Approach & Collaboration

My editorial philosophy is best explained by Toni Morrison’s description of the relationship between editor and writer:

Good editors are really the third eye. Cool. Dispassionate. They don’t love you or your work; for me that is what is valuable—not compliments. Sometimes it’s uncanny; the editor puts his or her finger on exactly the place the writer knows is weak but just couldn’t do any better at the time. Or perhaps the writer thought it might fly, but wasn’t sure. Good editors identify that place and sometimes make suggestions. Some suggestions are not useful because you can’t explain everything to an editor about what you are trying to do. I couldn’t possibly explain all of those things to an editor, because what I do has to work on so many levels. But within the relationship if there is some trust, some willingness to listen, remarkable things can happen.

“The Editor puts his or her finger on exactly the place the writer knows is weak but just couldn’t do any better at the time” is my goal, but of course, this goal takes time and collaboration. In my work with writers, I hope to improve the development of their stories. Through suggestions and questions, I aim to polish and sharpen the point an author is trying to make.