Praise for Peternelle van Arsdale
“Finding an editor who sees you through the lines of your words is rare, and I felt seen by Peternelle within minutes of our first conversation. Despite an insane deadline, she was able to work with me through multiple rounds of edits on my second memoir, from a rough first draft to a polished book in a mind-blowingly short amount of time. Her thoughtful line edits and gentle suggestions told me she truly cared about my story—probably as much as I did—and I knew it was in not only capable, but kind hands. What more could a writer ask for.”
“I’ve become a connoisseur of editors, and Peternelle is one of the best I’ve ever worked with. Brilliant, thorough, careful, respectful, funny, ceaselessly kind, she’s taught me so much about books and readers and storytelling, and she’s done so always with the most sparkling and contagious good cheer. In the writing of every book there are dark days, very dark, when you need more than a talented editor. You need a calm voice, a brave comrade, a trusted friend who maintains an unflagging belief in you and in the work. That’s Peternelle.”
“Peternelle is an author’s editor, with a keen eye toward helping authors write the books they really want to write. She engages both on the macro level and sentence by sentence, even word by word. She knows how to get the best from her writers with a custom blend of challenging and encouraging. I recommend her with great enthusiasm to writers at all stages of their careers.”
“Peternelle saved my novel. If I hadn’t worked with her I’m convinced I would still be querying agents. She has an amazing editorial eye and gave me the perfect roadmap to follow that led to representation and publication. If you have the opportunity to work with her, I guarantee you will grow as a writer.”
“Peternelle is a life-saver and a game-changer. I was under contract with one of the big publishers, had blown through several deadlines, and had all but given up hope of finishing my book. My agent connected me to Peternelle, and that changed everything. She is a deft editor, an empathetic listener, and has an uncanny ability to identify what both you and your book need in order to succeed. My memoir is now out in the world in large part due to the help I received from Peternelle. I would strongly recommend her as an editor to anyone who wants to level up.”
“Peternelle is a great writer and a great editor. She has a wonderful way with words but also a great bedside manner. Not only does she have great taste; she’s constructive, and best of all, she’s always right!”
“Peternelle is one of the best editors I have had the privilege to work with. She has an amazingly sharp intellect that can find the missing piece of a puzzle in a complicated manuscript, a terrific ear for dialogue, and an affinity for language so that any manuscript is infinitely better after she has gone through it. She is worth her weight in gold.”
“Peternelle understands an author’s vision in the early stages of a work, and gently suggests, accurately and succinctly but without imposing on the author’s autonomy, which story elements might need development. Working with her took my writing to higher level, for which I will be forever grateful.”
“Peternelle has the uncanny ability to read your novel and divine what the true story was meant to be. She helps you pare away all the extra themes and characters and plots weighing it down, and leaves you with a beautifully crafted piece. And she helps you achieve that in the kindest, most thorough way possible. Every critique is in the service of the story. A sincere and genuine person, Peternelle is a pleasure to work with.”