From: fran manushkin <franm>
Date: Thu, 13 Aug 1998 17:52:01 -0400

After reading the postings about editor credit, I believe I'm changing my mind. I, perhaps, have been guilty of seeing it exclusively as an unnecessary endorsement for the editor, when it really does serve many other purposes: as information for aspiring writers, librarians, and, years later, historians. My suggestion would be for all the production data about a book to be placed together, in small type, on the copyright page.
        It's certainly true that Ursula's way of phrasing her critiques to her authors has a quality of "it's only my opinion, of course!" But anyone who worked with her knew that her opinions were so on-target that you would be a fool to ignore them! Remember, too, she could have an imperious personality, and I'm sure she intimidated many an author into taking her suggestions extremely seriously, no matter how light the tone, and the careful song-and?nce she did in her letters. This was a mighty complex, cunning, stubborn genius here! But it must also be said that she loved to learn from others. Nothing made Ursula happier than an author seeing the light on her/his own, in letters that crossed with hers. She also loved to be proven wrong by authors who would come up with better editorial solutions than her suggestions offered. Ursula never gave up on improving a book, and she respected writers and artists who felt the same. I have had editors who have nagged and nagged me to death to make changes (I call this, unaffectionately, being "nibbled to death by ducks") and it's a terrible experience. Ursula came at you in such a disarming and complimentary way because she believed in those she was working with. She did believe in authors, not just specific works of theirs, and this certainly inspired writers to do their best work. An example: When I wrote my first manuscript, Charlotte loved it, but Ursula came out of her office, tossed it on my desk, and said, "Fran, you can do better." Of course, my first reaction was devastating disappointment, but that vote of confidence,
"YOU can do better," stayed with me, and six months later I wrote a story she accepted--a much more original one. If she had accepted the first ms., I would never have dug deeper to do something better. Her phrase, "Not Good Enough For You", which appeared in places where stories needed work is another reflection of her demand for excellence--a demand that was always accompanied with the firm belief that you had it in you. And if Ursula believed it, who would dare to contradict?? Fran Manushkin
Received on Thu 13 Aug 1998 04:52:01 PM CDT