” ‘Editor? I don’t need no stinking editor!’ In paraphrasing that iconic quote from The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, I was expressing my long-held attitude about working with editors. I’ve been writing for fifteen years and always edited my own work, having produced a multitude of essays along with a couple of short stories and a fifty-page novella. Of course, I’ve never had any real success to show for my exhaustive efforts. Sure, I had a readership of about twenty-five friends with whom I shared my work, and I did get a few essays published in a small New York magazine. But that said, I had hit a wall and was pretty much resigned to a fate of mediocrity.
Then I started working on a manuscript that slowly developed into an actual book—250 pages of personal anecdotes all tied together by philosophy and humor. I worked on this for over two years, repeatedly going over the material with a fine-toothed comb. Ultimately, I decided to bring it to a local printer. Rebel Without a Clue was soon bound and printed with a proper format and a flashy cover. I gave away a number of copies to close friends and relatives, and then began selling the remainder on Facebook at my cost ($30 per book). Good reviews came pouring in and I was over the moon. But then one reader pointed out some typographical errors that had escaped my eye. A couple were pretty blatant—I couldn’t believe I could’ve missed them. After cleaning those up, I went back to the printer and paid for a new edition to be produced.
Around that time, I was introduced to an interesting woman who had published several books on Amazon. Over lunch, she generously shared the benefit of her experience. She then offered to introduce me to her editor. I said, “Sure, why not?”
A few days later, I contacted Debra L Hartmann at The Pro Book Editor. After a pleasant phone conversation, Debra suggested that I email her my manuscript. She got back to me within a week with her observations:
Debra opened with, ‘I wouldn’t normally work with someone such as yourself.’
I asked, ‘And why is that?’
She said, ‘Because in all honesty, there isn’t much of a marketplace for the autobiography of a nobody!’
In fairness, I should note that she didn’t say it exactly like that. She was much nicer. I just like to tell it that way because it’s funnier.
I replied, ‘Okay, I get that.’
Debra then added, ‘However, I like your writing style and your humor, and I think we can frame it in such a way that it won’t come across as an autobiography. I would be willing to work with you if you want.’
I then decided to go for it. I wasn’t getting any younger and felt like this was my most substantial piece of work. In addition, I intuitively liked Debra, who was knowledgeable and seemed like a straight shooter.
And now six months later, we have a book up on Amazon and I have a professional-looking website and business cards with QR codes linking prospective readers to the site. The quality of my literary life has dramatically improved, and of equal importance, I have made a new friend. I have the utmost respect and affection for Debra and her team at The Pro Book Editor for how they handle their business with patience, knowledge, and a desire for perfection. I caught a big break when I was unexpectedly introduced to her. Thank you.”
—Charles Levinsohn, author of Rebel Without a Clue, charleslevinsohn.com
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