Why did you take up literature? It's not the usual choice for a Geology graduate, is it?

Yes, I majored in Geology at university and followed it up with Geochemistry. Somewhere along the way, getting involved in technicalities and the minutiae of science lost its appeal. I have been interested in arts like painting and literature since I was a student; so, I decided to go down that road. But I'm a scientist at heart. I wrote "Stephen Hawking in Seattle" in 2006 and "Einstein and the World Year of Physics" in 2005, which are about science. Editing thesis on geology rekindles many memories. People cannot be experts in all things at the same time. But geochemistry is still my home base.

Does the fact that you are a writer affect your work as an editor?

Writers spend lots of time doing research, but then struggle to succeed as novelists. Most editors don't spend time on research, but I do. I take great effort to understand what authors want to convey and to judge whether they are expressing their intentions and information correctly. I try to gain knowledge of all things as accurately as possible. To be a writer is to develop such an attitude.

In order to make the finished product perfect, the original document itself should be readable to a certain extent, right? What should authors keep in mind while writing?

I would like authors to study the journals to which they plan to submit their work. Sometimes, I am stunned to find that the document does not follow the journal guidelines even after I have done everything to make the document compatible. I am a scientist and have considerable experience in submitting theses; so I wonder why authors commit such mistakes. I strongly suggest that authors check journal guidelines before they start writing.