What is the reason why many experienced editors can get manuscripts that others cannot? I think a very important ability is to make others like you and trust you. We are doing things, but also being human beings.
The editor’s extraordinary ability in composing articles comes from his own affinity. A friend in Taiwan talked about the ten abilities of editors, and I was particularly touched by the affinity of editors. First of all, our young editors all come from prestigious schools and their ability to do things should be good. However, I would like to particularly advocate the ability to do things first. This is the affinity we particularly need for our cooperation. The second is the ability to communicate with the author externally. What is the reason why many very experienced editors can get manuscripts that others cannot? I think a very important ability is to make others like you and trust you. We are doing things, but also being human beings. Some editors may not get anything after going out for a run, but some editors can succeed immediately and come back with a full load. There once was a famous literary editor named Meadow, who was called "inescapable" in the writers' circle. His affinity was so strong that he would never run away from the author he liked. Some people are naturally friendly, handsome, upright, bright and honest. The author has no one who is unwilling to give in when they meet for the first time. With a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks, a small nose and small eyes, it may be difficult for others to give in to me at first sight. So I have to work hard on training.
How to cultivate affinity?
1. Learn to chat with the author when visiting strangers. Chatting does not mean getting into the topic right away. You must first create a relaxed and friendly conversation atmosphere, first "encircle the city from the countryside", and then "seize power with arms".
2. When discussing a manuscript, the "agree-and-advance method" should be adopted, that is, first affirm the other party and then put forward your own different opinions, so as to retreat in order to advance. Authors often think that they are more talented than others. If you, a little editor, get into a fight with your own ideas, the result will definitely be an unhappy ending.
3. Learn to praise. As the saying goes, "A kind word warms the winter." A famous saying in the field of success is "Praise makes people progress." No one refuses good words. When dealing with others, you should be good at discovering the advantages of others and not hesitate to praise them. In particular, the authors have been sharpening their swords for ten years and have worked so hard to write a manuscript. If you can praise them for their ideas, they will follow the same tone and appreciate your kindness in understanding the situation.
4. Learn to be humorous. Humor is a kind of grace and a kind of self-cultivation. In many social situations, humor can resolve embarrassment, break the deadlock, deepen impressions and win popularity.
5. Learn to smile.
Eye-sight
In addition to extensive reading, editors must also do intensive reading, and after reading, they must write down book reviews. Only by writing can other people’s things change. Make it your own thing. Otherwise, reading will become other people's thoughts racing in your own head, and it is better to have no books than to believe in books. Mr. Zhong Shuhe, the old publisher, once said, "A famous editor is both compiled and written." Therefore, in addition to a reading life, editors must also have a critical life of their own.
How to get the author to recognize you? It's not enough to just put down your airs and be shameless and talk bluntly. What's more important is your positioning of the author and your understanding of the work. This will test the editor's judgment, that is, his eyesight. Can you point out the good and bad aspects of the work? Can you create collisions and sparks in communication with the author? Do you dare to say "no" in front of those domineering celebrities? Your courage comes from your level. This has a lot to do with daily reading.
"After observing a thousand swords, you will know the weapon." How should editors read when reading? Mr. Shen Changwen said, "You have to have a brief taste to stop." I advocate that editors must do intensive reading while doing extensive reading, and after reading, they must also formulate Write a book review with pen and ink. Only when you write it will other people's things become your own. Otherwise, reading will become other people's thoughts racing in your own head, and it is better to have no books than to believe in books. Mr. Zhong Shuhe, an old publisher, once said, "A famous editor is both compiled and written." Look at the celebrities in the publishing industry in our industry, such as Li Qingxi, Wang Jianhui, Wang Yifang, Yu Xiaoqun, etc., who are not so outstanding in their writing skills. Therefore, in addition to a reading life, editors must also have a critical life of their own.
