Q: Do you recommend working with an editor before submitting your work to agents?

A: Nah. Why bother? It’s only the difference between life and death in the literary world. Seriously, unless you are an unusually skillful writer, a good editor can make the difference between making the grade and breaking your back for nothing. You have to find a good match, however. A poor editor can alter a writer’s “voice” or negatively impact their presentation of material. The vastly more common circumstance, however, is that good editors guide their clients to higher levels of professionalism – levels they never would have achieved on their own.