Frederic Dannay served as editor-in-chief for EQMM for more than 40 years. As an editor, Dannay set his goal to establish a more respectful reputation for mysteries and keep the genre strong. Dannay explained his manifesto for "Ellery Queen's Mystery Magazine" as being to "raise the sights of mystery writers generally to a genuine literary form," to "encourage good writing among our colleagues by offering a practical market not otherwise available," and to "develop new writers seeking expression in the genre."