's just this kind of mysterious cipher of a job and we don't have any ideas what an editor does outside of editing, and then, no idea what editing itself might actually mean. Ali and Caroline, can you talk a little about the kind of misconceptions people might have about the work you do as editors?
Caroline Bleeke (CB): From the outside, the job of an editor can seem very solitary – all reading and editing alone at a desk. And of course there is plenty of that. But my job is much more about building relationships and community. As an editor, I’m the conduit between my authors and all of the other people who will help bring their book into the world: publicity, marketing, art, design, sales, booksellers and librarians, etc. I’m trying to spread excitement and love for the books on my list, to matchmake between authors and readers. I was certainly surprised by how social my job turned out to be, and it’s one of my favorite parts of my work.
LxP: Claudia, how did participating in the fellowship with your mentors maybe change the way you looked at and approached your own work, whether as writers or readers or editors? Do you find yourself thinking about the work differently than before?
CC: In my editorial career, I always had the feeling that my editorial experiences were a neat side note in my resume but not anything comparable to the experiences of editors at “Big Five.” Although Caroline’s editorial journey is very different from mine, she always made me feel like an equal. She validated and encouraged me by reminding me that I have had abundant editorial experience.
Now that I have a better idea of how the publishing world functions, I have a better idea of what I want to do with my own editorial career. Hearing Caroline articulate what she loves about being an editor helped me figure out why I want to do this work as well. Now I am constantly on the lookout for local poets who I would like to publish. Giving back to my community through publishing is the type of work I want to do.
LxP: Now that you've almost completed the ten month fellowship program (or now that you've been working in your industry as long as you have), what advice would you give other writers who hadn't experienced work with an editor yet? -- whether about their own writing process, about the editing process and what it entails, about anything, really.
CC: As an editor and writer, I know how difficult it can be on both ends. Sending out submissions can feel so vulnerable and raw, so it is important to do research beforehand. Writers need to make sure they are sending work to editors who publish writers who they feel like their work is in conversation with. Additionally, working with an editor should be a collaborative experience. As writers, we can feel so connected to our work and it may be hard to embrace changes, but it is necessary to keep an open mind and trust the editor.
CB: I think it’s crucial that editors and writers be on the same page from the very beginning about what their ultimate vision for the book is. An editor can have a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for a writer and still not be the right partner to help bring their work into the world. I always have preliminary phone calls with writers whose work I’m considering for acquisition to make sure our editorial ideas and goals align – and writers should be very candid in those conversations. Even when I work extensively with a writer on revisions, my notes are always to the end of helping an author realize their vision, rather than imposing my own, and that’s the most important aspect of an editor/writer relationship, for me.
