A rewarding red pen day

I was paid the highest sort of compliment today. It was right up there with “gee, you’re gorgeous!” OK, so it was a statement that was way more believable than that - - and more important.

One of my writers told me he’d never had an actual editor before, and he liked it. He said they’ve looked over his work in the past and made the corrections but he’d never received the feedback he needed to improve his craft.

This comment was very special to me. I honestly want to be the person who helps others reach their potential. I want to see them earn recognition for what they’ve written. Most important, I want to see their confidence and skills rise.

As an editor, sometimes I feel the pressure of always wielding the red pen and being the bad guy. But, when someone comes back and says your comments are helping them, that makes me feel like the effort is worth it.

So, if you really want to encourage your editor, tell them when their inputs help you. If you can't think of something, tell them they are gorgeous then just smile and nod, smile and nod.