Today’s guest Kathleen Naytia is an editor, podcaster and writer of speculative fiction, and she has joined me to talk all about editing. So if you have any plans of getting your work out there as a writer, then this conversation is a must listen. As my guest last week - Dawn Michelle Hardy said - editing is a non-negotiable (and by the way - if you haven’t listened to last week’s episode, then go take a listen - it is gold if you are writing or planning to write a book). Kathleen and I go deep into talking about editing - what the editing process is (and what it isn’t) and how having the right editor can make your work better and improve your writing. We talk about how to choose an editor, the questions to ask, and how to advocate for yourself during the editing process. We got a bit nerdy talking about how language has evolved over time and also ableist language, and how an editor can help to ensure that your use of language keeps you true to your intentions for your story, as well as the nuance involved particularly in fiction and memoir. And we talk about different types of editing and when you can bring in that type of support. Kathleen is also a writer of speculative fiction, so we talk about her own writing practice, how a book by Octavia Butler changed her life, and her podcast Loud in theatre. This conversation is full of wisdom about the importance of editing to writing and publishing your work and I think it is a must listen for anyone who wants to write and bring that story into the world. If you want to support us you can join our Patreon community over at https://www.patreon.com/safiyarobinson You can check out season 1 guests and other season 2 guests of Writing Black Joy over on https://www.writingblackjoy.com/ Check out Kathleen's podcast Loud in the Theater over on https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/loud-in-the-theater/id1561710813 Kathleen and I talk about the book "The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake" and you can find it at https://www.amazon.com/Particular-Sadness-Lemon-Cake/dp/0385720963/ref=sr_1_1 Follow Kathleen on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/kathleen_naytia/ And remember - if you want to write a book, and want to work with me as a writing coach or editor, then head on over to my website https://www.safiyarobinson.com/ or follow me over on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/safiyarobinson77/ and follow https://www.instagram.com/writingblackjoy/