From: lhendr at unm.edu <lhendr>
Date: Wed, 12 Aug 1998 13:32:43 -0600 (MDT)

I agree with Nina Lindsay that it would be a service to provide the name of the editor of every book. Often this information comes out only later
-- when the book wins an award, or when the author or editor becomes famous and more attention begins to be paid. Even in cases where the editor doesn't do a lot -- UN wrote that in Laura Ingalls Wilder's books they never had to change a word -- still someone took responsibility for agreeing to publish the book, and someone saw it through the publication process. I think more often in scholarly and nonfiction books there are acknowledgements (as in Dear Genius) to those who have helped with research, fact-checking, and even interlibrary loans, but in novels and picture books there is often not a clue about what went into the creation of the book.

I think listing an editor would be comparable to including information about the artwork in picture books, type design, layout, and the origins of folktales -- all information that those of us who teach and write about books would like to have. Certainly there's room for this kind of information if only in the smallest of type, along with copyright information. It occurs to me that providing this kind of information also goes along with valuing children's books -- they are important enough that someone wants to know. Even if there are multiple editors involved, it shouldn't be hard to work out conventions for handling this.

Then there are the books about which we say, "Where was the editor on this one?" Who knows, maybe including editors' names could in some cases result in better, more carefully edited books?

Linnea Hendrickson Lhendr at unm.edu
Received on Wed 12 Aug 1998 02:32:43 PM CDT