The Power of Your Dreams
Editing, Kitchen Renovations, and Great Writing
I was so excited to start my day at the fantastic ACESAccelerate conference, a new digital conference organized by the ACES: The Society for Editing.
(Well, I actually started my morning tearing out my kitchen floor as part of a reno project, but then I jumped on the call).
The first conference session was on working with Indie authors (🙌 Indie authors!). I enjoyed hearing insights from Christina Frey of Page Two Editorial, but I really loved her opening slide.
It was a spoof of one of those cheesy motivational posters. It said “Get to work” in a serious, large font and showed rowers together out on a river. The small text at the bottom said, “You aren’t being paid to believe in the power of your dreams.”
We all chuckled at the message, and then Christina flipped the idea around. As coaches and editors, of course we’re not being paid to believe in the power of our dreams. She pointed out that what we’re being paid to do is, in fact, to believe in the power of your dreams.
What a fantastic way to think about it the work we do with writers - because if being a writer isn’t all about dreaming big, I don’t know what is!
I’ve had conversations with so many authors, some of whom became clients, and others who wrote forward on their own, in which the value of a coach or a dev. editor came up. Maybe you’ve wondered, as well. It’s a fair question.
It’s easier, maybe, to see how a proofreader or a line editor might bring value to your story before you put it out there in the world. You’ve written, they polish, and voilà!
But what about a developmental editor, who puts you at risk of seeing a big challenge still remaining in the draft? Or what about a book coach, there to guide you from much earlier in a project? What is the value of their work? Where do they stand for the author? I mean, what is it people are paying me for?
The answer is simple.
When I “Get to Work,” my job, and my greatest joy, is to believe in the power of your dreams.
I think that’s perhaps the most profound difference between being an end-of-the-process editor, and one who is also a coach, committed to the development of your book and to your development as a writer. You hire me to hold you accountable to yourself and your dreams, and I do everything I can to make sure they come true, whether that means holding you to deadlines, offering guidance on revisions, or providing strategies and exercises to get you deeper into your story.
Because I believe in your dreams, I can help you hold onto them when you feel them slipping, when the imposter syndrome kicks in, or when your focus drifts away.
Because I believe in your dreams, you can trust that there is someone on your side who is personally and professionally invested in your goals and your success.
Because I believe in your dreams, you can, as the poster says, Get to Work!
As for me, this afternoon I need to “Get to Work” on my kitchen. There’s only so long we’re going to be able to get by in Chicago with no oven and no running water on the first floor. It could snow any day now. 😉
If you need something in the short term to help you “Get to Work,” check out my upcoming 30-Day “Build Your Story” Challenge.
Starting October 2, I’ll be sending out a short challenge & accountability email every day for 30 days. You’ll get targeted questions and prompts, inspiring ideas, and motivational examples to inspire your writing. I’ll push you to get to know your story better, to lean into what is holding you back, and to write forward.
Gift yourself 30 days to commit to your story and to your writing process.
This 30-Day “Build Your Story” Challenge is only $30 and is a great, low-stakes way to invest in your story and give yourself the push you need to make it better and to make it real.
What are you waiting for?