I spent twenty-five years in senior editorial and management positions at both Big Five and independent publishers. I went on to become a literary agent, first at Union Literary in New York, and then at the Ross Yoon Agency (now William Morris Endeavor) in Washington, D.C. These days, I help bring out the best in writers as an independent editor, consultant, and writing coach.

Books I’ve worked on have been New York Times bestsellers and finalists or winners of numerous literary prizes, including: the National Book Award; the National Book Critics Circle Award; the Pulitzer Prize; the New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award; the American Academy of Arts and Letters’ Sue Kaufman Prize for First Fiction; and the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.

In recent years, I started helping friends’ kids with their college essays, and found that I had a valuable perspective to bring to the process. I also had fun! Different writers have different needs, but they all need someone who can identify those needs and find effective ways to address them. Every situation is a unique cooperative process that allows the writer to shine.