There is one editorial skill that all desk editors must possess: the ability to sniff out trouble before it gets into print. For most publishers, trouble takes the form of horrendous factual errors, libel, invasion of privacy, plagiarism, obscenity, fabrication and plain copyright infringement. Unlike the West, where a critical readership would spot any of these violations, we tend to get away with murder even though laws are in place to fix the offending author, publisher or printer. But there is a growing awareness that enough is enough and whoever is responsible should be made to cough up. In recent years, there have been numerous out-of-court settlements, but the important question is why such slippage takes place and what can be made to stop them.

The simple answer to why such things happen is the kind of editors who are now getting into book publishing: young and brash and those who believe that alteration of a word or phrase means good editing. Editing is a hands-on job, brilliant academic qualifications do not necessarily make a good editor. What does is some years of handling both authors and manuscripts. The best editors become troubleshooters over time ? there is a kind of sixth sense that develops ? and are also decent individuals who do not want to hurt people by publishing false and damaging material.

So they learn to identify and neutralize troublesome matter, ideally without compromising the author?s language and ideas. They also learn that trouble can spring from minute or prodigious causes: a single, careless word or a fundamental misunderstanding. So they consult the author on all the proposed changes.

Errors and insensitivities that have nothing to do with breaking laws can be just as harmful. Since political correctness is ?in? these days, a term or illustration offensive to, say, an ethnic minority or women taints a book meant for distribution in schools and libraries. Offended individuals and groups devoted to spotting such insensitivities can be counted upon to blow the whistle shortly after publication. One or two such goof-ups can affect sales for years. A line editor must be in tune with the thinking and language of the target audience ? and sensitive to the secondary market too.

It is in the minute details that slip-ups often occur, as it happens often in textbooks. The question is, what can be done to arrest them. One reason for the frequent slips is the pressure of deadlines which has increased with electronic editing. Although advanced technology help to catch spelling and grammatical errors, no software can substitute seasoned line editors who understand the meaning and usage of one word or letter versus another.

It is a truism that good editors are made, they are not born. Publishers know this, but they often say that since authors are responsible for the accuracy and honesty of their texts, they should also be responsible for the inaccuracies. The authors are justified in not liking this because the book is, after all, the joint responsibility of the author and the publisher. Without the awareness of this shared responsibility, our books will continue to be riddled with errors, big and small.