Toni Morrison On What Makes A Good Editor
"The good ones make all the difference. It is like a priest or a psychiatrist; if you get the wrong one, then you are better off alone."
As the first black female editor for fiction at Random House, Toni Morrison understood the profound relationship between a writer and their editor.
Her experiences as both an editor and a novelist shaped her perspective on the publishing industry and the critical role editors play in the creative process.
In a 1993 interview with The Paris Review, Morrison shared her perspectives on these issues, offering reflections on:
The challenges writers encounter in the publishing world
The role of editors in the creative process
The elements of a strong writer-editor relationship
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How Being an Editor Shaped Morrison’s Writing
Morrison’s time as an editor at Random House gave her a unique perspective on the publishing industry and her own writing process.
“It lessened my awe of the publishing industry. I understood the adversarial relationship that sometimes exists between writers and publishers, but I learned how important, how critical an editor was, which I don’t think I would have known before.”
Working on both sides of the publishing equation—first as an editor and then as a writer—allowed her to see beyond the mystique of the industry.
She became aware of the complexities and the sometimes adversarial relationship between writers and publishers, which can often feel like a tug-of-war over creative control.
This experience also gave her a deeper appreciation for the role of an editor, something she says she might not have understood if she hadn't been on the other side of the table.
The Vital Role of Editors
Morrison is very clear about the importance of editors in the creative process.
“The good ones make all the difference. It is like a priest or a psychiatrist; if you get the wrong one, then you are better off alone. But there are editors so rare and so important that they are worth searching for, and you always know when you have one.”
For Morrison, a good editor is someone who sees the writer's work clearly, without emotional attachment, and can guide them toward their best possible expression.
“Good editors are really the third eye. Cool. Dispassionate. They don’t love you or your work; for me that is what is valuable—not compliments. Sometimes it’s uncanny; the editor puts his or her finger on exactly the place the writer knows is weak but just couldn’t do any better at the time. Or perhaps the writer thought it might fly, but wasn’t sure. Good editors identify that place and sometimes make suggestions. Some suggestions are not useful because you can’t explain everything to an editor about what you are trying to do. I couldn’t possibly explain all of those things to an editor, because what I do has to work on so many levels.”
Editors, in her view, are objective, dispassionate, and unafraid to challenge the writer.
Unlike family, friends, or even fans who might offer compliments, an editor’s value lies in their ability to pinpoint weak areas in a manuscript, sometimes even identifying flaws the writer had suspected but couldn’t articulate.
The editor helps to address those areas without undermining the writer’s vision, offering suggestions that push the work to a higher level.
However, Morrison acknowledges that not all suggestions are useful. As a writer, there are times when you can’t fully explain your intent to the editor, especially when the work is layered and complex.
Building a Strong Writer-Editor Relationship
“…if there is some trust [within the relationship], some willingness to listen, remarkable things can happen. I read books all the time that I know would have profited from not a copy editor but somebody just talking through it.”
Trust is the foundation of a good writer-editor relationship. The relationship is not just about fixing the technicalities of a manuscript; it’s about enhancing the work on a deeper, more creative level.
“And it is important to get a great editor at a certain time, because if you don’t have one in the beginning, you almost can’t have one later. If you work well without an editor, and your books are well received for five or ten years, and then you write another one—which is successful but not very good—why should you then listen to an editor?”
This highlights the challenge many successful writers face: after years of independence, the idea of editorial intervention can feel like a threat to their creative autonomy. However, she also acknowledges that a strong editor can often help a writer rediscover their strengths, even when they’ve veered off course.
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