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La novela, el novelista y su editor
Este breve manual desmenuza la labor del editor literario bajo la premisa de que parte de ese oficio puede enseñarse, aunque nada sustituye el penoso aprendizaje en la práctica. Un lúcido y divertido alegato en pro de la eficacia y la diversidad narrativa que será de utilidad para escritores en ciernes, para quien asiste a un taller literario –y aun para quien lo imparte– y, desde luego, para quien en una empresa editorial busca dar forma a un catálogo.
149 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
September 4, 2020
Cualquier palabra que escriba sobre este libro y sobre McCormack me va a parecer insuficiente. Le tengo un cariño y un agradecimiento infinito.
En el universo editorial, la reputación se gana a pulso y nadie quiere ayudar a una pasante, menos si esta es preguntona, fastidiosa y una garrapata insufrible.
Léanlo si quieren diagnosticar sus escritos o si la curiosidad sobre los editores es gigantesca o si lloran por las noches por ese sueño editorial lejano.
La sensibilidad, que no se aprende, y el oficio, que espero estar aprendiendo, ahora me dan más acidez que antes.
En el universo editorial, la reputación se gana a pulso y nadie quiere ayudar a una pasante, menos si esta es preguntona, fastidiosa y una garrapata insufrible.
Léanlo si quieren diagnosticar sus escritos o si la curiosidad sobre los editores es gigantesca o si lloran por las noches por ese sueño editorial lejano.
La sensibilidad, que no se aprende, y el oficio, que espero estar aprendiendo, ahora me dan más acidez que antes.
Read
May 18, 2010As shocking as it may sound, many books on editing fail to give helpful, practical advice. This book succeeds where others have failed. McCormack's chapter on craft stands out like a shining beacon in the field of publishing books. Because of that chapter alone, I recommend this book to anyone who wants to write, edit, or teach fiction (or even non-fiction, which is actually what I want to edit).
McCormack's ideas on sensibility (you either have it or you don’t) are interesting and, in some places, very insightful. I agree with him that not every editor is ideally suited to edit every book and that his/her taste must be similar to the taste of the “ideal reader” of a particular book. But at the same time, I’m not so sure that there are a “gifted few” who are born with editorial genius and the rest of the world are just a bunch of Philistines. I think everyone has some artistic sensibility. Whether or not they have the ability or inclination to use and develop this sensibility might be a different story.
However, my opinion once again coincides with his when he points out the important relationship between craft and sensibility. Craft gives you a “bag of tricks” or a set of practical skills and strategies for making a book better. But only artistic sensibility can guide you in how (or if) to use particular elements of your craft. For example, craft would say to avoid using the same verb repeatedly in one paragraph. But one of my classmates brought in a poignant paragraph from Neil Gaiman’s American Gods that repeated the verb “believe” over and over to a marvelous effect. Clearly, the editor of American Gods needed to rely on sensibility to say, “Go ahead; break the ‘rules.’ It’s powerful, it’s beautiful, don’t ruin it because of your devotion to Strunk and White!”
McCormack's ideas on sensibility (you either have it or you don’t) are interesting and, in some places, very insightful. I agree with him that not every editor is ideally suited to edit every book and that his/her taste must be similar to the taste of the “ideal reader” of a particular book. But at the same time, I’m not so sure that there are a “gifted few” who are born with editorial genius and the rest of the world are just a bunch of Philistines. I think everyone has some artistic sensibility. Whether or not they have the ability or inclination to use and develop this sensibility might be a different story.
However, my opinion once again coincides with his when he points out the important relationship between craft and sensibility. Craft gives you a “bag of tricks” or a set of practical skills and strategies for making a book better. But only artistic sensibility can guide you in how (or if) to use particular elements of your craft. For example, craft would say to avoid using the same verb repeatedly in one paragraph. But one of my classmates brought in a poignant paragraph from Neil Gaiman’s American Gods that repeated the verb “believe” over and over to a marvelous effect. Clearly, the editor of American Gods needed to rely on sensibility to say, “Go ahead; break the ‘rules.’ It’s powerful, it’s beautiful, don’t ruin it because of your devotion to Strunk and White!”
July 18, 2009
A simple tag for this book might be "Erudite". Or perhaps "Repetitive".
I found it disappointing. The back cover says --
"McCormack gives practical guidance about how to plan, write, and revise a novel. ... He details how to structure the novel, choose the characters, drive the story, diagnose narrative ailments, and find and apply specific remedies."
