The Mysterious Voice

February 7th, 2006 · No Comments
by Booksquare

In other Time Warner Books news (yes, we know, we didn’t mention the sale, but not because we don’t care; we are engaged in a new process for such news), MediaBistro interviews Kristen Weber editor at Mysterious Press and Warner Books. We’re going to end the suspense now: Mysterious Press, for those who aren’t reading closely, is dedicated to genre fiction. You may figure out the correct genre on your own.

The key to a good mystery is a good mystery, but behind the clues and red herrings and series-building lies the one thing that separates an author from the pack, according to Weber.

First, the voice. This is something a lot of editors say and it is really hard to pin down what exactly that means. It is so subjective. I look for a really unique and accomplished voice and I want someone to really nail that. I can’t edit a voice into a manuscript but I can always fix any problems with plot or pacing.

We do like enthusiasm on the part of an editor, especially when said editor can capture her love for her job in a perfect way:

That makes everything—even combing through royalty statements when I am not a numbers person at all—exciting!

File Under: Publishers and Editors