From Idea to Bookshelf

How does a novel move from idea in the author’s head to finished product?

We’ve heard about the writer and the literary agent. Now it’s time for…

STEP 3: THE EDITOR (Charlotte Mursell)

Brief bio

I am Editorial Director at Orion Fiction, responsible for the Women’s Fiction and Book Club side of the list. Previously, I worked at HQ, HarperCollins, where I published Richard & Judy pick VOX by Christina Dalcher, Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick, The Light We Lost by Jill Santopolo and Period  by BBC Broadcaster Emma Barnett.

Tell us a bit about your job: what does an editor do?

The role of the editor is very varied, which is why I love it! The first step, of course, is finding, commissioning and acquiring exciting fiction projects, like The Clockwork Girl. After acquisition, the editor then works closely with the author to develop the story to be the best it possibly can be – this can take a few rounds of structural edits, but it of course depends on the book. Alongside our Marketing, Publicity and Sales teams, the editor’s role is also to champion the book internally and externally and to develop an impactful campaign building towards publication and beyond.

Can you tell us about the different stages a book goes through to reach publication (i.e. structural edit, line edit, copy edit etc?)

The structural edit (to strengthen the story and often focused on plot, pace & tension, but of course dependent on genre) is the first step in the process and covers those ‘bigger’ changes that affect the arc of the storyline. The line-edit comes next, and that’s – literally – going through the manuscript line by line, making sure that the narrative is as powerful as it can be and that every single line is working hard enough. After this, we go to copy-edit, and that’s the time for a fresh set of eyes! Here, the (often external) copy-editor will go through the manuscript with a fine-toothed comb, checking for grammar, spelling, style and punctuation, as well as continuity and consistency in the story. And then, after the author has a chance to review, we sent it onwards to a proofreader, too!

Which other books have you worked on?

I’ve worked at Orion for two years now and in that time have published the incredible debut Careless by Kirsty Capes, cited as a ‘rare new talent’ by the Guardian and which explores a young girl’s experience in the UK care system. Last summer I also published the fiction debut and Sunday Times bestseller Underbelly by Anna Whitehouse (Mother Pukka). I also work with incredible authors such as Veronica Henry and Cathy Kelly, and have a few exciting acquisitions that I can’t talk about just yet…

Tell us something about The Clockwork Girl 

What I love about The Clockwork Girl by Anna Mazzola (aside from Anna’s extraordinary writing) is the fact that it is inspired by the true story of the vanishing children of Paris in the late 18th century. I was immediately swept up in The Clockwork Girl and the three remarkable woman fighting to escape their fates – it truly is such a brilliant, unforgettable page-turner and I can’t wait for readers to fall into the glitter and squalor of pre-Revolutionary Paris in just the same way that I did. One thing’s for sure, you won’t be able to put it down!

Check out Step 2: The Literary Agent

Look out for Step 4: The Copy Editor…