The third part of an interview with Japanese mystery novelist Ayatsuji Yukito, in which he talks about living in the publishing world, and his wife Ono Fuyumi. The interview was originally conducted in 1999, and published as a preface interview in a special issue of the magazine Hon no Mushi. Please go to part one “The Roots of Ayatsuji Mysteries” to read the interview from the beginning.
It’s up to the editor.
There were many people at my school who aimed to become an editor in the future. What is a “good editor” to you?
It depends on the editor, their motivations differ. I want to work with someone who I can trust… so a “person” after all. For example, there’s a publisher that has an editor who I trust immensely. If they quit there and go to another publisher, I would come with the editor. My requirements for a good editor are abstract, but they have to “see the same world” and “understand my language”; because there are many people who don’t understand my language. We go together to collect data, they collect documents for me, and I also consult with them on the contents. It’s easier to do if they return answers which resound if you strike back at them. It’s like a three-legged race.