Except -- he doesn't. What advice there is must be painstakingly picked out from McCormack's harping that 'editors need a textbook of craft'. After reading this, I've gained no real answers for my writing/editing but yet one more question: If McCormack has over "28 years of experience as the CEO and Editorial Director of St. Martin's Press", then why isn't this that textbook?
I found it disappointing. The back cover says --
"McCormack gives practical guidance about how to plan, write, and revise a novel. ... He details how to structure the novel, choose the characters, drive the story, diagnose narrative ailments, and find and apply specific remedies."
Except -- he doesn't. What advice there is must be painstakingly picked out from McCormack's harping that 'editors need a textbook of craft'. After reading this, I've gained no real answers for my writing/editing but yet one more question: If McCormack has over "28 years of experience as the CEO and Editorial Director of St. Martin's Press", then why isn't this that textbook?
June 3, 2021
McCormack da buenos consejos para abordar y diagnosticar una propuesta narrativa. La lectura de su texto y sus valiosos puntos de vista pueden perderse en momentos por la sobreexplicación de factores en las que suele caer como escritor.
December 24, 2018
Libro indispensable para quienes trabajen en la fragua editorial y también para quienes, como el que es escribe estas líneas, quiere abrirse paso en el espinoso mundo de las letras. Este libro no decepciona ni deja indiferente a quien lo lea, porque no le falta siquiera picante para decir las cosas de manera tal que algún purista o arañado empiece a sentir picazón en la piel.
Sin pretensiones, y desde el llano, Thomas McCormack nos comparte su experiencia como editor y escritor sintetizando en tres capítulos y unas cuantas notas de las que podemos adoptar, si se desea, sus neologismos y utilizarlos para la propia práctica editorial o narrativa.
Son varias las «lecciones» que este libro nos obsequia. Puede que suenen a lugares comunes, pero en verdad soy muy efectivas cuando ves el total de este breve texto. Para empezar, funciona muy bien la alegoría del editor con un médico y el manuscrito como un paciente: si este no tiene nada de malo, aquel no tiene por qué diagnosticarlo. Y si el instinto te dice que algo va mal con un texto, este instinto solo te dará la sensación o intuición que únicamente la técnica y el oficio te ayudarán a establecer de qué se trata y dónde hay que aplicar los correctivos.
El mundo editorial está lleno de gente que no tiene idea de lo que hacer, pero que a pesar de eso ocupan lugares especiales que debería ocupar gente con mayor talento y conocimiento de su oficio. Esto puede que sea algo polémico de decir, pero el libro de McCormack tiene serios argumentos en cada uno de sus capítulos.
Hay tres cosas indispensables que deben recordarse: la sensibilidad para leer un texto, el diagnóstico para saber qué es lo que puede no estar funcionando, de existir tales cosas, y las herramientas necesarias para hacer una buena evaluación, esto es herramientas que con la práctica te llevarán a dominar el arte de la edición.
Lectura realmente indispensable.
Sin pretensiones, y desde el llano, Thomas McCormack nos comparte su experiencia como editor y escritor sintetizando en tres capítulos y unas cuantas notas de las que podemos adoptar, si se desea, sus neologismos y utilizarlos para la propia práctica editorial o narrativa.
Son varias las «lecciones» que este libro nos obsequia. Puede que suenen a lugares comunes, pero en verdad soy muy efectivas cuando ves el total de este breve texto. Para empezar, funciona muy bien la alegoría del editor con un médico y el manuscrito como un paciente: si este no tiene nada de malo, aquel no tiene por qué diagnosticarlo. Y si el instinto te dice que algo va mal con un texto, este instinto solo te dará la sensación o intuición que únicamente la técnica y el oficio te ayudarán a establecer de qué se trata y dónde hay que aplicar los correctivos.
El mundo editorial está lleno de gente que no tiene idea de lo que hacer, pero que a pesar de eso ocupan lugares especiales que debería ocupar gente con mayor talento y conocimiento de su oficio. Esto puede que sea algo polémico de decir, pero el libro de McCormack tiene serios argumentos en cada uno de sus capítulos.
Hay tres cosas indispensables que deben recordarse: la sensibilidad para leer un texto, el diagnóstico para saber qué es lo que puede no estar funcionando, de existir tales cosas, y las herramientas necesarias para hacer una buena evaluación, esto es herramientas que con la práctica te llevarán a dominar el arte de la edición.
Lectura realmente indispensable.
March 23, 2008
This technical book, written for editors, tends to be repetitious but was worth my time. McCormack believes the craft of editing can be taught.
The book is divided into 4 parts.
The first section, “Reading requires Sensibility,” explains why an editor needs to be able to respond as “an appropriate reader would.”
