Injustice For All (Joe Dillard)">A few years ago, a new writer came to us with a manuscript he wanted professional help with before seeking publication. His editor, Renni Browne, immediately saw its potential. The author was Scott Pratt, his debut novel AN INNOCENT CLIENT. We sent the final draft to Philip Spitzer at the Philip G. Spitzer Literary Agency, and Philip got a three-book contract from New American Library. Scott's second novel starring his lawyer protagonist Joe Dillard, IN GOOD FAITH, was published last year, and the third, INJUSTICE FOR ALL has recently hit bookstores in May. If you like legal mystery/thrillers, how can you resist this blurb?

 

Prosecutor Joe Dillard watched in shock as friend and fellow lawyer
Ray Miller was pushed to the brink of suicide in the court of Judge
Leonard Green. So when Joe arrives at a crime scene to see Green swinging from a tree, it is duty rather than remorse that drives him to catch the killer. But soon the investigation takes Joe away from the halls of justice into his own home. And he's not sure he can face the answer he'll find...

 

I've left the ancient Blue Ridge mountains surrounding my home in Asheville, North Carolina, for the young ones surrounding Tucson, Arizona, to spend Thanksgiving with Ross and visit with the home office staff. Boy, are they smart and cool and fun to hang out with!

We've been making sexy plans for our thirtieth anniversary celebrations in 2010 and cooking up other big projects too. The one I'm most excited about is DIALOGUE FOR FICTION WRITERS, which Ross at last has time to co-author with me.

We didn't want to love Twitter at the Editorial Department.  It seems like such a gimmick and once Ashton Kutcher became the public face of the service, we thought it wouldn't be for us.  150 posts (and counting) later, we're hooked.  There are so many interesting people on there, it's hard to scoff and turn your nose up anymore.  After all, if it's good enough for Margaret Atwood, it should be good enough for us, right?  One of our favorite things on Twitter is LitChat, a thrice weekly hour long discussion of writing or writing related themes.  The conversation is well-moderated, welcoming and informative, which is about all you can ask for these days.  We're proud to announce that our own Renni Browne will be guest-hosting the LitChat for Friday, November 20th, possibly with a few prizes to give away. Go to the LitChat homepage to learn more about how best to experience the chat, get your questions ready, and get into the Twitter fray with Renni and probably some of our staff.  See you there (virtually, but the sentiment is the same).

with  Jesse Steele

It's somewhat difficult to write an introduction for someone with the accomplishments of Renni Browne without resorting to cliche.  "She wrote the book on editing":  she certainly did, but that barely scratches the surface of her accomplishments over nearly fifty years of editing.  To call Renni an expert in this era of instant internet expertise seems trite, so you'll have to read her bio yourself and find out for yourself why we're so proud to be part of The Editorial Department, which she founded in 1980.

JS: This is a huge question, but how has the experience of founding and running this company been for you?RDB: I'd have to say exciting and fulfilling. I've never been bored, not for one minute. Every book is different, every author is different, every page is different. When I left mainstream publishing there was such a need for what we do. Books needed editing just as much as ever, but that wasn't happening at anything like the extent when I entered publishing in the 60's. It was so exciting to see the TED idea slowly catch on.