Aug. 2^nd, 2025

In my last post, I talked about the process, or lack thereof, of writing The Center.

I talked about trying and failing to find an agent. Trying to find a publisher that didn’t want WAY too much money to publish and trying and wavering on believing I had a good book.

I left off, talking about the need to find an editor so I could self-publish The Center.

I again started researching, how to find an editor. (Google had become my best friend) I stumbled across a website for authors, called Reedsy. They had pages and pages of editors that specialized in all sorts of genres, skill sets, abilities and reviews of each one. I poured through every single page and read every single bio on each one. Then I filled out my request. My info, my genre, what I’m looking for in an editor (Checking for errors, formatting, feedback, time frame etc…) A synopsis of my story, what kind of readers was I trying to reach, my writing credentials… Oh boy… Well, I did win that young writer’s seminar in middle school, right?  So, I filled it out, attached my synopsis and said a little prayer.

 I had a list of editors that kind of jumped out at me, but Reedsy would only allow me to send my request to five. I clicked on my top three, and two more and hit send.

Imagine my surprise when I got my first response a few hours later. (Not one of my top choices, but who cares!!! I got a response!) It was an offer. She liked my synopsis, thought it was “right up her alley” and here’s how much it’s going to cost… Ouch, more than I thought, but do-able. But it felt like a form letter. Like the exact same letter, she would send out to each and every one that reached out to her. I decided to give it some time and see if I got any more responses.

The following day, I had two more!!! Opened the first one, and it was pretty much the same. Another form letter, loved the synopsis here’s my price…

Then I opened the third one, and tears filled my eyes. This was no form letter. This was a woman who truly got it! She truly got ME!!!  She really read the synopsis and enjoyed it! She was actually excited about it! She told me how it felt when she read it. She told me what other books it reminded her of and talked about my writing style! And I knew I had found my editor!!! Her price was in my ballpark. (don’t tell her this, but I would have paid anything she asked for!)

I sent thank you, but, rejection letters to the two other editors, cancelled the two that hadn’t responded yet, and accepted Carol’s offer.

She responded back immediately, and we began having a conversation via private message on Reedsy. We just clicked, and I sent my manuscript to her that day.

She set expectations, she had a few other projects she was working on, but she would start it soon and be in touch.

That first week was the most nerve wracking of my entire life!  A day felt like a week, and a week felt like a month! I tried to be patient, I really did…

While I waited, I engulfed myself in writing my second book, which I had actually started before I even sent out queries for The Center.

I would reach out every now and then, or maybe more… just drop a little line,

Hi Carol, It’s me (again) How’s life? Oh, and by the way, have you gotten any further on The Center?

She was always quick to respond, and through those little messages, I started feeling like we were developing a friendship, a partnership, and I began to respect her so much! Her work ethic, her love of and involvement with her family, who I started getting to know through her. Her complete acceptance of me, my lifestyle and my quirky little interruptions in her days…

When I got her first review I was floored! It read:

“Just to let you know I should be back to you with the complete thing by Wednesday. I am enjoying this so much I am rather indulging myself, I’m afraid, and savoring every page. You have such a skill when you write to show things from the point of view of whoever is the main point at the time, either child or adult, with subtle changes in speech patterns and ideas – absolutely top notch!”

OMG!!!!! She liked it!!!! She really liked it!!!! This extremely accomplished woman, an editor and author of many books, really liked it!!

It was my first real validation, that I had a good story, a good and marketable book. I read and re-read that message over and over again!

Then on Wednesday, the day before Thanksgiving, 2024 I got another message                    

“Hi Denise, I will be without Wi-Fi from about ten minutes after this message – we are in a hotel but are about to check out – but I will complete my final tweaks over the course of the day. So, by the time your turkey is in the oven, hopefully you will have the final edit and my report – which I guarantee will have the family dancing round the table cheering.”

She wasn’t wrong! I had the edited copy and her report on Thanksgiving Day 2024! And the family, did indeed cheer & we celebrated! And I had never been more thankful for God, The Universe, whatever force, put this incredible woman in my life!

I spent the next couple days going through the edited copy, approving the little “fixes” she made to punctuation and spelling, adding and subtracting little bits that she made notes on. Then sent it back to her for final formatting…

She asked me what I was planning on doing with it now. Find an agent, publisher, self-publishing? I told her I hadn’t had any luck finding an agent, or a publisher that accepted “unsolicited” manuscripts, and asked her if she had any recommendations.

She did, made an introduction to a publishing company that she had done a lot of business with, talked me through how to submit to them and that’s when Carol became my fairy godmother!

She waved her magic wand, and all my dreams came true!