The second section of the book is “Reading requires Sensibility and Craft.” Surface faults and internal failures, ways to diagnose problems, and possible solutions are mentioned. Some ways to detect problems and possible solutions are buried in the pages. He states that the fundamental narrative elements are characters, setting, and circuitry, which he defines as the “jolts he [a character] can send, and the ones he [a character] can receive…” McCormack believes everything else is a product of these elements or is a feeling in the reader.
The third section, “Reading requires Sensibility and Craft and Could Benefit from Art,” focuses on the concept that both the writer and reader will have cravings, which (for the writer) is the stimulus for imagining missing “material.”
The last section, Notes, contains almost half the pages in the book. These pages are where he explains in detail the concepts and theories that are discussed in the previous pages.
Thomas McCormack's book gives a writer a few more approaches to revising. I gained editing skills by studying this book.
This is not a simple book to read. An earlier edition will be more challenging to read because it uses so many neologisms, so if you decide to look at this book, get the 2006 edition, which is substantially revised.
The book is divided into 4 parts.
The first section, “Reading requires Sensibility,” explains why an editor needs to be able to respond as “an appropriate reader would.”
The second section of the book is “Reading requires Sensibility and Craft.” Surface faults and internal failures, ways to diagnose problems, and possible solutions are mentioned. Some ways to detect problems and possible solutions are buried in the pages. He states that the fundamental narrative elements are characters, setting, and circuitry, which he defines as the “jolts he [a character] can send, and the ones he [a character] can receive…” McCormack believes everything else is a product of these elements or is a feeling in the reader.
The third section, “Reading requires Sensibility and Craft and Could Benefit from Art,” focuses on the concept that both the writer and reader will have cravings, which (for the writer) is the stimulus for imagining missing “material.”
The last section, Notes, contains almost half the pages in the book. These pages are where he explains in detail the concepts and theories that are discussed in the previous pages.
Thomas McCormack's book gives a writer a few more approaches to revising. I gained editing skills by studying this book.
This is not a simple book to read. An earlier edition will be more challenging to read because it uses so many neologisms, so if you decide to look at this book, get the 2006 edition, which is substantially revised.
January 30, 2010
If you're an avid reader, this will change your perspective. If you're a writer, this will change your life.
Formal personal essay combined with a review pending...
Formal personal essay combined with a review pending...
August 16, 2022
Un muy buen insight para quienes queremos aprender del mundo editorial y aspiramos trabajar o desenvolvernos ahí algún día ❤️ Me encanta el material bibliográfico que me entrega la Universidad 💕
April 19, 2024
Con algunas obviedades, es un buen manual para primerizos, tanto escritores como editores; declaradamente no profundo (el autor siempre arguye que este libro es un elemental informe, que posteriormente alguien más debería hacer un manual en forma, aunque dicho material sería perenne e inconcluso, pues siempre habría cosas que agregar).
Lo mejor es que no es un discurso académico, y tiene algunas buenas anécdotas sobre autores y editores famosos. Ah, y que es breve.
Lo mejor es que no es un discurso académico, y tiene algunas buenas anécdotas sobre autores y editores famosos. Ah, y que es breve.
May 2, 2024
La mitad del libro son notas aclaratorias de lo que ya se dijo.
El autor no sabe concretar ideas y mucho menos darle seguimiento. Fácilmente le sobran la mitad de las páginas.
Comienza con una metáfora de sabores, se sigue con una de comida y así continúa sobre la misma idea sin avanzar, sin explicar realmente.
Si se tiene un mínimo de conocimiento de edición, sabes que esté libro es malo, no te aporta nada nuevo.
El autor no sabe concretar ideas y mucho menos darle seguimiento. Fácilmente le sobran la mitad de las páginas.
Comienza con una metáfora de sabores, se sigue con una de comida y así continúa sobre la misma idea sin avanzar, sin explicar realmente.
Si se tiene un mínimo de conocimiento de edición, sabes que esté libro es malo, no te aporta nada nuevo.
August 16, 2023
Es un poquito más poético que teórico, hay que buscarle la técnica porque a veces se pierde en analogías que confunden un poco más de lo que aclara. A pesar de eso me gustó y hay algunas cosas que se aprenden, aunque me dio la sensación de que el autor es medio pedante.
August 25, 2026
Es útil para aproximarse a la edición de la novela. Busca esbozar un manual para editar novelas, pero se queda bastante corto, principalmente por la extensión del texto y porque los temas tampoco dan para más. No es una parada obligada, pero aporta algo.
