Think of your favorite fantasy or science fiction novel.
Youll know the author and title, of course.
But can you think of its editor or publisher?
Screenshot: PBS YouTube
In publishing, the people who work behind the scenes rarely get their due.
But on Oct. 1, 2024, at least, one industry pioneer got the limelight.
For some critics, she also committed the unforgivable sin of being right.
Del Rey’s acquisition of the rights to ‘Star Wars’ was a boon for Ballantine.
Soon thereafter, Ballantine was acquired by publishing giant Random House, which then named del Rey senior editor.
Accordingly, Random House gave their publishing divisions, including Ballantine, immense creative autonomy.
Tolkien, or you wroteConan-style barbarian fiction.
The popular film version of ‘The Princess Bride’ was aided by del Rey’s earlier advocacy for reissuing the novel.
Yet even though Lester edited the fantasy authors, Judy-Lynn oversaw the imprint and the marketing.
One lesser-known example of her prowess is The Princess Bride.
The original 1973 edition, however, sold poorly.
It might have faded into obscurity had del Rey not been determined to revive Ballantines backlist.
Yet despite these accolades, Del Reys reputation continued to suffer from its own commercial success.
Notably, Judy-Lynn del Rey was never nominated for a Hugo Award for best professional editor.
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