After ten years in New York with Penguin Random House in both the Random House Children’s Books and Del Rey divisions, I moved out to Los Angeles to start up a new genre fiction imprint partnership between Simon & Schuster and Robert Kirkman’s Skybound Entertainment. While starting up this business has been (and continues to be) a fun and engaging challenge, I find myself missing out on the pure collaboration that comes from mentoring authors; hence my work with Jericho Writers.
In addition to editing, I also play a bit of music and I look at the writer/editor collaboration much in the same vein as when I am jamming with friends. One person plays their song (or, in this case, shares their manuscript) and then I help come up with some ideas to make it catchier, more epic, or more streamlined–whatever the other artist needs to help realize their vision. We go back and forth until they are loving the way it sounds (reads) and feel that it accurately represents the original intent they had when writing in the first place. The written word, like music, can be an enriching collaborative experience, and it is by examining and picking apart a manuscript that we strengthen it and help the creator to achieve their goals.
My feedback tends to be hands-on and blunt, but is always goal-oriented and growth-focused: I’m not going to blow smoke and I’ll always give it to you straight. I’m comfortable working with writers of every experience level and work best with folks who are open to collaboration and eager to hone their craft. I look forward to working with you!
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