I'm the owner and lead editor at the Blue Garret, an editorial services firm that helps authors transform their work from rough draft to finished book. I have a PhD in English from Columbia University, with a focus on publishing history, and serve on the board of the Editorial Freelancers Association. I speak frequently on writing and editing, including recent appearances at the San Francisco Writers Conference, Draft2Digital’s Publishing Insiders show, and the Creative Penn podcast. I'm also the author of Novel Study: Decoding the Secrets and Structures of Contemporary Fiction and write a regular newsletter full of craft advice and encouragement for authors.