I’m not always great at following the rules.  

Not what you expected to hear from a book editor, huh? 

I love a good boundary or guideline. And don’t even get me started on the Oxford comma—I’ll defend it to my death. But rules like forcing your book to follow every trope of the genre, or charging by the hour instead of by the word, or keeping the occasional developmental suggestion to myself during a copy edit? Yeah—I don’t follow those rules. Because they don’t serve you. 

I work as a true partner for my authors, and my role is clear: to make your book better. To hear your voice, to honor the story that you want to share, and to help you tell it well. 

Because, if there’s anything I’ve learned spending my life devouring books and oral folklore alike, it’s that the stories we allow into our hearts make us who we are. 

So I’ll do whatever it takes—break whatever rule I must—to help your stories connect with readers. I’ve been doing it for more than 20 years, and I’m only just getting started. 

— Kristina Haahr