My career goal is to become an editor in a publishing firm, and to ultimately become an author. I've read so many wonderful (and terrible) books in my life, and I think each one I read helps me hone in my skills as an editor. According to stateuniversity.com, an editor "works for publishing companies to prepare an author's work for publication. They work closely with design artists, compositors, production personnel, marketing departments, and experts in the field to design an attractive product, guide it through the various levels of production, and then promote it once it has been published. Working closely with the author, they ensure that the work being produced has high literary merit and is free from inconsistencies, including grammatical and spelling errors."
One of the most important aspects of an editor's job is to be able to find a novel that appeals to the specific audience. With all the manuscripts that enter their office, they have to find that one or two that shine. The following list is the authors that I most hope to find in other people's work. They differ widely in their talents, but they are each amazing.
Top 4 Author Role Models:
· Jodi Picoult- I have literally read every single book that she has ever written. Some hardcore literature fans might call her too fluffy, but the works she has written astound me. One thing is the amount of research she puts into each book. I can only hope to be that accurate and well-thought out when I write my novels. Also, she always does multiple points of view in her books. You get to pick everyone’s mind, but without the dullness of an omniscient narrator. She is simply amazing.
· Phillipa Gregory- The historical fiction queen of the ages: Ms. Gregory. She took my favorite era of history and brought it to life. Once again, the role of research played a crucial part of her series. She took the facts and filled in the gaps with her creativity. The only bad thing I have to say about her is that she beats me to the punch with every idea I seem to come up with.
· John Steinbeck- Forced to read about 5 of his works for school, I encountered this man many times before enjoying him. Of Mice and Men made me want to scream with frustration, and The Pearl was extremely boring to me the first time around. However, after reading Grapes of Wrath, I realized how great he conveys real life situations. The plots may be depressing and sometimes slow, but it clearly represents the truth of people’s situations.
· Jane Austen- I saved this one to last because I know that this is the most popular response. However, I simply cannot exclude the woman who made history with her intricate stories about ordinary people. I can only dream of one day being such a detailed writer as she was. The fact that she could describe the fine details of an ordinary life and not become boring or redundant is astounding.
