Common Traits of Rejected Manuscripts: Editors Discard 90% Before Reading (Addendum)

Regarding the article I published the other day, 'Common Traits of Rejected Manuscripts: Editors Discard 90% Before Reading,' I received a very insightful question that hit the nail on the head: 'If an experienced editor writes a work themselves, can they clear those same strict standards?' This is a perfect opportunity to provide a little clarification.

To put it briefly, if one cannot clear the standards mentioned in the previous article, they would not have become an editor in the first place. That is the nature of the publishing industry. I would like aspiring authors to understand this cold, hard structure in advance.

Real-life examples of editors who became authors

For instance, in Japan, the name Kuniko Mukoda is well known. After working as an editor for a film magazine at 'Ondori-sha,' she transitioned into a screenwriter, essayist, and novelist. She won the Galaxy Award as a screenwriter and the Naoki Prize as an author, and there is even a 'Kuniko Mukoda Award' today. Frankly speaking, her literary quality was not high. However, her storytelling ability in depicting human drama was overwhelming. She is a prime example of someone who moves readers through story rather than literary technique.

Seiko Ito is also a symbolic figure. He came from the editorial department of Kodansha's 'Hot-Dog PRESS.' While this magazine is often ridiculed as a frivolous men's fashion magazine, the period he was in charge was its peak. Since then, he has expanded into many fields, including novels, essays, and music. Incidentally, his fellow editor at the time was once my editor in charge at Kodansha. I myself have written general books for Kodansha, manga scripts for Shogakukan, and academic papers for international publishers like Elsevier and Springer. As for peer-reviewed papers, I still pass at least four or more every year.

Jiro Akagawa is also interesting. He has experience working in editing and proofreading for an academic journal of the Japan Society of Mechanical Engineers. From there, he turned into a mystery writer and has published hundreds of books. While he has no connection to literary quality, his editorial mindset of continuously mass-producing stories that sell to the masses remains consistent.

Takashi Yanase became the creator of 'Anpanman' after working as an editor at the Kochi Shimbun. Literary quality is not required for Anpanman. Artistic technique is not the essence either. His project design skills as an editor and his clear target setting of the toddler demographic support his success. Fixing the reader age and continuously supplying to the age group with the greatest demand is also an editorial judgment.

Makoto Shiina is similar. He transitioned from an editor of the distribution trade magazine 'Stores Report' to an author and film director. He has numerous works, mainly outdoor and travel essays. He does not prioritize literary quality, and his writing stance of writing one after another about themes he finds interesting has many overlaps with my own.

International examples include Nobel Prize winners

Internationally, there are even more striking examples.

Toni Morrison began writing while working as an editor at Random House, publishing works such as 'The Bluest Eye.' Eventually, she went on to win the Nobel Prize in Literature.

Mickey Rapkin wrote the non-fiction book 'Pitch Perfect' after working as an editor at GQ, which was adapted into a film and became a global hit.

Kate White made her debut as an author while serving as editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan magazine, and after stepping down, she became a world-renowned mystery writer.

Hanya Yanagihara also succeeded with 'A Little Life' after an editorial career, and she continues to write while currently serving as editor-in-chief of The New York Times Style Magazine.

Jennifer E. Smith began writing during her time as an editor at Random House, achieved commercial success with 'The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight,' and has published over 11 works since.

Common factors for success

The conditions common to these authors who started as editors are very clear.

• Writing skills, planning ability, and industry connections cultivated during their time as editors • Deep understanding of the publishing process and market trends • Compositional and storytelling abilities backed by editorial experience

Editorial functions in academia

As a supplement, editorial skills are also indispensable in the academic field. In international co-authored papers from Elsevier, Springer, etc., more than 10 researchers from multiple countries often participate and divide the writing by specialty. The lead authors and co-authors of such papers are both writers and editorial managers. The ability to oversee the entire consistency and raise it to a level of perfection that can withstand peer review is truly the work of an editor. Even in academia, excellent writers are also excellent editors.

The Reason for Writing This Article

Actually, the background behind writing this 'Behind-the-Scenes Writing Style' series lies in the cultural gap between note and the 'Hatena cultural sphere'.

note is a place where creators value harmony, learn from one another, and elevate their creative activities. It has a foundation where discussions proceed on the premise of respecting each other's ingenuity and efforts.

On the other hand, the Hatena Blog cultural sphere traditionally has a strong style that emphasizes critical analysis and merit-based discussion. Furthermore, within a portion of the Hatena Bookmark community that derives from this, there remains a culture where criticism for the sake of criticism is treated as entertainment.

In fact, regarding my previous article, there were quite a few voices on Hatena Bookmark questioning my very ability as an editor.

'Hatena Bookmark' comments on Commonalities of Rejected Manuscripts: Editors Discard 90% Before Reading

However, these opposing opinions are actually valuable. It is not rare for them to make me realize perspectives I had not noticed myself. That is precisely why I plan to continue adding to this 'Behind-the-Scenes Writing Style' series and eventually reorganize it into a three-part system. All reactions, including pros and cons, serve as important fertilizer for my writing plan.

Latest Trends

Even now, the trend of 'from editor to author' remains alive overseas. In fact, behind the scenes of the publishing world, this is still one of the royal roads.

I hope that even a fraction of how the profession of editing serves as a foundation for a creator is conveyed.

Rintaro Takechi

P.S.:To everyone using Hatena Bookmark, I would be happy if you could also add a bookmark to this article.