Micro-post #17: A feisty editorial about book-publishing

"Kill the Editor: On the End of Literary Prestige" by Caleb Caudell (The Metropolitan Review)

A somewhat splenetic take on modern publishing, Caudell hits a bit on how I was feeling when frustrated about I felt my work wasn't even looked at before getting rejected since I didn't already have an "in" during my mid 20s (granted my work was pretty shit back then, some feedback would've been appreciated). I don't agree on all points (I don't like Substack, to be honest) but it's a thought-provoking read if you have any interest in publishing's insider baseball.

"From where I’m sitting, the defense of traditional publishing’s fine writerly polish seems a little dependent on bright spots of the past; on the surface this makes sense, as writing transcends death, so why not point to certain canonized authors in arguing for the value of legacy standards and working relationships with editors. But we’re talking about choices faced by living writers, today. Notice in the above-quoted note, Rhi brings up Joan Didion writing at Vogue as an example of how proper guidance from a skilled editor elevates the craft of the essay. Forgive me an impoliteness, but why not mention someone currently writing at Vogue? Didion wrote for the magazine from 1956 to 1964. What’s Vogue been up to lately? I’ll wait for someone to educate me." - Caleb Caudell

Photo by Robert Anasch (Unsplash)