Hats Off To Editors

I’m back after taking time off from writing (and my website) for the Christmas/New Year’s holidays. I found myself scrolling through YouTube during that down time and encountered posts by book editors offering their opinions and insight on good writing. I already follow posts by a handful of literary agents who keep tabs on shifts in publishing as well as market trends in reading. But these book editors had my rabid attention.
 
Editors posting on YouTube are, of course, hoping to boost their client base. No problem with that. Everyone on YouTube hopes for new followers. However, they are also offering free advice from professionals who have worked successfully in the literary field for years. Their knowledge was incisive and overwhelming. I ended up creating a spreadsheet with their suggestions broken down into categories like quick fixes, building powerful sentences, characters/backstory, plot pacing, dialog beats, and chapter reviews. Spreadsheet in hand (well, actually on my laptop screen), I ran through The Stars Prevail polishing that still-a-bit-rough stone into a glittering diamond. The difference was impressive.
 
My loud applause and profound appreciation goes out to book editors who are giving us all a leg up as we attempt to craft intriguing stories populated with interesting characters. Thank you for adding so much zest to our novels!