Movie pet peeve #312: how children’s publishers are depicted in movies. Whenever I watch Elf or You’ve Got Mail, I turn to the person next to me and say “That’s not how children’s book editors act.” (I’m a lot of fun to watch movies with.) Sure, maybe that’s how some editors act, but certainly not all or most of them. Most people who work in children’s or YA publishing are people who love these books.
So I was happy to see this video about Random House’s staff, in which they talk about what they do on a daily basis and what they love about their work. Like every industry, there are frustrating days and disillusioning moments, but I think for the most part, people in the children’s publishing world feel this kind of dedication and enthusiasm.
I’ve had the opportunity to interact with editors in a few different settings–at conferences, during work or internships, as a writer–and I’ve never felt like they didn’t care about the books they published.
Hollywood, please take note.
“(I’m a lot of fun to watch movies with.)”
LOL, I resemble this remark. Never watch a medieval movie with a medieval historian/reenactor. When my husband’s not picking the armor and weapons to death, I’m fussing about the costuming and depiction of society.
It’s so frustrating when they get stuff like that wrong! I harp on costuming, too.
Ba.D. works in Hollywood, leaving me to think about show biz a whole lot more than I otherwise might. The discrepancies between the real world and that portrayed can be maddening to me, no matter how entertaining some of those discrepancies might seem!