Former Pocket Trek Editor Now in Charge of Lucas Books Adult Line

[JD]

I just found out the other day that former Pocket books and Trek editor Jennifer Heddle has been hired as Senior Editor in charge of Lucas Books adult book line. This means that she is now in charge of the Star Wars adult novels, comic books, and graphic novels.

 

[Thrawn]

Well, it'd be pretty hard for her to be much less interesting than the ongoing arcs at the moment, so I choose to believe this is good news

The Star Wars novels need fresh blood badly.

 

[JD]

Yeah, I'm gonna be really curious to see what becomes of the Star Wars books now. Does anyone know which Trek books she was in charge of?

 

[Defcon]

If I'm not mistaken she has been with Lucas for over a month now, I wonder why they are reporting it so late?

 

[Dantheman]

The Star Wars novels need fresh blood badly.

As a SW EU reader, I agree, but the book I'm waiting for the most is Darth Plagueis.

 

[ryan123450]

Hopefully this is good news. I don't know anything about her, but it's definitely time for Star Wars books to get a shift in leadership. Sue Rostini did some great things, but she also did some pretty lackluster ones too.

 

[Christopher]

Yeah, I'm gonna be really curious to see what becomes of the Star Wars books now. Does anyone know which Trek books she was in charge of?

From Keith DeCandido in August 2009:

Jen Heddle edited the Spirit Walk books due to having edited Christie Golden in the past when she was with Penguin Putnam, but that's her only Trek editing experience.

I've worked with them both (Ed on A Time for War, a Time for Peace as well as Spider-Man: Down These Mean Streets, Jen on CSI: NY: Four Walls), and they are both excellent editors. The line would be in magnificent hands either way.

From Greg Cox back in January:

Jen Heddle is editing my WAREHOUSE 13 book.

So it seems that she was mainly responsible for Pocket's other tie-in lines, like Marvel Comics, CSI, Warehouse 13, and the like.

 

[Greg Cox]

So it seems that she was mainly responsible for Pocket's other tie-in lines, like Marvel Comics, CSI, Warehouse 13, and the like.

I'm not sure about that. I wrote both my CSI books for Ed Schlesinger. Ditto for my Fantastic Four book. But Jen was the editor on the Warehouse 13 book.

I've actually known Jen since she was the assistant editor on my Xena book ages ago. I'm sure the Force will be with her in a galaxy far, far away . . . .

 

[Christopher]

^Well, no, I'm not saying she was the exclusive editor on any of those. But she did Keith's CSI:NY book, at least. And I know that various different Pocket editors worked on the Marvel line -- Ed did your FF book and Keith's Spidey book, but Marco did both my Marvel books.

(By the way, I read Dave & Kara's copy of your Warehouse 13 book while I was staying with them for Comic-Con. A fun read.)

 

[Greg Cox]

(By the way, I read Dave & Kara's copy of your Warehouse 13 book while I was staying with them for Comic-Con. A fun read.)

Thanks!

 

[Lonemagpie]

Ah, this explains much.

<runs off to think of SW pitches>

 

[zarkon]

Thank god, maybe this'll mean me buying a non-zahn SW book for the first time in ten years. Hopefully she'll bring back some of the good authors from the nineties - Stackpole & A C Crispin immediately spring to mind, and of course bring in some brand new writers.

I wouldn't be especially disappointed if everything (timelinewise) after Survivors Quest was totally disregarded, though I guess that'd have to come from further up the line? Or does this position have the absolute final say over everything bar film character deaths.

 

[Lonemagpie]

There's actually a Star Wars novel I've wanted to write since back in the days when Steve Saffel was in charge, but it's set during the OT era and I've no idea whether that's even allowed nowadays...

The other problem is it was going to be called Star Wars: Nemesis, but post-2002 that sounds less like it'd fly...

 

[ATimson]

There's actually a Star Wars novel I've wanted to write since back in the days when Steve Saffel was in charge, but it's set during the OT era and I've no idea whether that's even allowed nowadays...

I thought Steve Saffel was on the Del Rey end of things, while Jen Heddle's new position is with LucasFilm Licensing.

As for the OT era... well, over the last several years there's been Zahn's Allegiance and Choices of One with the Big Three in them, plus a handful of others set during the timeframe. So it doesn't appear to be verboten, just uncommon.

 

[zarkon]

There's actually a Star Wars novel I've wanted to write since back in the days when Steve Saffel was in charge, but it's set during the OT era and I've no idea whether that's even allowed nowadays...

The other problem is it was going to be called Star Wars: Nemesis, but post-2002 that sounds less like it'd fly...

Well if they're keeping the current timeline intact, OT era would certainly be a rather less...cluttered place for a story then where the bulk of them are written right now, with no need to have read x number of books.

I'd certainly bite, for one.

 

[ATimson]

Well if they're keeping the current timeline intact, OT era would certainly be a rather less...cluttered place for a story then where the bulk of them are written right now, with no need to have read x number of books.

Less-cluttered? Maybe if you only read the novels, but there's a plenitude of comics set during that era as well.

 

[zarkon]

Yes, but you're not required to have read the rest of them.

Try going through the yuhzen vong pap having missed several books.

 

[Plaristes]

Well if they're keeping the current timeline intact, OT era would certainly be a rather less...cluttered place for a story then where the bulk of them are written right now, with no need to have read x number of books.

I'd certainly bite, for one.

Right, there are very few novels set in the OT period, but there are a bajillion young adult novels, comics, short stories, and video game levels set during that time, so it'd still require a bit of research.

 

[zarkon]

Right, there are very few novels set in the OT period, but there are a bajillion young adult novels, comics, short stories, and video game levels set during that time, so it'd still require a bit of research.

Uh, besides the fact that's not my point, what young adult novels are you talking about. The only novels I remember from OT were splinter, shadows of the empire and the zahn books - Accorrding to wiki there's also a galaxies novel I've never heard of, but still.

 

[Darth Duck]

Right, there are very few novels set in the OT period, but there are a bajillion young adult novels, comics, short stories, and video game levels set during that time, so it'd still require a bit of research.

Uh, besides the fact that's not my point, what young adult novels are you talking about. The only novels I remember from OT were splinter, shadows of the empire and the zahn books - Accorrding to wiki there's also a galaxies novel I've never heard of, but still.

The Missions, Rebel Force and Galaxy of Fear series for the younglings.