Thinking about that new ranking system for editors and honestly my heart goes out to editors at the moment - they're under so much pressure, without enough support (in terms of numbers of editors, in terms of staffing in other teams) and adding a system of direct comparisons into that feels HARSH. - ThreadSky

louiestowell.bsky.social • 181 days ago

Thinking about that new ranking system for editors and honestly my heart goes out to editors at the moment - they're under so much pressure, without enough support (in terms of numbers of editors, in terms of staffing in other teams) and adding a system of direct comparisons into that feels HARSH.

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melindasalisbury.com•181 days ago

I was fucken fuming about this yesterday. What a shitty, underbaked and fundamentally pointless way to make a bunch of already overlooked professionals feel bad. Hideous idea, hideously executed

matthewpb.bsky.social•181 days ago

And in the process overlook another bunch of professions – the marketing, sales and publicity people who are at least as much responsible for a book’s success as its editors

melindasalisbury.com•181 days ago

AT LEAST! What editor can get a book press, or table placement, or events, or promotion?! What editor is out meeting booksellers?! What editor is designing marketing campaigns or allocating budgets?!

matthewpb.bsky.social•181 days ago

Well, small press editors do do all those things… But yes it’s such a fundamentally collaborative industry and that’s one of the great things about it, this isolating of certain elements within the system is contrary to everything that makes it work.

melindasalisbury.com•181 days ago

I didn't know this, so thank you for educating me (again; seriously I should start paying you a retainer)! And I agree completely!

matthewpb.bsky.social•181 days ago

😄

louiestowell.bsky.social•181 days ago

of course, the small press editors who ARE solely respponsible for a lot of this stuff are much less likely to get a lookin on this list...

louiestowell.bsky.social•181 days ago

I am cross. When I first saw I didn't think much about it then I kept thinking about it and getting crosser.

melindasalisbury.com•181 days ago

I think it immediately chimed with me because it feels similar to how authors are 'ranked', but I'd never seen it laid out so brazenly, with the "data" showing its knickers. The admission that it is actually all about sales and accolades and the work, despite the assurances, isn't the thing

louiestowell.bsky.social•181 days ago

Yes, I don't want editors to have the worst of being an author as well as the worst of being an editor!!

melindasalisbury.com•181 days ago

RIGHT!!!!

oisinmcgann.bsky.social•181 days ago

My view is that if a ranking system cannot assess something fairly it serves no useful purpose.

sarahtoddtaylor.bsky.social•181 days ago

I hate it, but then I'm pre-programmed to be suspicious of the apparent easy judgement of league tables, that ignore and ultimately erase the value of things that can't be reduced to simple countable metrics.

louiestowell.bsky.social•181 days ago

Reminds me of the old phrase, "Never mind the quality, feel the width"

sarahtoddtaylor.bsky.social•181 days ago

YES!

elizabethlovatt.bsky.social•181 days ago

it just felt so unhelpful! For authors and editor friends, not to mention everyone else that works in Publishing.... it really takes a village and I don't think their metric revealed much of anything (aside from excluding people!)

mimithebo.bsky.social•181 days ago

We need more Branford Boas type awards, that acknowledge the value added (and value≠monetary gain) by editorial staff; both commissioning editors that find/nurture talent and editing prowess that co-creates extraordinary books.

Could do categories that follow Waterstones/Costa.

Hmmmm.

mimithebo.bsky.social•181 days ago

I don't think we'd need tons of money to set this up. It's not the monetary prize that we need but the recognition and press that make these contributions visible.

We could host (she says blithely) at Bristol, so clarsy venue sorted. Just need admin, bit of catering for the do and awards. PA??

matthewpb.bsky.social•181 days ago

While I like this idea in principle I don’t understand how editing quality can be judged without actually looking at various drafts to compare a first manuscript to the published book? Otherwise how can an outsider know what the editor did?

mimithebo.bsky.social•181 days ago

How does Branford Boas do it? I think they nominate each other!!

matthewpb.bsky.social•181 days ago

We had a book on the shortlist last year and honestly I couldn’t really understand the process. We just got contacted to say a book (The Eternal Return of Clara Hart by Louise Finch) was on the list, nobody involved with the book had put it forward to my knowledge.

mimithebo.bsky.social•181 days ago

Investigations needed! But not impossible... and perhaps talking to authors might be involved?

