Book editors at major presses, do they always ignore emails?

[bookie]

I have a book published with a major academic press (it's my first book). The book editor, however, has been very uncommunicative from the start. I've recently been emailing him because I have a question, and he never responds to me.

How typical is this? 

[Same Experience]

I can't say how common your experience is - but your description matches my own. It freaked me out at first, and made me afraid that the publisher might abandon the contract even after all the work I'd put into the manuscript because it would take so long to hear back.

[yueah]

In my experience, the editorial assistants are the gatekeepers for contact with editors. Contact the assistant with your question and if that person can't answer it they should check with the editor.

[Baltiwood]

Editors are super swamped. It's probably par for the course, but I can't help be curious based on a similar experience I had on my last book. Care to name the press? Don't have to indicate which section the book is at.

[what do editors do?]

The press "editor" of my book (a first book), did the following work: agreed to send out the book for review; had it reviewed; presented it to the board, which voted to give me a contract; and then pretty much nothing else, other than some condescending emails to me here and there. And often he does not answer my emails.

Are editors these days more than gatekeepers? In what sense do they "edit"? I'd appreciate hearing from others with similar or different experiences so that I can know next time whether this is what to expect, or whether to demand more and look elsewhere.

[my expereince]

I have a book contract with a non-university (not vanity) press, and my editor is fabulous! She responds quickly to emails (often in the same day), and is very accommodating and transparent. But she is new to the position, and her predecessors were harder to get a hold of. So, I think it depends on personality, reputation, etc.