Thank you, NNP

Now, while I could never say anything nearly as well as Sherry did, I can at least tell the world about my appreciation for all the work that Naughty Nights Press has done for me.

I'm a brand-new author awaiting the grueling editing process that all writers face (rumor has it gets easier, yes?) and dread, but at the end of the editing, formatting, and the awesome cover artists who labor tirelessly to provide all of NNP's authors with beautiful and eye-catching covers for their books, I know I'm going to have a finished product I can be damn proud to call mine.

The thing of it is, it never occurred to me that the entire publishing industry --from writer to editor to cover design to publisher-- is filled with nothing but artists. At least, not until I started doing my homework and researching agents and publishers back in 2004. In fact, I remember because it was shortly after Miss Snark made her debut in the blogosphere. I still miss Killer Yap. Until then, I thought I was the only artist in the entire publishing process.

I lol at my naïveté. I really do.

Recently I read The First Five Pages by Noah Lukeman, and while he was talking about editors in this section, it really applies to every single person involved in bringing an unpublished manuscript onto the bookshelves:

"Master editors are artists themselves. They need to be. Not only can they perform all the tasks of a great editor, but they'll also bring something of their own to a test, give the writer a certain kind of guidance, let the writer know if a certain scene --artistically-- should be cut... They'll never impose their will or edit for the sake of editing, but like a great actor, let it grow within them and then suggest changes that arise from the text itself."

This next line is fantastic: "Like the great Zen master who creates priceless calligraphy with one stroke, the master editor can transform an entire page with one single, well-placed word."

Don't you love that?

And while we all know that Ms. G has fantabulous taste, it was humbling and an honor to receive that acceptance letter in my email box. A good eye for story and writing, as well as knowing what your market wants makes a good publisher a savvy and powerful ally to have in your corner as a writer.

I feel absolutely at my best to know that I have such an amazing team backing me. Soon as my first work is available for purchase, you'll see what I mean, too.

So thank you so much, Naughty Nights Press. Thank you, Ms. G.