Saturday, September 02, 2006
An Award for Deanna Hoak
I don't have much to add beyond what Paul Cornell and Fiona Avery have already said. Deanna Hoak, who copy edited Here, There & Everywhere and Paragaea, and has done a bit of work for MonkeyBrain as well, has my vote for the World Fantasy Award, Special Award: Professional next year. I think it's a splendid precedent to bring copy editors out of the shadows and into the harsh light of day, to get the recognition they so richly deserve. (Though I hasten to point out that Deanna has won an award, of a sort; Cheryl Morgan bestowed the impromptu "Emerald City Best Dressed at WorldCon 06" the night of the Hugos.)
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Thank you, Chris. I really appreciate it.
The Best-Dressed award is nice, too, but not quite the same. :-)
The Best-Dressed award is nice, too, but not quite the same. :-)
I'm not familiar with the regulations, but what about the new Hugo category for best novel editor? Is there anything about it that would specifically exclude copy editors?
(I have met Deanna, but have had no experience with her work as a copy editor. I'm just wondering.)
(I have met Deanna, but have had no experience with her work as a copy editor. I'm just wondering.)
Good question, Ted. The language of the amendment specifies length (using "novel-length" as a yardstick to divide short form and long form), but doesn't define in detail just what an "editor's" role entails. I see no reason that a copy editor would be excluded, at least not on the basis of the category's description. It would probably fall to that year's Hugo administrators to rule on one way or the other.
Another vote! I ask myself about the Hugo Editor Long Form award: do we want to send the people that vote on these back into debating mode? A Hugo would be nice, though... And there ought to be Best Dressed awards for real, with reports from the red carpet. Congratulations on your victory over Betty Ballantine, Deanna!
I personally think that the "best editor" Hugo should be reserved for actual editors--the job description goes beyond just editing the manuscript.
Not that I wouldn't love for there to be a Hugo my copyediting would qualify me for, but that one isn't it.
And thanks, Paul. Betty was just lovely, wasn't she? I feel a bit guilty....
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Not that I wouldn't love for there to be a Hugo my copyediting would qualify me for, but that one isn't it.
And thanks, Paul. Betty was just lovely, wasn't she? I feel a bit guilty....
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