Most people’s experiences with editing come from being a student in one English class or another. You turn in your paper; the teacher marks it up; you fix it; and a “better” piece of writing emerges. But did you ever feel good when you saw those red marks on your paper? I didn’t. Because think about it: red means Stop! No! Ouch! To me, that’s not what editing is all about. When you see edits to your work, your reaction shouldn’t involve automatic pain and agony. Even when you must “kill your darling,” you should still feel at least a bit of Aha! Yes! That’s what I was going for! So here’s my philosophy, in a nutshell: A true editor is a partner. A partner in words. A partner in purpose. A partner who can help you take what you’ve written and make it as concise, creative, and compelling as it can possibly be. If you’re looking for a partner like that, then let’s get started.