Freelance editing with in-house finesse.
FICTION
NON-FICTION
CHILDREN’S
15
YEARS'
EXPERIENCE
100s
OF BOOKS
1000s
OF HOURS
Niamh Fitzpatrick, psychologist and author of Tell Me the Truth about Loss
‘As a first-time author, I lucked out with Catherine Gough as my editor. I felt instantly comfortable about trusting her with my story and that trust was well founded, for she guided me (and my writing) with compassion, kindness, and sensitivity, but also with honesty. The end result is a beautiful book which brings comfort to those in need, about which I am immensely proud. It was a privilege to work with Catherine, and a masterclass to boot — I learned so much. I very much hope that one day I’ll be fortunate enough to work with her again.’
Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen, authors of Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling series
‘We had the pleasure of working with Catherine on Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling, the very first novel either of us had ever written. Suffice to say she had her work cut out for her! As an editor, Catherine was incredibly supportive of our ideas and with her vast experience we were able to flesh out our plot points and craft a cohesive narrative, not just for the first book, but for the rest of the series.’
Blindboy Boatclub, podcaster and author of The Gospel According to Blindboy
‘I've worked with Catherine as editor on two short story collections. She creates a helping environment for the writer, one of absolute trust and reliability where rigorous critique exists without impeding the playfulness of creativity.’
Robert Sheehan, actor and author of Disappearing Act
‘Catherine Gough nurtured and cared for my book every step of the process like it was her own child. She was a steady guiding hand until my book stopped falling over and was ready to stand on its own feet.’
Rory Hearne, assistant professor of social policy and author of Gaffs
‘Catherine was an excellent and insightful editor. She was really efficient and effective to work with, and hugely supportive. She was always open to understanding and working through my ideas while also making very useful suggestions from her own extensive experience and perspective. She provided a clear and structured editorial process that was really straightforward and enabled me to write the book I wanted to write, in the best way possible.’
Colm O’Regan, comedian and author of Climate Worrier
‘Catherine was wonderful to work with. First of all, she's funny and she gets funny. Her range of reference and her own lived experience means she knows what works and what doesn't in humour. A deft touch and her own wry style makes her the ideal colleague on any humorous project. Most importantly, she is adept at bridging the gap where one exists between passionately held belief and What a Person Might Like to Read, so that edits can be made without any loss in the power of the message. And for the unstructured flaky author she is the tactful but firm boss who ensures the right thing gets delivered on time.’
Niall Kelly, journalist and ghostwriter of The Choice, Fighter and True Colours
‘Any writer should be so lucky as to have the chance to work with Catherine. It is a privilege to have an editor who so instinctively understands the strengths, weaknesses, and potential in a piece of writing, and who can so naturally identify and share the edits, big and small, that will improve it no end. Catherine's guidance has always brought the best out of my work, without exception.’
Kathleen Murray, author of The Deadwood Encore
‘Catherine worked with me on my first book. I was lucky to meet an editor who was committed to telling the best version of the story and brought her editorial craft to bear. She made suggestions at a general level that focused me on bringing a greater clarity and depth to the work. Her approach was efficient, collaborative and timely. She has a wealth of publishing knowledge and this proved very useful in negotiating aspects of the industry that are obscured from a writer's perspective. It was my experience that she is interested in story and the written word; as a writer, she's the kind of person I would look forward to working with again.’
Richard Chambers, journalist and author of A State of Emergency
‘Catherine Gough is a lifesaver. There is no simpler way of putting it. From the second we started working together, I could tell she was going to be firm, fair, and an incredible judge of pace and quality. A transparent and clear communicator, Catherine is truly a master of her craft and someone I would love to work with again.’
About me
My fingerprints are on many of Ireland's bestselling books. I have worked on fiction, non-fiction, and children's books across my extensive career in publishing. My development work has produced award-winning and critically acclaimed titles.
I have done everything from the graft of desk editing to pitching at a Big 5 house and creating a publishing vision for the books I've landed. I'm an agile editor who can provide first-rate author care, whether working with a big name or a first-time writer.
I worked in-house in publishing for over 15 years before setting up my own business, including Head of Editorial Development in Gill Books and Commissioning Editor in HarperCollins Ireland. I know how books are made, how budgets are set, and how important it is to publishers and authors to work with an editor they can trust.