I often tell my colleagues an example in this regard: When I first became an editor, I went to Beijing to compile a manuscript, learned from the above, and boldly visited Mr. Long, the deputy editor-in-chief of the Writers Club. Who is this man? He is the editor in charge of "Linhaixueyuan" and "Song of Youth". As soon as I walked in, he told me that when a good editor reads a manuscript, he is like an old Chinese doctor who feels the pulse. He can feel the patient's pulse and know where the disease is. Similarly, when an editor reads a manuscript, he only needs to turn a few pages to know the author's level and where his strengths and weaknesses are. This kind of skill is desirable, but it requires long-term training to develop the intuitive ability of this profession.
Word perception
Shu Ting said, "The conquest of us by the Chinese language is sometimes a pain that burns all our internal organs, and sometimes a chill that penetrates the heart and bones." Chinese characters are simple, elegant and highly imaginative, unparalleled by any other writing in the world today; Chinese classical literature has a long history, is profound and profound enough to make today’s petty bourgeois sentiments of body writing seem incomparable. I think the ability to appreciate and play with Chinese characters is an entry-level criterion for being a good Chinese editor.
Editor-in-Chief Wang from Taiwan Woshi Publishing House told me that some editors can get the copy right in one draft, while some editors have done several drafts but still lack the skills. Why, I think it’s because our understanding of words is insufficient.
When I revise copy for our editors, I often make subtractions. The common problem is that the text is too wordy and does not convey the meaning. The reason is, I think it is the lack of classical cultivation.
Every editor in charge regards the copywriting of the book as a homework. I think it is necessary to memorize our Tang poetry, Song poetry and Yuan music again, and read "The Analects of Confucius", "Zhuangzi", "Historical Records" and "Dream of Red Mansions" again Again. Han Shaogong said that Chinese writers are losing two abilities: one is the ability to describe, and the other is the ability to analyze. In my opinion, compared with the older generation such as Dai Wenbao, Zhu Zheng, and Zhong Shuhe, our new generation of editors not only have a huge gap in academic training, but also have a huge gap in their ability to describe and analyze words.
The review comments of Mr. Li Qingxi, the famous editor of Zhejiang Literature and Art Publishing House, can be published directly without modification. This shows that he has good writing skills. I still remember the planning he gave me more than ten years ago. The last sentence of the preface written by "Academic Sketch Series" (because this series of books promoted the publishing craze of prose sketches at that time) is "A mere sketch is expected to become a grand sight." The whole article is only two to three hundred words, concise, elegant and free. I was so jealous that I was dizzy. Interested readers can also pay attention to the "Book City" magazine in Shanghai. The "Monthly Book Chapter" on the fourth cover of each issue is written by him. The impression that company books give to the industry is "clean", which is mainly due to the exquisiteness of our copywriting. In the future, I suggest that each of our editors’ copy should be brought to the editorial department for discussion, and a sense of writing should be cultivated during the discussion; editor recommendations should be strengthened on the company’s website. You cannot copy books and must write them in your own words; encourage editors to follow our After your own book review is published, the company will reward you with another royalties.
The ability to grasp core values
The first step to test the editor's grasp of the manuscript is to write the summary. Use your own words and do not copy the preface and postscript that are already in the book; secondly, On the basis of the summary, the advertising slogan on the waist of the book is refined; the third and most important step is to name the book. The core value of the book, the reader's appetite, and the market's selling point must all be considered together.
President Chiang of Taiwan said that the core of a book cannot exceed 20 words.
This is especially strict for the writing of slogans on the waist of the book: it must grasp the whole book but not be complicated, and it must be easy to understand but still lingering. The first is to thoroughly understand the manuscript, and the second is to express it appropriately. The first step to test the editor's grasp of the manuscript is to write a summary of the content. Use your own words and do not copy the preface and postscript that are already in the book. The second step is to refine the slogan in the waist of the book based on the summary. The third step is also the final step. The important thing is to name the book. The core value of the book, the appetite of readers, and the selling point of the market must all be considered together. ... A title like this makes people feel like they are in the soul and want to put it down after reading it. Let me summarize three points: 1. Be brief and concise; 2. Be ruthless and accurate; 3. Be factual rather than virtual. How to write, the path to gain and loss lies in one mind. Just try to figure it out for yourself.