February 8, 2019
Aunque parece que el autor tiene toda la experiencia del mundo en la edición, pero no cuajan sus explicaciones (a mi parecer) en este libro
April 6, 2025
Great reference for anyone wanting insight on editing fiction. Smart, sarcastic, and timeless.
April 2, 2012
while this book is addressed to everyone interested in the publishing industry, it seems that the primary intended audience is editors. The author Thomas McCormack was an editor for over 30 years and at the time of publication served as Chairman and Editorial Director of St. Martin’s Press. Impressive credentials.
According to him, the two primary skills an editor needs are a highly developed sensibility and craft skills. Now, when he says “craft,” he means editing craft.
Sensibility is about how readers will feel about the story/writing. To a large degree, this is an instinct. No editor will have good instincts across the board. They may have the ideal sensibility for romance and be totally clueless about science fiction or literary stories. Sensibility will tell an editor that something is wrong with the story. It will even tell a good editor what is wrong.
The full review is at http://suziequint.blogspot.com/2012/0...
According to him, the two primary skills an editor needs are a highly developed sensibility and craft skills. Now, when he says “craft,” he means editing craft.
Sensibility is about how readers will feel about the story/writing. To a large degree, this is an instinct. No editor will have good instincts across the board. They may have the ideal sensibility for romance and be totally clueless about science fiction or literary stories. Sensibility will tell an editor that something is wrong with the story. It will even tell a good editor what is wrong.
The full review is at http://suziequint.blogspot.com/2012/0...
October 11, 2014
Yeah, not what i hoped it would be. Another short book, purportedly on the process of editing of novels once picked up by a publisher, but really, this felt like it was 203984 times longer. What a slog through a quagmire of pontificatory grousing and protracted, belabored metaphors. Sometimes it felt like a writing textbook, except it was so obfuscative, half the time i lost track of what he was bitching about as stylistic or structural problems before i got to the end of the paragraph. And it purports to be written FOR editors, about the editing process, but i didn't think it was that illuminative about the editing process or advice for editing either.
Save your time and money, and take a pass on this one. Glad i checked it out of the library.
Save your time and money, and take a pass on this one. Glad i checked it out of the library.
June 30, 2011
This trite piece of crap is something like a graduate student turned publisher/editor's blog, if blogs existed in the 80s. He's whiny, uppity, and really enjoys the view from his personal pedestal. He thinks he knows it all, and talks down toward you for the entire book.
I grant that I skimmed this; however, this is not the sort of book you want to spend time to read. It's cheap and wasteful, and really obnoxious. The few good points he makes are marred by his general incompetence. Read something else, for pity's sake.
I grant that I skimmed this; however, this is not the sort of book you want to spend time to read. It's cheap and wasteful, and really obnoxious. The few good points he makes are marred by his general incompetence. Read something else, for pity's sake.
May 24, 2011
Engaging and entertaining, but ultimately misguided, The Fiction Editor is a book that calls towards the making professional editors and yet it depends on flimsy prejudices and misapprehensions to makes it point. Good for thought, and good for its valor, but lacks real argumentation and a real knowledge of the novel.
January 29, 2016
Un libro que pretende dar un panorama del trabajo del editor, o eso te venden... Más bien está lleno de analogías sin sentido que de consejos o experiencias concretas. No sirve como manual, ni lo pretende, pero es muy superficial a mi punto de vista. El libro fácilmente podría resumirse en un consejo: sensibilidad y efecto principal. No lo recomiendo para los que buscan un conocimiento profundo.
July 31, 2007
Very interesting. Is meant as sort of a textbook for editors, but is also helpful for writers. He gets very technical, talks a lot about specific problems in novels and how to solve them as an editor.
April 21, 2009
I gave this book five stars because while it is not in my typical genre choice, I think that anyone writing a book, editing, or teaching, should read this book. It has a lot of valuable information that I will revisit time and time again.
May 31, 2009
This book gave me a different perspective on writing, and gave me a few new tools in my craft box that I hadn't previously owned. Perhaps I had, but they were presented in a way that resonated with me.
January 19, 2015
A great read for editors and writers. McCormack has some strong opinions, and you'll likely find a few things to disagree with, but that only means you've read something that makes you think.And who could fault a book for that?
February 11, 2016
I found his tips helpful when I was getting my first editing jobs. It's the author's book. The editor's job is to figure out what the author wants to do and help him do it more effectively. He rants a bit on editors not doing their job.
March 1, 2015
Gran libro. Lectura OBLIGATORIA, para todos y todas los que quieran dedicarse al arte de la edición.
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews