I’m delighted to have a story in this year’s Federation of Writers (Scotland) anthology, Tracks in the Sand. As well as being a tapestry of good writing from these parts, it’s put together by people who evidently care about what gets shoved between the covers. There’s a lot of anecdotal evidence around that the quality of editing is plunging as publishers cut costs and I’ve seen a few egregious examples at first hand. Yet a good editor is a hugely reassuring presence for both writer and reader, even if readers usually only notice them by their absence. My contribution, a short story called The Year of Discord, was conscientiously edited by Alan Green and the result is a much more refined piece of work, for which I’m duly thankful. If you’d like a copy (£7.99 each), send an email NVPCommerce@aol.com.