The ability to do subtraction
Qian Zhongshu has a very witty saying about editors, "An editor is a person who cannot write things himself and does not let others easily write things." There is a less noticeable difference between the new and old editors in their treatment of manuscripts, and that is one word - delete. When faced with Huanghuang's hundreds of thousands of words of manuscripts, the new editor has a kind of awe-inspiring attitude. No matter what he says is right or wrong, he will accept it all as written. At most, he will correct a few typos and then rush to publish, and then fill out the release form. The "Summary of Contents" also contains a lot of clichés that make people feel dizzy. For example, when I first became an editor, in order to emphasize the publishing value of the manuscript and to show to the leaders of the society that I had compiled a good manuscript, I always solemnly wrote, "This book fills the gap between a major academic field in such and such a field in our country." Blank" or "This is my country's first academic monograph describing so-and-so". In fact, at that time, I didn’t know anything about this field, and I didn’t go to the library or search on the Internet. I just talked nonsense like this, which makes me blush. Blindly giving a high hat to an author confirms that a new editor cannot subtract from the ability to control a manuscript. An old editor will be different. He will read it quickly first to see what is said and how it is said. Is the structure of the chapter reasonable? Is the theme prominent? Where should be detailed and where should be omitted? Where should be small and where should be deleted? Where there are flaws, where there are too mediocre, etc., he will make a list of these issues with good evidence, and send them to the author for him to revise them honestly. A manuscript can be a masterpiece without several back-and-forth “fights” and polishing between editors and authors. There are countless good manuscripts in the history of publishing that have been soaked in the painstaking efforts of editors (you can take a look at "Yizhou Shuangji" edited by Mr. Chen Sihe). Mr. Long Shihui told me that "Song of Youth" was written by Yang Mo and deleted by him as an editor.
Planning ability
It is the ability to come up with ideas and plan topic selections. This is the core competitiveness of an editor. Understand publishing as the instigation of thought and culture, and this instigation comes from the planning power of our editors. There are several major plans in the history of publishing that have had a profound impact on the development of thought and culture, such as the "Wanyou Library" by businessman Wang Yunwu in the 1920s and 1930s, and the "Wanyou Library" by Sichuan People's Society in the 1980s. Toward the Future Series".
Therefore, we must first advocate a big plan and a plan without competition. Competition without competition is the best competition. This is the most creative planning, just like the first one to praise women as flowers. Those with this ability must have their own forward-looking judgment on the overall trend. Han Shaogong went to Hainan to run the magazine "Tianya". They originally planned on how "Tianya" could stand out among many literary magazines, and how to make "Tianya" blaze a trail when literary magazines were generally on the decline. These ideas and ideas were expressed by Han Shaogong in "I" The long article about "With the End of the World" is very exciting. Secondly, we must do market research.
Go to bookstores to see what's new on the market, what sells well, what are the selling points, think about other people's book titles, think about other people's covers, what others don't have, I have, what others have, I'm new, and what's new is weird to me; go to the library Search online to see what has been published in the past, firstly to avoid duplication, and secondly to see if there is any potential for reprinting or re-exploring. The more successful case in this regard was played by Mr. Hu Yanhua of Beibet Company in the early years. "Edition Upgrade" selected a large number of academic masterpieces that have been published many times for edition revision, and used coated paper to make colored illustrations and launched them at a high price. It was called "Illustrated Collection Edition", which was both well-received and well-received. Mr. Li Zehou and I have been friends for many years. None of them thought of remaking his "The Journey of Beauty" in a different way. It seems that opportunities may not be reserved for those who are prepared. The third is to cultivate a keen professional sense. I have a friend in Beijing who is a very powerful book planner named Tang Jianfu. Every time we meet and chat, I get excited and ashamed by him. What makes me excited is that his great ideas make me want to die. What makes me feel ashamed is these ideas. I didn't expect that. Chunjiang Plumbing Duck Prophet, his strength is that he can always catch and take action when things are still in their infancy and others are still confused. The fourth is to be diligent in thinking. We also do market research and go to the library to chat with people. Some editors can come up with topic choices, but some editors have no ideas at all. This is because they don’t think enough. Only by thinking deeply can you show your own ingenuity, otherwise you will just follow the trend.