piudg.bsky.social•181 days ago

I just couldn’t believe this when I read it. It seems so utterly pointless & counter everything which is needed right now. I wonder who was behind the idea?

louiestowell.bsky.social•181 days ago

I honestly didn't see the problem when I first saw it...just felt unecessary...but the more i look the crueller it seems!

matthewpb.bsky.social•181 days ago

If I worked at BookBrunch I would be sharpening my knife right now

louiestowell.bsky.social•181 days ago

ha!

gitaralleigh.bsky.social•181 days ago

Totally agree! MAYBE they should ask the authors - without a doubt we’d choose editors who give time, care and attention to our work! Apart from the Branford Boase, I can’t think of another prize for this?

louiestowell.bsky.social•181 days ago

Now there's a ranking I could get behind!

swapnahaddow.bsky.social•181 days ago

Yes! This! I have brilliant editors I would absolutely nominate ❤️

wurdsmyth.bsky.social•181 days ago

It’s such a pointless, harmful system and I honestly can’t work out what purpose it’s meant to serve and who it’s supposed to benefit. Seems the publishing industry dunking on the people who do all the work (I know it’s already like this with authors and editors but it flippin’ well shouldn’t be…)

danwhitehead.net•181 days ago

Feels like a knock-on effect from a managerial/executive class that no longer works up through the ranks, but just parachutes in from finance or tech. They have no creative gut instinct, so need everything boiled down to numbers to tell them what's "good", ie profitable and cost-effective.

danwhitehead.net•181 days ago

Not just in publishing either. I've seen it happen in games and TV too. The people making the big top level decisions have no barometer for the art or the craft. Very few at that level capable of saying "no, this is good, take a risk on it", let alone willing to make that call. Grim all round.

louiestowell.bsky.social•181 days ago

The lack of risk taking at a lot of publishers makes me very sad

danwhitehead.net•181 days ago

"Find us the next big thing, but only by copying what's already successful!"

londonbessie.bsky.social•181 days ago

Yup. It’s bollocks and harmful and no-one needs it. x

louiestowell.bsky.social•181 days ago

BOOOOO

naomijones1.bsky.social•181 days ago

It feels really harsh. Especially as the main value of importance in this ranking system is books sold and profit. Whereas actually a great editor does so much more than that - they help you with your craft and to tell the best story you can.

louiestowell.bsky.social•181 days ago

Editors already have stressful, under-thanked jobs! This feels like a kicking when you're down you know?

oisinmcgann.bsky.social•181 days ago

Oh great, just what publishing needed; another metric that favours big publishers and celebrity authors.

louiestowell.bsky.social•181 days ago

Exactly, I was just thinking, this is what we're lacking, this is what we need more of....

heinerdewendt.bsky.social•181 days ago

Yikes. I just skimmed over the linked article. As someone with lots of experience in data analysis, this is absolute horseshit. Even for sales purposes, they have overlooked so many things AND admit it right in the article, that the whole ranking really makes no sense at all.

philippaeast.bsky.social•181 days ago

What the heck? What ranking system?

louiestowell.bsky.social•181 days ago

https://www.thebookseller.com/features/wonder-wall-leads-the-booksellers-inaugural-ranking-of-acquiring-editors

philippaeast.bsky.social•180 days ago

Interesting…
I mean, at least it’s just The Bookseller crunching some data for itself, rather than publishing houses actually ranking their employees 😅

louiestowell.bsky.social•180 days ago

Small mercies!

andyruffell.bsky.social•181 days ago

At first glance this just feels like something else which will probably end up narrowing readers’ choices…

andyruffell.bsky.social•181 days ago

I haven’t seen this article but if editors are being ranked on data like sales figures, I feel for them. My editor Jenna Mackintosh made my manuscript infinitely better and I’d hate to think she was judged on my mediocre sales. Not fair at all. Neither she nor I are responsible for sales after all

ambercaraveo.bsky.social•180 days ago

I KNOW, right? 😱

jocotterillbook.bsky.social•180 days ago

What fresh hell is this?! 😮

daveruddenwrites.bsky.social•181 days ago

Every time I log into social media, it's like I'm poking my head into a writers' room of 'worst ideas possible' and just unleashing them on the world.

louiestowell.bsky.social•181 days ago

Facts

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