13/04/2018
If an author is asking a reader to spend their time and money on a book, there are few things more damaging than seeing a host of errors in the opening pages. Even when an author has real talent, poor editing may mean that this is never discovered or properly appreciated.
Most writers who get to the point of completing an entire book can write well. They may have been asked to edit or proofread the work of other writers. It is almost impossible, though, to properly edit your own writing as you tend to read what you think should be on the page rather than what's actually there.
We once had the great honour of copyediting a piece of writing by Seamus Heaney, a foreword for a very important book. At this stage, Heaney had already been awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature so the prospect was daunting. However, we did find things to correct, and he agreed that they should be changed. At this point in our career, this was the editorial equivalent of being shot into space but it brought home the reality that no author can ever properly edit their own work alone. Books really do need editors.
(An extract from 'Getting Published: The Essential Irish Guide')
Getting Published: The Essential Irish Guide