As a book editor, I aim to help the author realize the potential of their story. So many authors come to me with a manuscript in hand and a lot of doubt. They want to publish, but they're worried their book isn't good enough. Many people imagine that editors exist to pick apart a story and find "what's wrong," but that couldn't be less true! Book editing is really about seeing the inherent value in the story while discerning what can be tweaked and enhanced to bring that story to the next level.

I see editing as a collaborative process. I work with writers who are open to constructive feedback, who want to deepen their understanding of story and writing craft, and who have a sense of their own style/voice (or who would like help finding it!). While my job is to help create consistency, clarity, and coherence within a narrative, ultimately, my job is to discern what editorial decisions will best support a writer's story.

If I’m working with a first-time author, I typically recommend a manuscript review so we can get a "lay of the land" so to speak of their manuscript. For experienced authors, we might do the same, but they tend to know what kind of editing their book needs, and have usually taken the prerequisite steps to prepare the manuscript for editing.