How it all started...

Writing is like breathing. It’s something I have to do or my imaginative spirit begins to suffocate. I’ve been creating worlds with words ever since I was old enough to form letters on a page, producing everything from poetry to novels. 

When I finally decided to publish back in 2011, I was struggling financially and simply couldn’t afford an editor. Yet I also knew that if my story was full of problems, the reader reviews would be brutal and my first book would be my last. 

So I decided to take some editing coursework. I tested to get my certification with the intent of editing for myself. It was a huge risk. It's easy to become blind to your own mistakes, and self-publishing was still relatively new at the time. It carried the stigma of “vanity publishing" and indie authors sometimes became targets of other writers and industry professionals who were hostile to the quickly growing self-publishing trend. 

Fortunately, the risk paid off. My book ended up getting great reviews, and I realized that I had a heart for helping other up-and-coming authors who couldn’t afford to hire editors, but who had vibrant imaginations and a gift for storytelling. We pooled our talents and often exchanged services, building up our experience, and our community, one project at a time. I now have 6 books published with more yet to come, and I’ve worked with some pretty incredible writers over the years. 

Not everyone can, or should, self-edit. Even those who dare need some kind of external feedback and extra sets of eyes to catch issues they’ve become blind to. No matter how gifted or experienced, none of us can take this journey alone. And it wouldn't be nearly as magical or meaningful if we did.