“All writers need editors [. . .] They’re the ghosts in the machine, the secret sharers, the anonymous power behind the throne.”
– Morrison, 2005; cited in Hughes, 2006.
One night each month, The Edinburgh Literary Salon hosts a free event that is aimed towards writers, publishers and literary fans. It allows the discussion of current literary issues and ideas about the literary world. On the 30th of September I was lucky to attend David Bishop – better known as D.V. Bishop’s – discussion about his career journey. From moving to the United Kingdom from New Zealand, to now writing a Historical Thriller Series.
Bishop began his career as a journalist, before he moved to the UK to work as a comic book editor, and then became a freelance author. As well as writing his own books, he is also a lecturer at Edinburgh Napier University, and helped to create the MA Creative Writing Programme.
Bishop’s talk was not only interesting to experience – from hearing about his achievements, to the range of novels and comic books he has created – but it was inspiring to hear about how he has assisted and given encouragement to young creators throughout his career. Listening to his journey as an editor, as well as his experience mentoring young artists, was enlightening and insightful, as it seems as though the importance of editor-author relationships are a less spoken of topic in the industry.
His time as an editor allowed him to support young authors and artists who were just beginning their career, he would work with them for a few years to help them nurture and develop their passion, before they moved on elsewhere. He described this as “talent breeds” (Bishop, 2025). In the sense of if you can develop and flourish your own talent, you can help others do the same and this will also attract new talent. This message emphasises the importance of the editorial roles, as these allow artists and authors to grow and develop their own skills in a motivating and supportive environment (Hibbert et al., 2023). He praised Robbie Morrison and Simon Fraser for excelling in their own careers, after they had worked with Bishop at the start of their careers as young comic book artists.
Bishop developed on how his editorial role allowed him to support these young artists, by emphasising on the importance of exercising resilience, enthusiasm, as well as the courage to trial and error throughout your career. Author-editor relationships are an important aspect of the publication process, as they can truly manifest the rest of the author’s career and mindset (Bunn and Rayner, 2019). Bishop has knowledge on both sides; he has bridged the gap between being an editor and being an author, as he has undertaken the role of both throughout his career, and knows how important these roles are to the final product.
As someone who is studying MSc Publishing, it was awe-inspiring to listen to Bishop’s advice to young artists, authors and publishers. As well as his emphasis on the importance of editors, and their influence on the author and the works they would create from that point onwards.
Bibliography
Bishop, David. (2025). Edinburgh Literary Salon. Edinburgh. (Attended 30th September 2025).
Bunn, J. and Rayner, S.J. (2019). Observing the author–editor relationship: recordkeeping and literary scholarship in dialogue. Archives and Manuscripts, 47(3), pp.359–373. doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/01576895.2019.1609363. (Accessed 9th October 2025).
Hibbert, P., Caza, A., Coraiola, D.M., Gerhardt, M., Greenberg, D., Laasch, O., Lindebaum, D., Rigg, C., Ryazanova, O. and Wright, A.L. (2023). Why Be an Editor? Academy of Management Learning and Education, 22(4), pp.569–573. doi:https://doi.org/10.5465/amle.2023.0435. (Accessed 9th October 2025).
Hughes, J. (2006). Joseph Roth and Benno Reifenberg: Aspects of the Author-Editor Relationship. The Modern Language Review, 101(4), p.1044. doi:https://doi.org/10.2307/20467028. (Accessed 9th October 2025).
Images
Cover Image: The Edinburgh Literary Salon Logo. Taken from: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/edinburgh-literary-salon-30346933874
D.V Bishop. (2025). Jenny Brown Associations. Taken from: https://jennybrownassociates.com/author/d-v-bishop
MSc Publishing – Industry Accredited Postgraduate Degree 