…I love being edited. (Caveat: By a good editor. Better yet, by the right editor.)

I love going in deep and teasing the meaning out. I love discussing possibilities. I love facing hard truths, really I do, if it makes the book better. What I love is when someone knows your characters and your story as well as you do—sometimes, you suspect, better than you do, if that’s possible, is it? Recently I’ve had a hunch that it is.

I love when a good editor smooths out my sentences. Line edits thrill me.

A good editor always knows just the right thing to cut.

I love being edited. Even if it’s work on my end. Even if it’s tons of work. Even if I’m afraid I can’t do it. The more scared I am to face the challenge, probably the better the editing is.

What my novel is after edits is worlds better than it was before. (A good editor would surely edit that sentence.)

Before this year, I had no idea how much an editor can be involved in your novel—and how much better your novel can be from it. I used to hear a rumor that editors don’t edit anymore. Who are those editors? In young adult publishing, the brilliant editor is alive and well. And we’re all better for it.