I've always been a storyteller, and I've been a story writer ever since I knew how to put letters together to make words. I didn't know I wanted to become an editor until I had a better understanding of what that really meant. Now, I understand that editing is about helping writers bring out the best in their stories, creating something they're happy with and ready to share with their intended audience. Sometimes it's about helping writers discover what their story is and who their audience is when they're unsure and want help with that. It's not about telling a writer what their story should be.

I didn't know that becoming an editor was a path I wanted to take until after I'd already finished two bachelor's degrees. (I have way too many interests.) I didn't want to go for a third if there was another way I could become an editor. So to start with, I applied for an internship at a small local press. I was accepted onto the acquisitions team. It was an educational experience. I learned a lot about the mechanisms behind what makes a reader want to keep reading, what makes a reader care, and what does the opposite. I also learned that I wanted to work with authors one-on-one. In my position, I could only pass my feedback on to the next level of decision makers. Sometimes, I basically begged for them to relay my feedback and encouragement to the authors because despite the imperfections in their submissions, I really wanted them to succeed. I don't know if those messages got passed on. (So if you're an author who's gotten one or many rejection letters, don't give up! You don't know who's rooting for you!)

I want to be there for these writers. I don't want stories with potential to slip through the cracks, never to see the light of day. I want to help writers who don't want to give up, but are losing hope, or just want to give their work the best chance they can.

Since finishing the internship, I’ve directed resources into studying developmental editing from professionals, since I was most drawn to this level of editing. I’ve dedicated more time at writers conferences to learning from editors and studying story structure, characterization, and other big-picture elements. I am grateful to those who have shared their knowledge and experiences.