AustLit

‘Writing books must be the most isolated of the arts. The act of writing is a private one with nothing between the writer and the page or screen. Words which were working well one day can unravel the next. The imagined critics are rarely benign. Even after a decision has been taken to publish, the editor is often the first person to read the work in depth and respond on behalf of future readers. Much can depend on that first response. A relationship of trust — that their words are in good hands — is the best starting point, and the way through when things go wrong, as they almost always will at some point in the months before publication. Most publishers have not submitted themselves to their own processes or written even ten thousand words of sustained prose. Most authors are not good at knowing the kind of help they need — or at asking for it.’ (Introduction 183)