Róisín Adams, Futa Fata
Ahead of her appearance at Proper Book at The Dublin Book Festival, Róisín Adams talks about her path to working in publishing
How I started in publishing
I’m quite new to publishing, having been working full time in the industry for just over a year. Looking at my career history, however, you would almost think that my circuitous route to publishing was part of a long-term strategic plan.
I’ve always been a voracious reader – mainly of fantasy – and a half-formed plan to study medicine in college was derailed when my brother gave me a collection of Emily Dickinson’s poetry for Christmas in my Leaving Cert year. ‘Unto my books so good to turn’ – I was smitten. I decided to study English Literature and Modern Irish and, though I majored in Irish, it was an eye-opening Children’s Literature module in my third-year English course that set my trajectory for the next few years.
I finished the PhD, still loving my chosen research topic, but it was already clear to me that an academic career wasn’t for me
I finished my degree and went straight on to do a PhD in the history of Irish-language publishing for children. During that time I became involved in the children’s book scene in Dublin, taking part in judging panels for children’s book awards and writing reviews of children’s books for different publications.
I finished the PhD, still loving my chosen research topic, but it was already clear to me that an academic career wasn’t for me. Even if it had been, my chosen speciality – while fascinating to me – hadn’t been the most useful choice. Instead I went a different route and joined the team at Gaelchultúr, a Dublin-based company that specialises in teaching Irish to adults.
I soon realised that, while I liked teaching, I loved grammar and all of the – sometimes insane – intricacies of the Irish language, our most common topic of conversation in Gaelchultúr. As I honed my translation and grammar skills, I gradually drifted away from the children’s book scene. I continued on working in adult education for a good few years, heading to Maynooth University after I left Gaelchultúr.
I spent two years proofing and editing part-time for Futa Fata before I was invited to join the team full time.
It was almost by chance that I returned to children’s books. My husband and I had moved to the Conamara Gaeltacht so that he could open a café. I had been working remotely even before Covid, and while I liked working from the comfort of my own home, it was quite lonely and I missed having colleagues. Conamara, funnily enough, is home to at least three independent publishing houses, one of which is Futa Fata, a small publishing house that specialises in Irish-language children’s books.
One day my husband bumped into Tadhg Mac Dhonnagáin, the owner of Futa Fata, who I had met a few times back when I was involved in children’s books. When Tadhg realised I was living in the area, he contacted me to see if I was interested in doing any proofing or editing work.
I spent two years proofing and editing part-time for Futa Fata before I was invited to join the team full time. I had to really think about it, as it felt like quite a change to my career trajectory. Though I almost had the perfect set of skills in some areas, I would have a lot to learn in others. In the end it just felt right and I joined the Futa Fata team.
Where I work now
I’m still working with Futa Fata, and hopefully will be for a long while yet.
The best thing about my role
I’m still at the stage where I’m learning so much every day about publishing, and that is easily my favourite thing about the job. In particular I’m enjoying learning about structural editing, mainly from Tadhg, though I have also done a few courses with Niamh Mulvey through Publishing Ireland. As someone who has always loved stories, it’s absolutely fascinating learning about everything that’s going on under the surface. It makes me look at everything – old favourites, new reads, even films and tv episodes – in a new light.
A mistake I made
The very first book I worked on for Futa Fata as a freelance editor was Dialann Dlúthchara, a translation of Jeff Kinney’s Diary of an Awesome Friendly Kid. As it was my first editing job with Futa Fata, I put so much effort into it – more than I’ve had time to with any book since, I think. I studied the previous translations of Jeff Kinney’s work to make sure there were no inconsistencies, I pored over draft after draft, proof after proof. I tormented Tadhg with little questions that I now realise didn’t matter at all. I spent hours and hours working on it.
I pored over draft after draft, proof after proof
It’s pretty much a given in publishing that no matter what, there will always be a mistake somewhere in any printed book, but I’m almost certain, with Dialann Dlúthchara, that there was not one single typo in the version that went to print. Not one single typo, except that I had misspelled the name of the translator on the title page.
My most fulfilling moment so far
I haven’t been in publishing long enough to really see a book go from being a glint in the author’s eye to being an actual physical book, which I imagine is an extremely fulfilling experience. This past year, however, I did get to take a much bigger part in that process than I ever had before.
It was a book she had been working on for a very long time and she was finally seeing it come together. It was an important moment for me.
The best moment so far was when one of our authors rang the office and asked to speak to me after we had sent on some of my structural suggestions for her latest book. I took the phone with shaking hands, thinking that the author (who I didn’t know very well at the time) was going to be unhappy with my suggestions. Instead she was delighted and was just ringing to say thank you. It was a book she had been working on for a very long time and she was finally seeing it come together. It was an important moment for me.
What the future holds
Many more years of learning, I imagine!
Book recommendation this month
I have to go with our latest book, Gealach agus Grian (Moon and Sun) by Muireann Ní Chíobháin, illustrated by Brian Fitzgerald. There is something wonderful about picturebooks and the way they can say so much with so little text, and I think this one is particularly special. It tells the (not necessarily accurate) story of the Sun and the Moon and how they ended up in the sky above us.
Muireann Ní Chíobháin’s imagination and her understanding of the way children think just shines through on every page (unintentional pun) and Brian Fitzgerald’s illustrations are simply perfect – full of warmth, life and funny little details that will appeal to readers of all ages.
Catch Róisín Adams at Proper Book 2023: The Business of Children’s Books at The Dublin Book Festival, alongside Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick, Mary Murphy, Sarah Webb, Aoife Murray, Ivan O’Brien, and Matthew Parkinson-Bennett, on Thursday November 9.
What kind of children’s books are publishers looking for? How much do children’s authors and illustrators get paid? Do you need illustrations to submit a picturebook? How many words should a middle grade (age 9+) novel be? Do you need an agent? If you have a question about writing or illustrating for children of all ages and getting published, Properbook is the event for you! Come with questions and leave with answers.
