Hi Reader,

This week, I’m thankful for . . .

The honor of being invited into dozens of writers’ stories and creative processes.

The way that great developmental editing makes stories come alive, transforming them from good ideas and okay pages to unputdownable, unforgettable reading experiences.

Getting to escape into imaginary worlds every day—with the creators of those worlds as my own personal guide!

The “eureka” moment when a writer and I land on the exact right solution, and I can see it on their face: we’ve cracked it.

The pride writers feel when they finish the final draft, when they’re satisfied that they have accomplished what they set out to create, when they know that this manuscript represents their very best work.

When a writer comes back to me with their next book and we get to level up their story and their writing skills yet again. We know what they’ve already accomplished, and now we get to see how much further they can go.

Everything that makes what could be an isolating experience collaborative: video calls with writers; shared documents where we develop stories together; coworking with the “editor brain trust,” my community of editors and book coaches.

When writers work with me and one of my friends in the editor brain trust, and the three of us get to combine our strengths and create something amazing together.

The generous, non-competitive, supportive editor and book coach community, all seeking the best for our writers and each other, knowing there’s so much space for us all to succeed together.

All the mentors, editors, and writers who believe in me.

Getting to be one of the people who believes in you.

Happy editing,

Alice