I’ll be sharing my new editorial offerings more broadly in the coming weeks, but I’m posting the word here first on the blog.
These offerings focus on my greatest strength and interest: working with fellow writers who are reckoning with their own troubled family histories — especially generational repetitions and traumas — to bring to the page their deepest, truest, most courageous, and most potentially transformative stories. And because getting flooded and retraumatized in the process of open-heartedly exploring ancestor trouble is a high risk, I’m also invested in helping writers prioritize their own boundaries and well-being as they do this work.
My background includes two decades working as an editor at a major media company, and an equally long history of writing book criticism. As a writer who also edits, I have an intimate understanding of how to work through snarled and stalled drafts. I’m adept at identifying the beating heart of nonfiction and fiction projects and helping writers reconnect to excitement that can get lost when projects bog down. For this summer only, I’ve opened my books to work with a handful of writers through the two offerings below. Please note that I don’t advise on the business end of publishing: agents, query letters, proposals, or book deals.
If you’re interested in learning more, head over to my Editorial Services page. If you’re interested in working with me in a group context, I also occasionally offer classes.