Steve's editors have all been employees of the publishers he was currently contracted with, not someone he hires independently. Could he do it himself? Probably, but he's smart enough to know that there are times when having that other set of eyes will pick up things he would be too close to see. The editor picks up on places that are weak and/or could be improved to make the book even stronger by the time it gets to the public.
It's interesting that this is an element that always stays, even with someone who has written as much and has as much experience as SK. Why do you overlook things when you are close to something creatively?
And it seems to go mostly for writing, not painting for example.
When I look back at things I've written I see mistakes too. Why don't you see those at the time you are writing it?
The way writing goes is basically: one idea leads to another. You start with an idea 'wouldn't it be interesting if...' and then another idea comes and another. And when you're writing, you basically move from one idea to another. But along the way you make plenty of mistakes.
But you could also say, mistakes come with almost anything humans do. So it seems only natural it comes with creative processes too.
And then there is also that question for me: what does it matter? It's fiction, it's not that important, no lives depend on it.
Even after the editing and copy editing, people point out each mistake that is made in a book. And he also apologizes in each book for any mistakes he overlooked.
The most important thing is that a story grabs you and entertains you - it's not to be something entirely realistic. It shouldn't even be, because it's a story, it's more of an escape from reality.
Yet for a lot of people it's extremely important that each detail is correct.Why does this matter so much?