Of Bees and Book Editors

Posted by Marian Lizzi

 

Bees have been in the news a lot the past few years. So when I met Susan Brackney, a nature writer and beekeeper, at a writers’ conference a couple of years ago, I sat up a bit in my chair. I was in the midst of a marathon session of author pitches – basically, speed-dating for aspiring authors and the editors who either snap them up or (in most cases) ever-so-politely demur.

 

Susan was there to pitch a book on another subject. But her mention of beekeeping (and the look of inspiration in her eyes when she brought it up) made me suspect she had the perfect subject close at hand.

 

The result is Plan Bee: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about the Hardest-Working Creatures on the Planet.  The book has been sold to several countries and was featured among O magazine’s must-read books of last summer – and news of the book deal alone inspired The New York Times to ask Susan to write an op-ed about her vocation.

 

This week, Plan Bee comes out in paperback. Working with Susan on updates for the new edition, I realized something: Book editors are a lot like bees. (And no, I’m not talking about buzz marketing here.)

 

• We’re pollinators.  Bees are responsible for pollinating a whopping 80 percent of all the plants on the planet, including 90 or so food crops that range from almonds and blueberries to coffee. (I know, I buried the lede. Coffee!) 

Similarly, editors help authors spread their insights far and wide, first by spreading the word in-house to sales, publicity, and other essential fellow pollinators, and then to readers themselves. We help our authors participate in the popular discourse on everything from history and politics to loftier matters such as how to make a gourd look like a bloody alligator lying in wait on your lawn at Halloween (we can’t all publish the prize winners).

• We’re a little matriarchal. Women have long been a major driver in the book business – as both creators and consumers. There are more women in leadership positions in book publishing than perhaps any other field. And let’s not forget authors and readers, who traditionally have been largely female (and arguably still are). Yes, we are an industry of queen bees.

• We’re disappearing...maybe. Not to get all serious on you, but both bees and book editors have had a rough couple of years. We’re not experiencing Colony Collapse Disorder (I hope), but just as the bee population shrunk at an alarming rate in ’08 and ’09, so the book business has gone through some major downsizing and reorganization (read: layoffs).

For bees, the news is good. They’ve weathered the storm. Let’s hope the hardworking and somewhat endangered book editor does too. With the exciting new digital formats in our midst (along with more on the way), a creative, innovative new season is upon us. It seems to me that an editor’s job is more vital than ever.

 

What do you think? Comment below or drop me a note at Marian.Lizzi@us.penguingroup.com.

 

 

Plan Bee is now available in paperback.

 

 

Check out Susan Brackney's live bee-cam!

Comments

[Travis Nichols]

Thsi is stupd Theirs no nede 4 bok edtors nomores and i are alergic 2 bees and it hurts 2 gt sting by them anywys!!!

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Great post, Marian! Plan Bee is a supergreat book (with (forgive me) a beeautiful cover). When is Buy Your Neighborhood Editor a Fruit Basket Day this year?