The Editor's Tale

Dear Reader, 

I should tell you firstly that Electric Quill Editing took me thirty years to write. After many tumultuous years of flitting between jobs for which I secretly knew that I had no passion, and all the while seeking solace in the comfort and familiarity of a book, it seems now unthinkable that it remained unwritten for so long. 

Since graduating from Northumbria University with an Honours in English Literature and Creative Writing, and going on to study for a Masters in Publishing at Oxford Brookes University, working full-time with the written word in any meaningful way seemed unachievable. Instead I spent my years working in libraries (a time I enjoyed most), working in offices in various administrative roles, and in charities providing debt advice to those in need. There were elements of all roles that I loved, but there were many more elements that I did not. You see, Reader -- if you'll forgive the cliché  -- my heart just wasn't in it. I wanted to be in media res, so to speak.

So, instead, I took all of the knowledge of books and the publishing industry that I had gained from my studies and my work in libraries, combined it with the experience I gained in advisory roles, and wrote the project you see in front of you today. It was inevitable, really.

I hope you enjoyed my tale. It was a long time in writing and takes but a short time to read, though I have always found that fewer words used mindfully are much more effective than many words squandered.

Sincerely,

Ryan