The Editors Behind Your Favourite Books (or, Who Makes A Classic?)

An author’s “genius” has oft been a hotly debated idea in the history of literature. It’s fair to merit a book’s ingenuity to its writer, but let’s not forget that writing is not a solitary act. Genius does not emerge out of a vacuum.

When a text is passed on from a writer’s hand, it has its inevitable variations. Throughout history, across circumstances, there have been many people in the role of a “critic”: scribe, printer, editor, eventually a reader.

Who makes a classic? Author, or book editor?

But perhaps the most important player (other than the writer) in the process of a book becoming a beloved classic is the editor. To truly understand the discourse and reception of a book, it’s important to recognize all the people who have worked on it.

Since the publishing industry is a fairly modern phenomenon, the first question is to examine the very idea of who an editor is. Who is a book editor? Is it the person who simply removes all the embarrassing typos from your manuscripts (a seemingly menial task, in the larger scheme of things, yet an underrated one)? Is an editor your foremost ally and confidante as you create a work of art? Is an editor the puppeteer who propels your literary career? One could make numerous analogies, but just one would never fit the bill.