Just picked this up from Myke Cole: Ginjer Buchanan, editor-in-chief of Ace and Roc Books, is set to retire in March 2014, exactly 30 years after she was hired by The Berkley Publishing Group, now a division of Penguin Random House.
For those unfamiliar with the role of an ‘editor-in-chief’, in Ginjer’s own words “there has to be somebody who’s going to make the final decisions … what’s going to go on what list, how things should be balanced [and] what should and shouldn’t be bought.”
Berkley’s president and publisher Leslie Gelbman said:
“During her thirty years with Ace and Roc, Ginjer was essential in growing our science fiction and fantasy list and launching the careers of several bestselling authors. Her love for the genre and books in general and dedication to her authors is unparalleled, and she’s a key reason Ace/Roc is one of the preeminent science fiction-fantasy publishers.”
In the following interview Ms Buchanan discusses the editorial structure of Ace/Roc Books, and the editorial process of creating a book – from calculating author advances to final proofing. She also talks about her own career in the publishing industry:
Additionally, for writers who have finished there work, I once read some fantastic advice from Ginjer that has always stayed with me and I’d like to share with you too:
“When I was starting out in this business, I needed to find new writers. I attended writer’s conferences regularly and was actively looking for new writers to add to my list. Back then I published many first novels. Now that I have a stable of established writers, it takes much more to get me to consider a brand new writer. So when you seek out an agent or an editor, consider where they are in their career, and how much they need your work.”
“For example, I don’t spend a lot of time evaluating the work of new writers, but my assistant Jessica Faust, who is fairly new to the business, spends a great deal of time with new writers. She attends conferences and is much more open to people who have not yet had books published. Just as you need to target your markets and know which publisher would be most interested in publishing the type of story you write, you need to consider which editors or agents are most likely to give you a chance. If they are trying to break into their careers themselves, it’s much more likely that they’ll consider your writing. If they already have a full load of established writers, they have far fewer reasons to take risks on you and your unproven work.”
Further along in the interview, she added: “Remember, you need to sell yourself to an agent or an editor, and you won’t have a lot of success if you are just stumbling around in a vacuum. Read Publisher’s Weekly. Read magazines on the genre you are interested in. Study the markets so you know what is happening. It’s basic, but you won’t get anywhere without paying attention to those types of details. Later, you can rely on your agent to keep track of markets and trends, but beginning writers really have to know what the business is doing. If you don’t work hard at the business end of your writing, you’re just dooming yourself to disappointment.”
Finally, Fantasy-Faction would like to wish Ginjer the very best in her retirement. That said, we are sure she will spend it doing what she did at work: reading great fantasy novels!
Jennie Ivins