University presses have largely abdicated the job of substantive editing to outside readers, who write reports evaluating the quality of the work and offering both major and minor editing suggestions. Editors develop a cadre of readers they know they can trust, who will be fair, rigorous, and prompt with their reports. The author particularly discusses timeliness, noting that a month can pass quickly for an editor, but they drag by for the authors, especially those whose tenure and promotion may, in part, be dependent on the reviews from outside readers, and stresses the importance of not accepting a manuscript for review that cannot be accomplished within the requested timeframe.