When I worked as an acquisitions editor at Shambhala Publications, my vantage on book publishing was that of a gatekeeper. I mean that word partly in the way most writers understand it—I was one of those frustratingly removed people who say no to publishing your work, or sometimes neglect to respond at all.
But a gatekeeper’s job is also to let things inside the gate, which is a lot more fun. At Shambhala, I especially loved it when I formed a connection with an aspiring author, helped them strengthen their material’s voice, flow, and argumentation, and then the project received a publishing offer from the house’s editorial board.
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Every week, I talk with aspiring nonfiction authors about their wishes for a book—whether it’s just an idea or is partly or fully drafted. If you’d like to talk about your book, I’d love to hear from you.