Malcolm Gladwell: Editors will ‘be in business forever’

That’s what he told the Association of American Publishers. Plus, what it’s like to be a food ghostwriter and more in this Week in Writing: The five stories writers need to read.

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Also, what it’s like to be a food ghostwriter, writing about “the narrative,” and some of the Web’s best parodies of the Goldman Sachs resignation letters.

Steve Jobs, editor? In his concluding remarks at the Association of American Publishers annual conference this week, author and New Yorker writer Malcolm Gladwell told the audience of his belief that Steve Jobs was more editor than inventor. He improved the work of others, and took a “know it when I see it” approach. Gladwell’s remarks echo his piece in The New Yorker on Jobs last November in which he claimed “Job’s sensibility was editorial, not inventive.” Gladwell also told the presumably friendly audience that the value of quality editing will push the publishing industry forward. “Don’t give me more,” he said. “Give me less and make it good, and you’ll be in business forever.” Read the story here.

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