The CamCat Books family lost our editor-in-chief and interim CEO last week. Helga Schier, PHD, was not only a brilliant editor who took a chance on me personally, but she gave nearly a hundred writers the opportunity to become published authors and valued members of a company that truly felt like family. She was CamCat's literary light, guiding us through the deep, dark caverns of rough drafts to the shine and dazzle of polished manuscripts ready to be shared with the world.
Helga's goals included placing authors at the center of the company by including us in all decisions about our creations. From book covers to selection of our audiobook narrators and everything in-between, Helga and publisher Sue Arroyo aimed to keep authors content. Their motto books to live in was (and still is) specific: an immersive experience that invites the reader to walk in other people's shoes.
With this in mind, Helga helped me whip I KNOW SHE WAS THERE into shape. At one point in the editing process, I became stuck on a key point at the end of the story. Helga sent me a detailed email about this section and made suggestions. I took the weekend to mull over her words and by Monday morning I knew what I had to do to take the manuscript from good to great. I reached out to her, starting the email with, "You are going to think I'm as crazy as my protagonist, but I want to. . ." and then I detailed my plan. Helga reached back immediately with just three words: "I LOVE CRAZY."
And I loved you, Helga. We all did.
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