Marauders Map

[justcarol67]

No: HPFGUIDX 109369

Eleanor wrote:

> > I got the feeling she might have put that in because her editor 
> said, "But it's another piece of paper with a mind of its own! 
Surely Harry would compare it to Riddle's diary!"
> 
Yb responded:
> I really don't see the editor having the gall (or something that 
> sounds like it) to demand that JK put an explanation in,
illustrating the differences between the diary and the map. I think
that quote was certainly put in intentionally, whether to throw us off
the trail or to give us a hint about future allegiances.


Carol responds:
As an editor myself, I wouldn't consider such a comment by an editor
"gall," especially if it were phrased as a polite query--something for
the author to consider, not a "demand" that she insert an explanation.
 Of course, we have no way of knowing whether an editor did present
such a query, but it wouldn't be out of line. That's what editors are
paid for (it's called "substantive editing" as opposed to "copy
editing," which involves fixing the grammar, sentence structure, etc.
Me, I'd fix all those comma splices JKR is so fond of!). An author is
not bound by contract to do everything an editor suggests or accept
every correction, but it's in his or her interest to read those
suggestions and corrections carefully and undo any editorial errors
(order of the spells in the Priori Incantantem scene, anybody?)

BTW, JKR really does need an alert editor to catch things like
"ancestor" for descendant" in CoS (IIRC) and "his mother's
grandparents" for "his mother's parents" on her website. (That last
one is still uncorrected.)

Carol