I guess this will never end!…And actually, I don’t mind if it doesn’t! Will always take info from people in the industry anytime, and I will post them. Because hey, people might learn a thing or two. I think.
Anyways, Abigail’s back again. As you might have learned from the lettering post, she also works on the editorial side for Yen Press, so she’s edited manga too. Since her editing credits aren’t listed, she let me know some of the manga she’s worked on, so here you go:
Soul Eater
Umineko
Higurashi
Inu X Boku SS
Triage X
Bloody Cross
A Bride’s Story
Yotsuba
The Melancholy of Suzumiya Haruhi-chan
The Disappearance of Nagato Yuki-chan
Since she answered the first two questions, you’ll get to read the editorial challenges for an editor from her.
What’s generally the biggest challenge you face when editing a manga series?
One of the biggest challenges in editing manga is addressing culture or language-specific references that just don’t translate well into English. Any of the four-panel books (Sunshine Sketch, Aron’s Absurd Armada, K-ON!) or comedies in particular take a lot of careful thought when we edit them. Yen tries to keep the text as faithful to the original as possible, but when it’s an idiom that doesn’t exist in English, we have to get really creative with wordplay and puns to make it make sense while keeping the meaning faithful to the Japanese. It’s especially hard when the text and the art are part of the joke. We do try to insert translation notes to explain the Japanese for these instances, but we want the reader to enjoy the punchline without having to flip to the back. Sometimes, there’s just nothing you can do…
If there is one thing an editor must keep in mind when looking over a manga, what is it?
Readability. Most of the text in a comic is dialogue, so it’s important that it feels like natural speech, that the flow of a conversation makes sense. Particularly in fantasy series or series where there are passages of explanation, the terminology can sometimes get in the way of what the character really means, even if the translation is technically correct. Thinking of how you would actually talk to or explain something to someone is critical to making the characters come to life and making the read more enjoyable for fans.
What would be the best way for an editor to break into the manga industry?
A lot of editing is being a good writer, being able to make small changes that give the final book polish. I was an English lit major, so I learned a lot about what makes an effective story and good writing there. I also took some publishing and business classes to help me understand how the book business works. If you’re entry-level, being able to write and communicate well is critical–you will learn a lot on the job. It’s also important to have some understanding of InDesign/Photoshop/Illustrator. At Yen, we work right in the files that will ultimately go to the printer, and editors frequently have to be able to design extra pages, make ads, clean Japanese out of art, letter books, etc. Again, you will learn a lot on the job, but it’s good to have looked at the program a little bit if possible. And of course, while you don’t have to be an expert in Japanese, it does help to have at least some basic Japanese under your belt.
What type of advice would you give to someone who might be interested in this venture?
Read critically. When you’re reading manga or a novel, look at where the dialogue reads well or poorly, look at how the artist uses the comic panels to tell their story, think about what makes a good character and what makes a weak one. An editor’s job is to take a work and smooth out the rough edges to make it really shine and be the best it can be, so developing the ability to zero in on problem areas and recognizing the best parts of a story are key.