A Good Editor

-If you are lucky a good editor is an expert that you fully trust. If you are very lucky, a friend. If you are blessed beyond measure a soul-mate.
-Believes that grammar is a path to beauty. Is in love with sentences.
-Helps you say what you tried to say. Helps you discover the meaning of your work. Let’s you see your vision.
-Taps you on the shoulder and gently says, “Ah, remember the reader.”
-Sends you back to the drawing board for more goodness and more hope.
-Believes in you when you don’t. Waits for you until you do.
-Thinks she’s here (as on this earth) in part for you.
-Learns from you. Teaches you. Is inspired by you. Awakens you. Is deepened by you. Guides you.
-Does not accept good when there is better and won’t settle for better until it is your best.
-Diagrams your book so you don’t have to. Knows literary theory so you can be free to follow your gut.
-Articulates in actual words the vague sense you have that something is not right. Hears the little bells you decided to ignore. Surprises you with her delight.
-Knows there’s such a thing as too subtle and too obvious.
-Knows what others are writing and expects you to be different.
-Thinks you’re hot stuff, even if she’s smarter than you.
-Recognizes that it is not about you or her but about something greater.