Building a team of authors
This is an important extra-book effort for an editor. To consider an editor’s ability is to look at his team of authors. At present, our editors mainly need to practice desk skills, and there are not many requirements for editors to go out to compile manuscripts. But in the long run, editors need to cultivate both internal and external aspects.
How to build your own team of authors?
1. Visit from strangers. When you visit for the first time, you should pay attention to two points: first, you should have a comprehensive understanding of the person you are visiting and read his masterpieces carefully; second, you should follow Mr. Fu Peirong’s warning: your inner feelings should be sincere and the other party’s expectations should be communicated. Be careful not to make unnecessary boasts.
2. Correspondence. For the older generation of famous people, a sudden visit would be too abrupt. It is best to write a letter in advance and then come to ask for advice. Some of the academic celebrities I interacted with in Beijing and Shanghai in the early years were obtained through this stupid method, such as Mr. Ji Xianlin, Mr. Li Xueqin, Mr. Li Zehou, Mr. Wang Yuanhua, and Mr. Zhu Weizheng. In order to persuade Mr. Li Xueqin to take up the difficult topic of "Chinese Academic History", I once wrote him a long letter of ten pages. I still have many autographed letters from famous people in my collection. People nowadays don’t like to write letters very much, but you can send emails, make phone calls, and send text messages.
3. Follow up in time. For some editors, after several years, their author resources are still very scarce, and their relationship with authors is like a monkey picking buds, each one being picked up and then lost. The cultivation and follow-up of the author team are very important. Once a connection is established, how do you solidify it? During the Chinese New Year and holidays, you can send emails, you can send text messages and make phone calls if you have nothing to do, and you can visit us if you have nothing to do. Keep in touch with the author at all times. Don't make excuses at the last minute. Only go to him when you have something to do. Let him feel that you are a friendly person rather than a snobbish person.
4. I think that the icing on the cake is not necessarily good when communicating with the author. Giving help when the time is right may be the best strategy. Some time ago, a young and beautiful female editor happily ran to compose an article with the prosperous Mr. Yi Zhongtian who was doing a book signing. Yi didn't even raise his head, and dismissed her with just two words: haha. The old publishers Wang Yunwu and Zhang Yuanji paid the royalties when the author was in the most difficult time, before the manuscript was written. Mr. He Shengsui, the president of the Fudan University Publishing House, did this trick very well. Since he took charge of the Fudan Publishing House, you should basically stop thinking about good manuscripts from Fudan University, because the famous scholars at Fudan University have basically been "taken" by him and brought under his ownership. Clothes.
5. Learn to eat. Eating in China is not about eating, but about the relationship between eating and the process of eating. What you eat is not important, but who you are eating with is important. To eat is to eat "people". Therefore, I advocate that editors should learn to have a good meal with authors.
When hosting some important authors, we all consciously want to bring our editors with us. Some editors think it is a burden and are unwilling to go, which is a missed opportunity. In fact, people are more relaxed and open-minded at dinner parties. After drinking for three rounds, they talk heartily and heartily, and their true energy is revealed in a hearty and hearty manner. Now, I rarely go home for dinner at night. My colleagues call me "corrupt" and my wife doesn't look at me well. I feel like a human being inside and out. Why bother? Am I delicious? Am I short of food? Don’t I want to go home and have family fun with my little son? Don’t I want to study and improve myself? Comrades, I am actually "working the night shift"! In order to build a harmonious external environment, to strive for a broader united front, and to strive for more and better manuscripts, I will risk my life even if I am full of fat, even if I drink to death - Gou Li Company will live or die. Avoiding it due to misfortune or good fortune? !