Unfolding my editing process at a book launch party. All photos by Esa Karjalainen unless otherwise stated.
Lately, I’ve been happy to act as an editor for Tarja Tornaeus’s international publishing house REUNA (https://reunalla.fi) who has just celebrated the grand opening of their new headquarters in Myllykoski, Kouvola.
My projects for them have included quite a few manuscript evaluations and also literary translations into English, e.g. for FILI who promotes the publication of Finnish literature in translation around the world. However, these more extensive ones have been my pride and joy – and they all called for celebration!
Theologian Marjo Ojalammi’s book Nokinen sydän – Kirje isälle (http://esikoiskirjailija-marjo-ojalammi.webnode.fi/) deals with the protagonist Elisabet’s two-fold, parallel grieving process about the loss of a father and childhood emotional neglect.
I enjoyed working on this book and with this author so much! Our conversations were always very refined and educated, and the book’s philosophical, religious, and psychological questions were all dear to my heart.
Toasting the first Finnish novel I’ve ever edited; on many a level a very different process compared to editing translated literature.
Photo by Taija Mård.
I’ve also had the privilege of editing a crime novel, a historical story, and this extraordinary tale combining fiction and non-fiction, based on a doctoral thesis (http://www.utu.fi/fi/Ajankohtaista/mediatiedotteet/arkisto/2cba0fdb.html) and telling about both the background and new prospects of the world famous Finnish school: Kouluneuvos – Matka uuteen kouluun by Pasi Petrell, Doctor of Education.
Some of the key concepts in my editing process are fluency, coherence, clarity, and harmony. Those, I think, are achieved by grammatical correctness, semantic accuracy, logical cohesion, uniformity of register, structural balance, and loyalty to the chosen genre.
I try to refrain from interfering with the text and instead lift it up – focus on cherishing its main idea and enhancing the author's own style. I like to think of myself as the book’s best friend, always aiming at guaranteeing that the readers will receive it well and that the author can confidently step into the limelight in order to shine there like a star in their own right.
Throughout, I bear in mind that I represent the publishing house, following in every respect their editing policy. This particular publisher expects meticulous and thorough editing.
Meeting colleagues at REUNA’s last legendary garden party in the culturally famous municipality of Tuusula last summer.
This spring I served as a judge in REUNA’s literary competition, sponsored by another internationally oriented Finnish company, Framery (http://www.frameryacoustics.com/fi/), a pioneer in producing soundproof booths. The publisher was searching for great Finnish, Swedish and English manuscripts about a circus boy and his adventures in which a magical booth plays the key role. The name of the book series will be Sirkuspoika Oliver.
Illuminating for the celebratory audience in Tampere what a rare gift indeed it is to be able to write a good children's story – and emphasizing to the winners how deserving of the prizes and publishing contracts they clearly were!
The competition attracted a great amount of interest. Me and the other two judges, Anna Toni and Krista Airola, read and evaluated all in all 113 stories!
The criteria were, first and foremost, competitors’ ability to follow the given instructions and produce impeccable written language; then the stories’ suitability for the international market, age appropriateness, originality, and creativity. Also the nursery rhymes and song lyrics possibly included in the narratives needed to hold water, both rhythmically and rhymingly. And last but not least hilarity, to go with Veera Miettinen’s cheerful illustration (Lastenkirjasarjan visuaalisen ilmeen suunnittelu).
In Framery’s Tampere HQ, from the left: Teija Rekola (third prize); Asta Ikonen (first prize 1 000 euros); the judge from Helsinki, literary freelancer Taija Mård; Paula Nieminen (second prize); the judge from REUNA, producer Anna Toni; illustrator Veera Miettinen; Framery’s representative, business controller Annamaria Sola.
Photo by Tapio Kilpeläinen.
Cheers to all the good work and its fruitful continuation!
