About

To me, editing is much more than that – editing is language engineering. Like roadway engineering, we begin with a goal, and then begin connecting part A to part B and then those parts with parts C and D and so on, in order to reach our end and reduce drive time. Traveling the road should not be a cumbersome experience; we should smooth the ground, remove blockages, and prevent bottlenecks. Time is our most valuable resource. In writing and editing, it’s a similar set of variables. Instead of raw materials like water, sand and gravel, editors work with parts of speech like verbs, adverbs and adjectives to optimize read time. We deploy them intelligently and from within a common sense framework to construct efficient sentences that reduce obstructions and seamlessly guide readers to their destinations. As an editor, I don’t simply paint over a poorly constructed sentence. I rebuild it. I identify the sources of the mess and work not only to untangle it, but also to prevent it.