Jaime Dill

I believe an editorial partnership should be grounded in collaboration and advocacy. My worldview and opinions are not the creative work on the table. The work is solely the author's. Though there's no way I can squeeze myself into someone's brain to fully know the story with the same depth, I believe it is my job to listen as closely as possible in hopes that I can adopt enough of the author's knowledge and creativity to see what they see and blend my professional perspective into the picture. Having both traditional publishing and self-publishing experience, I work with a lot of flexibility, pushing industry expectations on those who ask for it, and chucking it out the window for those who want to follow their own path. I like to think of my experience as a filing cabinet. I wait to hear what the author is looking for, then I pull out the right tools and advice for that specific project. As such, my process involves a lot of communication. I've found over time and through stories with writers and editorial peers that most poor editorial experiences occur when people work on assumptions or fail to discuss confusion. You best believe I am going to check in with your feelings constantly and ask if there's anything I can do to adjust because the best editing happens when we go from awkward strangers to trusted friends who aren't afraid of the give and take of honesty. And often that includes making a safe space to vent about life outside of writing too, since stress impacts writing and can be so painful to carry alone. I get it, all too well. I want to support whole people, not just pages.