The phrase ‘jumping the shark’ was coined by Jon Hein to describe a television series or a celebrity that does something far enough out of their brand to damage their future prospects. It came from an episode of the television show Happy Days in which the character Fonzi water ski-jumped over an aquarium tank with a shark in it. (I happened to see the episode, not realizing it would become a byword for bread-and-circuses desperation. I remember thinking that hitting a piling or the wharf with all those spectators posed a greater risk than a half-minute (or less) swim with a startled shark.) Anyway, the ridiculous act was so far out of character and setting that is sounded the death knell for the series.
I bring this up because some novelists seem to outgrow their editors. I say ‘outgrow’ in the sense of “too big for their britches.” There comes a time when authors, gravid with self-significance, believe their advertising copy to the extent that they become impervious to editorial advice.
Traditionally, the editor served a gatekeeper role to control what comes to the publishing house and what goes out to the public. Even before e-publishing, writers could amass a strong enough platform that they could ditch their publishing house. That reduced the editor’s ability to have a heart-to-heart with their colleagues. This is even more likely now when people can push several buttons and make their musings available to the world.
The editor still serves a necessary pressure-cooker role in the publishing process, keeping undercooked or unpalatable dishes away from the consumer.
[I considered calling this blog post ‘Jumping the Editor,’ but didn’t want to be misunderstood.]
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