Text/Yangcheng Evening News all-media reporter Fu Chang
Photo / Yangcheng Evening News all-media reporter Song Jinyu
"Those who know are not as good as those who are good, and those who are good are not as good as those who are happy." This motto has accompanied Li Ping through the road of publishing and editing for 14 years.
After graduating from Jinan University in 2007 with a master's degree in Chinese, Li Ping entered the Chinese Literature Office of Guangdong Huacheng Publishing House, where works by well-known writers such as Wang Xiaobo and Li Bihua were published. With the help of old editors, Li Ping slowly grew up from an ordinary editor to the director of the Chinese Literature Office of Huacheng Publishing House. In 2019, Li Ping was selected as a young cultural talent in the "Guangdong Special Branch Program".
Editors should have a "dual personality"
Li Ping has loved to read since she was a child and is particularly fascinated by the atmosphere of the library. "Every book creates its own unique spiritual space, where the whole person is comfortable." She said. At that time, she would not have imagined that she would choose to study Chinese department and become a literary publishing editor after graduation.
"Turning interest into a career, maybe that's where I'm luckier than others." Whether it is literature or literary publishing, there is so much content that interests me, so I will continue on this road. She said.
When a reader opens a book, it is difficult to imagine how long the publication of the book will take. In Li Ping's view, the editor is the "hidden hand" behind the book product, composing manuscripts, correcting typos, writing cover advertising copywriting, going to the printing factory and color, and then doing activities for new books, writing tweets, editing videos... Interlocking, each link must be personally handled, solid and in place.
She said that editors should have a "dual personality", on the one hand, they must have the spirit of craftsmanship who "stumbles to the end", on the other hand, they also need the inspiration and creativity of "not playing cards according to the routine". Book titles, book product promotion copywriting, cover design ideas, marketing methods, etc., all do not require brainstorming.
"Sometimes, the polishing of a book title takes several months, and it is common to change the cover to ten or twenty drafts." She said that some publishing predecessors followed a book manuscript for up to 20 or even 30 years. And she will also pay more attention to the uniqueness of the work, as well as the social value and artistic value, the work should be able to withstand the scrutiny of time, and finally precipitate.
In 2017, Li Ping's novel "Pingyuan Ke" won the 2017 "China Good Book" and won the "Five Ones Project" Excellent Work Award of the 11th Spiritual Civilization Construction in Guangdong Province.
"Every book has a story, a destiny, and every book seems to take you to a whole new level. It's the magical experience of editing this profession. Li Ping said.
It is the responsibility to make the book well and amplify its influence
In 2020, after becoming the director of the editorial office, Li Ping shouldered a heavier task and needed to lead the team to play in the book market. Not only to survive in the market, but also to polish the brand of the publishing house and provide readers with high-quality spiritual products. At the same time, how to communicate with the author is also very important.
In 2020, the translator of "Insects" (10 volumes) wanted to change the "owner", after learning the news, Li Ping immediately convened a team, under the leadership of the leader of the company, after a month or so of "negotiation", finally won the trust of the translators, and left the best-selling "Insect Record" (10 volumes) in Huacheng. "The bugs can stay in the flower city to eat pollen and nectar again." Li Ping said excitedly.
"Man and nature" is an eternal proposition, coupled with the increasing prosperity of the children's popular science book market, Li Ping said that she will lead the team to develop "Insects" (10 volumes) in multiple dimensions, while continuing to deepen in the field of natural literature. In 2021, Li Ping's Chinese Literature Office will republish the world's best-selling "Natural History of Serpon" for three centuries, followed by books such as "The Secret of Animal Life" and "Birds in Towns and Villages", all of which are published for the first time in China.
In recent years, Li Ping's planning and editing topics have repeatedly won the National Publishing Fund. The Chronicle of Macao Literature (5 volumes) was awarded the 2019 National Publishing Fund. This book collects, sorts out and preserves a large number of precious clues and materials about Macao literature, and has played a very important role in the field of Macao literary studies. Won the 2020 National Publishing Foundation for Dialogue on the Genesis of Literary History, this book includes a semester-long ideological collision between Mr. Yang Yi and doctoral students.
"When the author gives you the manuscript, he actually has a huge trust in you, and the editor has the responsibility to do his best to make the book well and amplify its influence." Li Ping said that in this field, she will continue to excavate and accumulate valuable works to present to readers. After the publication of the book product she was responsible for, she was also sincerely happy to see readers commenting on the Internet praising "this book is very good".
Keep learning and strive for "circle-breaking" opportunities
The book market is changing rapidly, and editors need to constantly learn, break through their own mindset, and adapt to the new way of playing in the book market. For example, on the marketing side, it is necessary to understand the new gameplay of vibrato, little red book, and video number, and strive for various "circle-breaking" opportunities for book products. Buying design albums and best-selling books, collecting various publishing-related information, and listening to lectures by publishing masters are all li ping's daily editing life.
"In the face of the current situation of electronic reading and fragmented reading, we cannot reverse this trend, so we must actively embrace it and let paper books always have the meaning of existence." Li Ping said. In addition to constantly exploring new marketing methods, she also actively "recharges" and improves herself, such as asking herself to read an hour of paper books every day.
In 2016, Li Ping began to study for a doctorate in the Department of Chinese at the University of Macau, studying the relationship between Guangdong Academy and literary forms in the late Qing Dynasty, traveling back and forth between two places every weekend, but she did not feel tired. "Studying for a PhD made me more disciplined, but it also brought about a lot of subtle changes, such as the way I think about problems." In 2020, Li Ping received her doctorate. She believes that both deep learning and cross-border learning are very beneficial to editing work and are indispensable.
On her desk, thick manuscripts are piled up, and recently it was the time of the publisher's annual selection meeting, and the editors were busy preparing for next year's topic. Li Ping revealed that next year, her Chinese Literature Office will launch books such as "Selected Works of Wang Zengqi" (6 volumes), "The Complete Works of Xiao Yin" (10 volumes), and "Guangdong Critics Series" (10 volumes).
"Looking back on this journey, I seem to have been 'willfully' following my inner voice and making various life choices. Publishing is not a personal career, it requires the strength of many people, and I am grateful to meet many teachers and friends who give me encouragement, encouragement and support along the way. "Fortunately, my love for literary publishing has never stopped." At the same time, I also accept the nourishment of literature on me without hesitation. ”
【Biography】
Li Ping, Associate Editor, Director of chinese Literature Office, Huacheng Publishing House, Doctor of Literature, University of Macau. During his tenure, the books he planned or edited won 8 national awards, including the "China Good Book" award, 8 provincial and ministerial awards, including the "Guangdong Provincial Spiritual Civilization Construction Five One Project Award", etc.; 4 national key projects have been completed or are being implemented; and 6 provincial and ministerial key projects have been completed or are being implemented. In 2019, he was selected as a young cultural talent in the "Guangdong Special Branch Program".
【One sentence】
Editors must have a "dual personality", on the one hand, they must have the spirit of "dead end" craftsmen, on the other hand, they also need the inspiration and creativity of "not playing cards according to the routine".