“Editing is a dying art. Those who still practice it with the thoughtfulness and skill of Alessandra are destined to inherit the Earth.

If you are a first-time author, you need an editor. If you are working on a book proposal, or a presentation, you need an editor. If you are an experienced writer and plan to self-publish, you need an editor. Editing is the secret to making a good book a very good book, or a very good book a great book, and no matter the speed-of-light world in which we live, there is no replacement for a strong editor.

I worked with Alessandra on Joe Bastianich’s book Restaurant Man which eventually became a New York Times bestseller.  I was the collaborator, and Joe, of course is a famous restaurateur and television personality. Alessandra was our sherpa and helped us stay on the path. Her guidance was essential.

Even great writers need editors. Writing my own books, I’ve been fortunate to work with some very talented ones, but I put Alessandra at the top of the list, and hope I have the opportunity to work with her again. The writer-editor relationship is something of an anomaly— people just don’t seem to have the time anymore for the old way of doing things. Everybody is in such a rush! You may think you can do it yourself, and maybe you can get close, but if you are serious about developing a manuscript, or book proposal, or pamphlet or press release or anything where language and communication is the coin of the realm, nothing can replace a strong editor.”

—Mike Edison, collaborator on Restaurant Man, and author of I Have Fun Everywhere I Go and Dirty! Dirty! Dirty!

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