I’m going to answer that question for those who follow astrology first: I’m a Virgo!
That’s probably all the followers of the stars need to know. For the rest of you nitpicky Nellys, I’ll give you a little background on who I am and why I finally decided that editing is the career for me.
As a child, I absolutely loved to tell stories. I’ve always been an introvert, so I wasn’t going around blabbing to every adult I saw. Nope. I used my dolls and my little ponies to tell stories. Fantastic and mystical worlds were always presenting themselves to me, and I felt it was my duty to bring those worlds to life through my toys.
Fast forward to adulthood, and a fabulous book idea hit me. I won’t go on and on, but it took about ten years for me to finally get my act together and publish my first book. I just wanted the title of “published author”, so in April 2019, I published my first—and very poorly edited—book, Crisis Evolution, under the pen name S.L. Starr. Looking back, I’m not sure that was the correct route for me, but it’s done, and from what I’ve been learning the last few months about traditional publishing, once that book is out there, it’s out there. You might get lucky, and an agent will go back and pick up your self-published book, but from my understanding, that isn’t the norm. Thankfully, a new book idea has come to me, and now I’m on the path to learning how to query agents correctly and increasing my chances of getting representation for my book.
So, what does this have to do with editing? I’m so glad you asked. Well, the simple answer is that editors are expensive, and I’m not exactly someone who is swimming in money. Did you just picture Scrooge McDuck? Because I totally did. Not only did I decide to go this route due to financial issues, but the 9-5 grind is taking a toll, and the thought that I am only about halfway through my working years makes me want to yeet myself off a bridge. So, instead of doing that–I think I would upset quite a few people by doing that–I decided that going into business for myself as an editor was the way to go. Not only do I naturally critique everything I read, but it will also help me become a much better writer. It will also ensure that my next book is the masterpiece I know I can write.
Crisis Evolution was planned as a trilogy, and the first and second books have already been published. I would love nothing more than to go back one day and rewrite both books–I did rewrite the first paragraph for my portfolio. Check out the evolution of my writing/editing journey here. For now, I have a business to get off the ground, and I’m working on a suspense thriller. So, rewriting Crisis Evolution is on the back burner. But maybe one day, I’ll have a chance to get to that.
I want nothing more than to do the best job I possibly can, and I want anyone who works with me to walk away thinking, “Holy crap! My book is absolute perfection! I knew I wouldn’t regret hiring that Virgo, sorceress chick!” So for now, beyond relying on my natural ability to right the wrongs of the literary world, I am taking multiple courses on both Udemy and The EFA (Editorial Freelancers Association) to hone my skills, and make sure my clients’ books get an editorial job so good that they fly off the shelves–or right onto Kindles, either works for me! And yes, I will edit my blog posts and upload them to my portfolio. I can’t expect you to want my magic all over your book if you don’t even know what it looks like.
Later Storytellers,
Summer, the Syntax Sorceress
I Right Words LLC 
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