I Believe in the Power of Words
Words connect us. They are the basis of communication through which we share our experiences and ideas. They are the framework on which we hang our understanding and through which that understanding is deepened, broadened, and enriched. Through convention, we achieve clarity, and through innovation, we challenge boundaries.
I Believe in the Power of Story
Stories unite us. They educate, entertain, and excite. They illuminate, illustrate, and inspire. They leave us challenged, chastened, and changed. The right characters can become life long friends and companions. The right worlds can provide us with needed escapes. They can be rich and meaningful or light and distracting. Sometimes, they can even be both.
Why lion’s tooth?
Publishing is a daunting prospect. Whether you pursue traditional methods and seek an agent or choose to self-publish, much of the outcome is out of your hands. Writing a story is only the beginning.
If you choose to query agents or publishers, the manuscript itself is only part of the equation. You must also craft the query itself, and even if you achieve a package that is objectively ‘good,’ there are elements beyond your control. You must hit the trifecta: an agent that connects with your work, at a moment they have an opening in their list, while the market looks promising for that sort of thing. If even one element is out of alignment, it’s a non-starter. And then you have to find an editor…
If you choose to self-publish, you have to navigate the vagaries of the market and advertising on your own. Maybe you’ll reach the right influencer on the right day and become the next break-out star. Maybe you’ll hit the zeitgeist and spread through the ether.
Every story we write and send out, however we do so, is like a seed. Once it is out of our hands, we have very little control over where it lands, whether it germinates, or how well it grows. May we be like the dandelion, sending out our seeds far and wide, carried by the wind to unpredictable destinations. May we be hardy and tenacious, able to sprout in the meekest soil, springing up through the very concrete of an inhospitable industry.
Your Voice Matters
I’ve spent my life steeped in stories. Through moves, poor health, and family challenges, I could always find something to sustain me in the pages of a book or the action on a screen. Now I’m adult with a family of my own and more challenges than ever, but I’m equipped to face them, largely through my faith and my reading. I have read of lives I could never imagine, experiences I could never have. I have learned the most from voices incredibly different than my own.
I am nonbinary and queer. My family is full of neurodivergence and mental health concerns. I deal with chronic pain and fatigue. Representation matters. Diverse voices matter.
Lion's Tooth Editing 