IF you’re a budding author intent on having your work hit the shelves of a bookstore, the managing editor is ultimately the person you have to impress.

He — or she — is the professional who, together with the publisher, decides on what books get published and guides the work through from editing to print.

Career & Education talks this week to one of these professionals — K Sean Harris — for insight into their work.

The managing editor at LMH Publishing for the past four years and a player in the publishing field for close to a decade, Harris is also himself an author. In the last six years, he has published 13 of his own books, with another three scheduled to hit the shelves next year.

He wrote his first book — an anthology of short stories — in the summer of 2005. As a writer of adult contemporary fiction his other titles include Blood of Angels; The Stud and The Stud II; The Garrison; Death Incarnate: The Saga Continues; Merchants of Death: A Jamaican Saga of Drugs, Sex, Violence and Corruption; Erotic Jamaican Tales, Kiss of Death, and The Heart Collector.

“I always knew that I could write, but didn’t discover the level of my talent or had an interest in writing fiction until 2005. Prior to that, I had done some non-fiction books, namely the LMH Dictionary Series in collaboration with Mike Henry,” Harris recalled.

Meanwhile, his primary duties at LMH are to oversee the editorial production process of the books they publish, ensuring their quality and that they are published on time. As such, Harris is required to not only stay on top of global publishing trends — technological and otherwise — he also has to put together the publication schedule for the books published annually, liaise with the editorial and design personnel as well as authors.

“I (also) liaise with our New York production consultant to source the most economical yet quality printing available worldwide, and I review and traffic all book materials from the manuscript stage to the final product you see on bookshelves,” he noted.

Who is a managing editor with a publishing company?

The managing editor at a publishing company is the individual who oversees the editorial production process of the titles published by the company.

What is the value of the work that you do?

Extremely valuable. A publishing company is only as successful as the titles it publishes, so being responsible for the content it publishes, and the production of that content, is of vital importance.

What was it that prompted your entry into the field?

I was drawn to publishing due to my love for books and the fact that members of my immediate family were in the field.

What are the academic requirements for getting into the field?

A Bachelor of Arts degree in English language/English literature, math or science, depending on the nature of the publishing house, is usually the basic academic requirement for most traditional publishing companies.

What other skills and/or competencies are required for entry into the field?

One must be able to work under pressure, and have good communication and interpersonal skills as publishing is a very team-oriented industry.

What do you most enjoy about the work that you do?

I would have to say seeing that look of joy on a first-time author’s face when he or she sees the book in print, as well as playing a vital role in putting out a diverse range of books that showcase the talent that Jamaica and the Caribbean has to offer.

What are the challenges you face on the job?

Some of the challenges faced on the job are making the right decisions on which books to publish, ensuring that the production of the books is at the highest possible quality, meeting deadlines, and fielding a constant flow of publishing queries.

Why would you advise anyone to get into this line of work?

If one has a love for books, and a vested interest in playing a role in nation building through the arts, this would be a very satisfying career choice.

How much can you earn annually in this line of work?

It depends on the size and scope of the publishing company, and the qualifications and experience of the individual, but one could typically earn anywhere between $960,000 to $1.6 million annually.