Dan Hickey asked Chris Pavone:

As a new writer, unpublished, I appreciate your story telling skills. Your editing background is obvious. What was it like working on other writers work, whenyou had a spy lurking within? What do you thing of all the formulaic book-mills the punch out the same junk?

Chris Pavone I loved being a book editor; it’s a terrific job, in an industry populated by wonderful people, and working with authors was definitely my favorite part. It’s true that some publishing lists are dominated by a particular type of book, for a specific audience. I worked for more than one of those publishers—one whose specialty was nonfiction books about fly-fishing, another cookbooks. Other houses produce a steady stream of cozy mysteries, or period romances, or any of hundreds of other subcategories. In fact all publishers specialize, to some extent, and they’re all in the business of producing books that will be purchased by passionate readers. Some of those readers prefer novels with familiar characters and expected plotlines. For readers who aren’t fans, these books might be described as formulaic. But for the fans, they’re an enjoyable way to spend a few evenings; for the writers, they’re a satisfying way to earn a living; and for the publishers, printers, booksellers, and the rest of the industry, they keep the lights on. All of which is to say that I don’t begrudge anyone’s taste in writing, publishing, or reading practically anything.

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