Writer/Editor: Working with Crazies

Introduction
Wow, I just read a review on this site by a fiction writer...I think I worked with that guy before. He was an asshole, always lamenting his sorry plight until his search for pity made you sick, deep in your guts. He’s not without a point, writing is, in fact hard, but for Christ’s sake, it isn’t that bad. Well, I’m an editor, which is not so laborious, not so difficult. It takes patience, sure, but overall it’s a really fun job.

Job Function
The most difficult part (and the main part, unfortunately) of the job is sitting down with a writer and discussing their manuscript and how it needs to be improved. Most writers are not willing to take such criticisms. It is understandable really, their unwillingness to have some publishing house employee come and tell them what needs changing in a project that they have worked very hard on, but it is a pain in my neck, none-the-less. You must set up a good report with them first, maybe discuss other writers for a while, maybe just chit-chat about banalities, but you cannot expect them to be receptive to your criticisms when they don’t know you. After having been an editor for a while, though, you will become acquainted with more than a few writers, and eventually they will begin seeking out your help. Lifestyle
I guess it all depends on the publisher you work under and who they publish. The company I work for, who should maybe remain nameless for the time, I’ll call the legal department later, has a host of writers who I work closely with, and it couldn’t be more fun. The thing is, when you’re working with a writer on his work, you do whatever s/he wants to do. Well, a lot of writers are very interesting, and a lot of them are totally bonkers. The other day I got all liquored up and went to a dog fight (my dog won), and that was a day of work. This is a rare example, usually work is just that: work, but when you have to associate closely with writers, you do end up participating in a whole bunch of activities you never thought you would be involved in before.

Additional Information
This is a great job, and you can get it if you were an English major in college (the most fun major of them all). Of course, it is pretty competitive, and you will probably need to get a master’s or doctorate if you want a job at a major publishing house, but if you intern somewhere during your stay at school, you should be able to start with a smaller publisher right out of school. Once you get experience you can get a job anywhere.