RACHEL ASKS –

Q: Do you earn a good living?
A: What in the world can that be out my window? That really looks as though it needs investigating. *editor heads off in a distracted, question-avoidy kind of fashion*
(Ok really? The short answer is no, the pay is bad [industry wide]. The long answer is… longer, and has to do with job satisfaction and the genuine love of what we do.)

Q: Do you have to take work home with you or do you just work at your office?
A: There is so much reading that goes along with being an editor, including the reading of many many manuscripts that never go on to be published, that you basically have to take work home. But most of the work that editors at A&U do in their own time is just that – reading – not copy-editing, or proofreading, or, proof-checking. Somehow that makes a difference.

We also work at home (during business hours) when we need to get stuck into a copy-edit and need quiet uninterrupted time with a ms. Sometimes these business hours tend to start very early and finish rather late in the evenings.

And we also realise that working really long hours and taking a lot of work home is not a good habit to get into. It’s not sustainable in the long term. No matter what job you do, or how much you love it, working too much is a recipe for burning out, and we want to be doing this for a long time – so we try to keep in mind that a healthy work/life balance is important.

Do you get long holidays?
A: We get standard holidays. All Australians are entitled to four weeks leave every year. Plus public holidays such as Easter, Christmas and (get this USians) the Queen’s Birthday, that add up to 11 more days on top of the four weeks. (Teachers, of course, get longer. And so they should.)

Q: What’s your favourite thing about being an editor?
A: Oooooo. Ummmm… Reading terrific books (obvs), building relationships with authors and illustrators we admire, the wide and wonderful kid lit community, whispering quietly in awe of the genius of finished artwork, opening packages of advance copies of new books with hands atremble and breath aheld, working with clever, book-obsessed colleagues, seeing books we have worked on in the wild (in a stranger’s hands on the tram) – oh so many favourite things…

Q: What’s your favourite book that you ever edited?
A: No fair! That’s like asking a parent to choose between their children! (If they have one, they’ll never tell.)

Q: Did you always want to be an editor?
A: (Susannah) Nope. I didn’t really know it was something you COULD do. It was, for instance, never mentioned by my careers councillor at school. (‘Do maths and science, Susannah. It’ll really keep your options open.’ HA!) I did know I loved books, book people and writing. So when a friend told me about a job as a receptionist at a publishing house, I applied post-haste. And the rest, as they say, is history.
A: (Jodie) I wanted to be a farmer’s wife, then I wanted to be a witch, then I wanted to change the world, then I wanted to be an accountant (and began a commerce degree???), then I ran far, far away and remembered that what I loved most in the world was books. It took me a few more years (and an Arts degree) to find my way into publishing (via a Professional Writing and Editing practical placement).

RANDOM ASKS -

Q: What if you want to be an editor but you don’t like cake?
A: (Susannah) I’m sorry, that’s a deal-breaker. You won’t be admitted to the Editors Guild. There’s no future for you in editing if you don’t like cake.
A: (Jodie) Shh. Don’t tell anyone (especially not the Editor’s Guild), but I’m actually not very enamoured of cake. I would much prefer thinly sliced lightly salted plain potato chips. Or a good cheese. But I like participating in cake-gatherings – I like the vibe of the thing.

Q: Seriously, can you be an editor and a writer at the same time?!! I want to write but everyone says you can’t make money that way. Being an editor sounds like fun!!!
A: David Levithan and Penni Russon are two examples of terrific writers who are also great editors. It can be done! Having said that, some people find it impossible to find headspace for their own writing when their minds are full of other peoples words. I guess you have to try, and see which category you fall into. Freelance editing – where you can choose what type of jobs you do, and when you take them on can be a good income supplement. For instance, if you’re writing an epic fantasy trilogy for teens, you might find you don’t want to come within 10 feet of another fantasy novel, but are happy to work on realist junior fiction. Or whatever.
Also, cultivating good editing skills, even if you never actually work as an editor, will help you with your own writing.

Thanks, guys. That got us thinking!
– J & S

seriously, can you be an editor and a writer at the same tiem?!! I want to write but everyone says you can’t make money that way. being a n editor soudns like fun!!!

What’s your favourite thing about being an editor?

What’s your favourite book that you ever edited?

Did you alwayas want to be an editor?

As it happens, both of us completed Arts degrees before finding our way here. There are also some very good tertiary courses including Professional Writing & Editing TAFE courses and Creative Writing or Editing & Publishing university courses that have internship or practical placement elements to them which can be a good way of getting experience at a publishing house.

Many staff members in the House of Onion have completed one of those courses, but the main thing we all have in common is that we have always had a huge and enduring LOVE of books and writing, of reading books, discussing books, critiquing books, enthusing about books, losing ourselves in the wonderful world of books.

I actually haven’t heard much about editing/publishing as a career path. What are the job prospects like in Australia? And how does one generally enter the industry – are there any particular qualifications you need?