Hi Ms. Simone! I have a quick question. Do you know anything about what editors do in the comics industry? And if so, how does one become an editor? I'm sorry if it's a weird question and it's alright if you can't answer it. Thank you for your time!

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Sure, editors are really the caretakers of a book in the strictest sense. They are the conduit between the creative team and publishing, for one thing. They oversee the flow of the creative work of the entire team, and make sure everything is running smoothly. They proofread every stage of the book, and they consult on plots and script and art and covers and colors, and they usually do the hiring of the creative teams. They often write or compile the solicit copy. They oversee the outlines for future issues of a book.

A great editor is a huge, huge help to a book. Guys like Ben Abernathy, Michael Marts, Joan Hilty,  Matt Idleson, those people really help make a book sing. A great editor hopefully also supports and encourages the creative team. A bad editor is a nightmare—I've had a few (thankfully few) editors where it was just very very difficult to get books out with the quality I hoped for. An insecure editor, or an editor who secretly wants to be a writer, that is absolute hell.

But there aren't that many like that, most are wonderful people who put up with a lot of nonsense from both publishers and the creative team without getting the credit they deserve. It is a tough, tough and often thankless job. I couldn't do it. Sometimes they have to be the bad guy and I'm sure that's no fun, either.

As for getting a job as an editor, first, you absolutely have to live near the offices. For DC, that means New York or their West Coast offices. Close enough to commute. Second, usually you have to work your way up…start as a staffer, go to assistant or associate editor, to editor, to group editor. It's hard, and like I say, they don't really get the credit they deserve, and there is a LOT of stress from spoiled and irresponsible creators and sometimes baffling publishers. So it's not something to be taken lightly. But some editors do love being part of the process of making great comics, so there's that!