A platform's not a prerequisite for this environment-minded publisher -- making this editor laugh is more likely to get your book signed.

From the Editors: After Authors Who 'Understand How Important Their Role Is'

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Writers blast Maureen Dowd's latest New York Times column: "How many chick lit critics have actually read beyond the cover copy? They always seem to miss the fact that behind the pink covers, books in this genre are often thoughtful and richly drawn, covering topics from rape to infidelity, from infertility to finding one's path in life. I wonder if Ms. Dowd and Mr. Wieseltier — who pompously decry chick lit as too fluffy and thus inappropriate for these serious times — have similar objections to readers picking up the latest Carl Hiaasen or Robert Parker? Or is it only offensive to them when women writers turn their pens to commercial fiction?"

If your protagonist has a strong voice and your story's got a great hook, all the better for this editor seeking to spin woman-centered mysteries into series.

From the Editors: 'I'm Looking for a Really Strong Hook'

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"Pulp casts a wide net," says this book editor, including "detective stories, camp horror, the innocent man on the run." Good news is: She acquires books on all of it.

From the Editors: 'One of Our Missions is Giving Unknown Authors a Shot'

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Ron Hogan: It's a given that the litblogosphere has it in for Sam Tanenhaus and the New York Times Book Review, with this blog counted among the critics. But I like to think that the 'Cat has been supportive, albeit in a rather tough-love mode, of the changes Tanenhaus has executed in nearly three years on the job. But nestled among such successes is a columnist whose faults have become more glaring with each new effort — science-fiction reviewer Dave Itzkoff.

This year, 'From the Editors' gave you the skinny on which editors take what kinds of books at a slew of big-time publishing houses. Your most-read edition informed you that no niche is too narrow for this publisher of eclectic how-to and "indie crafts" books.

From the Editors: 'Potential Authors Almost Anywhere'
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This editor is so eager to acquire top-notch nonfiction, he'll dig into the slush pile -- and discovered an author still in high school, as a result.

From the Editors: 'We Strive to be a Home to Our Authors'

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"We're always looking for series" at Simon & Schuster Children's, says this editor of edgy, engaging titles targeting the booming young adult market.

From the Editors: 'I Love the Collaborative Effort'

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"Prescriptive books with something new, counterintuitive, or controversial to say in a category" capture this health and self-help editor's interest. If your proposal's so riveting that she misses her train stop, you've got a winner.

From the Editors: 'Always Think About the Audience'

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"Interested in book projects that offer unique approaches on high-interest topics," this Lyons Press editor builds his line of current events, sports and historical titles far beyond his personal leanings.

From the Editors: Show That Proposed Book 'Isn't Already Out There'

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