What An Editor Really Wants

orig published 2024

Hi, friends,

A quick note to say, registration is open now for my memoir class at the Paris Writers Workshop this spring. To note: they’re calling my workshop a masterclass, and you’ll see that I am inviting participants to submit materials in advance, but … this workshop is going to be a lively, productive experience for all levels, whether you are published or just starting out. If you have studied with me in person or on Zoom before, you know how I engage with craft in a way that challenges more experienced writers while still being accessible supportive for beginners. I promise. I meet you where you are!

If you have any questions, please ask. I am happy to help you decide if this one is right for you!

Early bird tuition ends on March 2, and courses often fill quickly. Let’s write together!

And now, for my five things.

I got this idea from my brilliant friend Rae Pagliarulo, associate editor at Hippocampus Magazine, who visited Writing in the Dark: THE SCHOOL last year. As part of her presentation, she generously shared five things that work for her as an editor, and five things that don’t.

Many commented on how helpful Rae’s presentation was.

So, with gratitude to Rae’s fine example, I offer you my own five things, something of a complement to my 11 Urgent & Possibly Helpful Things I’ve Learned from Reading Thousands of Manuscripts.

I base these offerings on my editorial experience over 30 years—as editor-in-chief at Minnesota Parent, where I introduced first-person essays, fiction, and poetry, and where we won first place awards from the judges at Medill every year I was at the helm; as associate editor at The Rake magazine, the arts & culture magazine where my work specifically won awards from the American Society of Professional Journalists; as nonfiction editor at Orison Press, where I also served as contest judge; as juror for Millay Colony for the Arts; and as a developmental editor and book coach since 2010.

I hope one or more of these observations are helpful for you. ❤️

Five Things I Want From Writing

1. Start in the middle. I want to be thrown into your world, in medias res, wherever that might be, and whatever the work might be, whether essay or story, no on-ramp, no lengthy introduction, no hand-holding. I