There are no schools for medical editors. So warned Dan Ncayiayana, editor emeritus of the SAMJ. He is correct. Editorship is learned on the job. I have been fortunate to be the mentee of the retiring, but not-yet-retired, managing editor, J P van Niekerk, as I proudly assume the role of editor of this journal. And there is a plethora of writings on the subject, a distillation of which is offered here.