By chance

Author: Michael Korda
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Another Life: A Memoir of Other People is the memoir of Michael Korda, a renowned American publisher. This Hungarian-born British man comes from a family of film capitalists, graduated from the History Department of Oxford University, and is well-read, speaking both Russian and French. According to his own account, his journey to the U.S. to find a job and enter the publishing industry was purely by chance. This chance encounter turned into a lifelong career, even leading to a divorce, yet Korda remains utterly devoted to publishing. This dedication is largely thanks to his uncanny ability to smell books, as he claims. With this "book-scenting nose" and his publishing nerves, Korda gradually climbed the ladder to the core of publishing. He eventually became the Editor-in-Chief and Vice President of the corporate division at Simon & Schuster, an international publishing group. Among his notable achievements are the publication of Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People, the long-reigning historical masterpiece The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich, the cult classic Catch-22, the Cinderella-to-phoenix novel Penmarric, the Washington Post's exposé All the President's Men by the journalists who uncovered the Nixon Watergate scandal, and biographies of President Reagan, among others. Later, Korda even personally edited Nixon's memoir, and when the Reagan biography was published, the former U.S. president smiled warmly and patted Korda's shoulder, saying, "Hmm, I hear this book is great. I plan to read it someday." Beyond the whirlwind of the publishing industry and its mergers and acquisitions, small editors, marketers, writers, bookstores, and readers can find a treasure trove of priceless quotes in Korda's Another Life.
"A true editor doesn’t worry about spelling and grammar; they are saviors of bad writing, inventors of dramatic endings, and masters of ruthless editing, willing to challenge any idea or method of the author to achieve perfection." This is for the indecisive and self-doubting literary editors.
"A successful publisher must remember that books are products, but there’s one thing they must also understand: readers want little but a brilliant story." This is the guiding star for publishers looking to publish best-selling novels.
"When it comes to celebrity biographies, the content isn’t the focus—it’s how much time the celebrity is willing to spend on promotional tours and TV interviews." Before buying a celebrity biography, readers would do well to ponder this.
"They always make one mistake: ordering too few books they don’t understand and too many books everyone knows." This golden advice can be given to bookstore buyers.
"The only way to prove whether a book will sell is to publish it." This is a gentle warning to those editors who often reject niche books with the excuse, "This book won’t sell."
Publishing must be a cultural endeavor done with a clear conscience, and Korda doesn’t deny that. But like politicians or businesspeople, publishing is also an industry where power, fame, wealth, and even women can be won. Ambitious and cunning individuals may have an edge, but diligent editors also have the chance to rise to the top. Another Life tells us just that.