ABOUT THE EDITOR

Coleen York

I began writing in elementary school, carrying loose leaf paper in a purple Trapper Keeper full of half-baked stories. The binder allowed me to feel more professional, I imagine. And it is very important for third graders to feel professional.

I've been writing ever since.

For more than fourteen years, I worked as a professional copywriter and editor, spending my days shaping language, refining messaging, catching typos, and finding the exact “right'“ words. With over a decade of experience, I’ve learned that strong writing is as much about clarity, intention, and knowing what actually belongs on the page (and what doesn’t) as it is about bigger words and prettier sentences. (But we do love a pretty sentence!)

Outside of work, I've always been what I suspect many writers are first: an obsessive reader.

I've spent years studying stories—not just as a writer, but as the person who can't stop asking why a scene works, why a character feels real, or why a plot twist lands or simply doesn’t. The books I love most are the ones that linger long after I've finished them; the stories I remember best are rarely perfect. They're simply honest, compelling, and thoughtfully told. They make you feel, they make you think. They keep you awake at night reading one more chapter. And while every story gets there differently, the best ones rarely happen by accident.

As an editor, my goal isn't to rewrite your story. It's to help you see it more clearly. Whether you're struggling with pacing, character motivation, plot structure, or simply have the nagging feeling that something isn't working, I want to help you identify what's holding the manuscript back and create a path forward.

I still write. I still read far too late into the night (especially because my kids still don't sleep). And I still think stories are worth taking seriously—even if they begin in a purple binder.

story analyst

I can't help myself. Character motivation, plot holes, pacing issues, emotional payoff—my brain refuses to leave them alone.

OHIO NATIVE

I traded green spaces and snowstorms for Southern California traffic and beige retaining walls and have complicated feelings about both.

Writer, toO

Also trying to write a book over here (solidarity). Contemporary fiction with a touch of the fantastical, so I understand both sides of the feedback process.

grammar police

After 14 years as a copywriter and editor, I still notice typos in published books. It's both a blessing and a curse. Send help.