Thank you, Diana! I will miss writing for WitS too, but I'll still be here as a reader.

I SO agree that finding the right "fit" with an editor is as essential as finding the right fit with a therapist. 🙂 Thanks for the comment and your kind words.

Outside eyes can be deeply helpful, yes. But that doesn't always mean hiring an editor--and frankly an unskillful editor can do more damage than good. I think there's a line of thinking out there that every author must hire an editor with every manuscript if they want to be marketable/competitive, and it just isn't always true.

When you find a good editor who is a great fit, that's gold. 🙂 I am a huge fan of what expert editing can do for an author, but don't think it's the only path.

Thanks for your kind wishes--I will still be around in the WitS community!

I totally agree with you that no editor is the end-all for shaping or editing a story and that it often may take working with several before you find one that gets you, one that you can trust, one who can delight in what's working, and shine their light onto the areas that aren't in such a way that their suggestions help rather than hurt.

This is a post that I'll be linking on my website for writers to turn to for help. Enjoy your break! You will be missed.

I am always wrong, because no one pair of eyes can fill every hole or smooth every plotline.

Maybe if you're Mark Twain or Ernest Hemingway, you can. But little 'ole normal writers like me? Nope. You need those experienced editor eyes!

Glad to hear it, Rick. I am a big fan of editing, obviously--but I also think there's much authors can do on their own. And there's SO much misinformation out there! Thanks for the comment.