The only good author is a dead author.

The saying appears as a cynical publishing/editing quip by the late 19th century, implying editors prefer authors who cannot complain about proofreading, demand money, miss deadlines, or otherwise interfere. A second, more academic use treats it as a caution that an author’s lasting value is easier to judge only after time has passed and the writer is no longer alive.

It’s a darkly humorous exaggeration. In one sense it complains about the practical hassles of working with living writers; in another it argues that critical reputation and literary importance are best assessed with historical distance.

Some western editors are establishing a rule to the effect that they will not pay a man for manuscript unless he will agree to die before it is put in print… Also on the theory that the only really good author is a dead one.

The only good author is a dead author.

All good authors are dead authors.

The best author is a dead author.