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Most interesting thread. On the "benefits" of editing, most of the novels I try to read are so bad I don't get past page 10, and that goes for stuff that is considered highbrow as well as lowbrow (I'm not choosy). On the other hand, there is so much stuff around that you need some sort of guidance about what to read next. Do publishers help there? I don't think so. Despite bestseller lists and literary prizes, I am not convinced they help. On the other hand, even reading the first couple of pages of "everything" is quite impossible, so some way or other there has to be a way of finding things you are going to like. Whether that process has to be part of the "publishing" process is another question. I don't think so. Just consider this. What would happen if money were taken completely out of the picture, if people just wrote and read because they wanted to, and for no other reason? What would be written, and what would be read? Things would look a lot different.
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