Hi Reader,
Today is my business’s third birthday.
Three years ago, I presented a webinar to about two hundred writers. For the first time, I gathered an audience of writers who wanted to hear from me, not from any other organization I represented. I taught them writing craft teaching that I had written, and I offered them a way to work with me that I had designed.
Twenty writers took me up on it. They recognized something I didn’t see then, and wouldn’t see for more than two years.
When the webinar was done and the sales were sold, I closed my computer. I plopped it in my car alongside my suitcase. I drove from Atlanta to Knoxville, to the home of my best friend of seventeen years. And I collapsed on her couch.
“What if I’ve just made a terrible mistake?” I asked her. “I just walked away from a steady salary to launch a business where I’ll be editing books every day. What if I discover that I actually don’t want to edit books after all?”
“That’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever said to me,” she replied.
* * *
Looking back now, I can confidently say: she was right.
I was braced for hard days, seasons when I’d discover that at the end of the day, even passion-driven work is still a job, still drudgery. And don’t get me wrong—I have worked my tail off to build a business I love.
But three years in, I’ve stopped bracing. I genuinely love my work, every single day.
I love the writers I work with—creative, hardworking, passionate storytellers who are chasing a brilliant dream of excellence and creative fulfillment.
I love the stories I work on—masterpieces-in-progress, gold being refined.
I love the editors and book coaches I work alongside—equally passionate, hardworking, creative, collaborative, supportive colleagues who empower me every day to sharpen my skills and bring my clients my best.
And I am no longer worried that one day I’ll discover I’ve hated editing all along.
Rather, in these three years, I have discovered something else. It’s something those twenty writers knew from the very start, but which took me a long time to see and fully embrace.
This is what I’ve learned:
This work is valuable.
The work of storytelling is valuable. It is so, so crucial. It is how we humans communicate. It is the magical alchemy that allows us to transfer our ideas and experiences from one mind to another. It is our oldest and most powerful technology.
The work of pursuing creative excellence is valuable. Learning, growing, building skills, chasing dreams—these are all deeply fulfilling activities. They are in the realm of self-actualization, giving our lives meaning and purpose. They shift us from passive consumer to agentic creator.
And the work of editing, coaching, assisting writers in their pursuit of excellent storytelling—this work, too, is valuable. I would not be the entrepreneur I am today without the support of so many wise mentors. Likewise, those pinnacles of storytelling excellence are impossible for writers to reach without expert support.
My work as an editor is valuable.
Your work as a writer is valuable.
And thank goodness for that, because I’ve devoted my life to this. On paper, I am three years into this business. But really, I’m thirty-three years into a lifelong pursuit of excellent storytelling. And I have BIG visions for where I’m going next.
So whether you found me on the internet yesterday or you’ve been with me since that first webinar on December 2, 2022, thank you.
Thank you for joining me in this little corner of the internet. For inviting my voice and ideas into your writing life. For choosing me to be one of those wise mentors supporting you in your storytelling quest.
Your writing is so valuable. I believe that.
I hope you believe it, too. But if you don’t yet, I’ll give you the gift those first twenty writers gave me: I’ll believe in the value of your work for you until you can see it too.
Three years in, and so much more to come.
Happy editing,
Alice
P.S. If you would like me to help you see how valuable your story is, you might enjoy working with me in Next Right Step. Tell me about your story here, and I'll be in touch.