“I didn’t know what to expect in the editorial process as a debut author. I have to admit, it terrified me a little. It turned out I had nothing to fear. Diana made me feel at ease from the beginning. Her excellent editorial letters were comprehensive in scope and her line edits provided insightful feedback with focus and clarity. Diana’s guidance helped me make my novel richer with each round of revision; from overall developmental edits to fine tuning important details in my novel. Her honest and thought provoking questions helped me dig deeper into my characters and story. I found Diana to be wonderfully professional in every way, throughout the entire editorial process. I value all that I have learned while working with her. Above all, Diana is a wonderfully kind and generous human being. If you are looking for an editor who will take your manuscript to the next level and beyond, look no further! Diana Pho will give your book a thorough read and her advice will be golden.” —Marie Miranda Cruz, author of Everlasting Nora, selected by Kirkus Reviews for Best Book in Middle Grade
“I had the good fortune of being acquired by Diana, and going through the editorial process for two novels with her. What I love about working with Diana is that from the first interaction after turning in a project, I know that she’s a gifted reader, which I think is the first requirement of a gifted editor. She consistently operates from an understanding of the tone, style, and voice of my work, aside from the plot itself. Beginning with a rundown of what she loves in the story, her enthusiasm excites and encourages as I work through her critical feedback, which is always clear and thorough, both in the editorial letter and in-line. It makes revision organized and very low stress, and her openness to discussion contributes to that. I’m so proud of the work we’ve done together, and of the fact that at the end of both processes, I’ve come out with a novel that fits my vision and conviction, and on which I’m pleased to see my name.” — Bethany C. Morrow, author of A Song Below Water, a Junior Library Guild selection
“Diana acquired and edited my three Steeplejack books for Tor Teen and played a huge part in making them what they were as she shepherded them through the editorial and publication process. I loved working with her. Throughout she was attentive, thoughtful, and deeply invested in the material in ways I have experienced all too rarely. What made her really special was that her work was the sensitivity of her notes and the collaborative spirit in which she offered them; this was especially true where she was helping me think through complex issues of race, sexual orientation, and other delicate issues, when I was absolutely reliant on her real and nuanced understanding of diversity and representation. Diana is as supportive and committed as she is insightful. I always knew I was in good hands while I was working with her, whether that was about making the books as good as they could be or in terms of her commitment to their success in the marketplace. I would strongly recommend her to anyone writing fiction, particularly if the work touched on social and political issues, and I sincerely hope I can work with her again.”—A. J. Hartley, New York Times Bestselling and Thriller Award-Winning author of Steeplejack
“Diana has always been a joy to work with, from start to finish. Not only did she take the time to truly understand what I was trying to do with my characters and story, she took time to get to know me as an author too, to help me craft my novel into the very best version of the book it could be. Diana is an editor who understands how to work with authors to get the most out of them. Her feedback is honest, truthful and insightful. She understands the creative process and what it takes to make a great book, and she supports her authors through that journey. I cannot recommend her highly enough.” —George Mann, author of Doctor Who’s Paradox Lost and Engines of War, and the Newbury & Hobbes series
“Working with Diana Pho has probably been the single best decision of my writing career. She took a chance and helped me develop a very strange series of novellas that have become cult favorites, continuing to sell well past their release date, and have been nominated for multiple awards. She’s the perfect mixture of hands-off and willing to talk straight: she’s always let me express my individuality with my work but has been forthright about what isn’t working in my manuscripts. Before working with her, I hadn’t quite known what it meant to feel like an editor was really and truly in my corner, helping me get my ideas and stories out as clearly as possible as broadly as possible.” —Margaret Killjoy, author and Lambda Literary Award-finalist for The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion
“Diana is a sharp and thoughtful reader who always understood what I was trying to accomplish with my books, and her suggestions invariably helped me focus and strengthen my work. I knew I could trust her to tell me what needed to be fixed, what was undermining my story, what wasn’t coming across as I intended. Diana’s commitment to kind and empathetic professionalism shone through in every interaction I had with her. I could not have asked for a better ally on the road to bringing my books to life.” — New York Times bestselling author Alison Wilgus, author & illustrator of Chronin, Volumes 1 & 2
“Over the time she worked with me on the Malus Domestica series, I grew to understand her as a deep, compassionate, and incredibly competent professional. In just a year, she became an integral part of my career, and my life, and my heart rose every time I saw her name in my inbox, because I knew she was either about to challenge me, or deliver some good news. Every time her correspondence came across my desk, I knew today was going to be a good day. She always had a kind word, or a wise interjection, and her manuscript notes were clear and concise.” — S. A. Hunt, winner of Reddit.com’s /r/Fantasy “Independent Novel of the Year” 2014 Stabby Award, author of the bestselling Malus Domestica series
“Reading an edit letter from Diana is equal parts bracing and encouraging. She can tell you when you’ve pushed your characters, your plot, your world, or yourself too far, and when you haven’t pushed far enough. She knows when you have a little bit more to give, and she can draw it out of you with a thoughtful question or a pointed comment. She’s an insightful editor, and I was very lucky to work with her on The Amberlough Dossier.” — Lara Elena Donnelly, Lambda Literary Award finalist for the Amberlough Dossier trilogy
“Seriously, Diana’s Hugo Award nominations are no accident. From the grand sweep of sagas to the rhythm of the smallest sentence, she has the enthusiasm, intelligence, skill and experience to transform your work into the best possible version of itself.” —Thoraiya Dyer, multiple Aurealis Award and Ditmar Award winner, author of the award-winning Crossroads of Canopy
“I had the rare privilege of crafting two books with Diana, The Guns Above and By Fire Above, so I got a firsthand view of what those novels looked like before and after she worked her magic. She oversaw their transformation from raggedy manuscripts that I would hesitate to show to my most supportive friends, to the embarrassingly-well reviewed books they are today. She is smart, attentive, meticulous, and easy to work with—providing a guiding hand rather than just a pair of scissors. I would wholeheartedly recommend her to any writer who wants to produce the best possible version of their manuscript.” —Robyn Bennis, author of the Signal Airship series
“Diana’s insightful eye and keen suggestions not only improved my stories, but helped me grow as a writer. She is always spot-on in her assessments and edits and able to pinpoint the places where the story is off-balance. And while she offers excellent suggestions for how to make changes, she’s always respectful of the author’s intent and vision. She was an absolute pleasure to work with.” —K. A. Doore, author of the Chronicles of Ghadid series
“I wrote a manuscript specifically for the chance to work with Diana Pho at Tor.com Publishing. In developmental work, she was enthusiastic, precise, and proactive—she grasped the logic of the story, carried it past what I’d written, and identified questions I hadn’t even considered. In structural edits, she challenged me to focus my manuscript at the exact right length for its market, then guided me to areas that needed tightening. Most of all, she was genuinely excited about the story. If you’ve ever thought to yourself ‘I wish someone who understands and loves this book would show up and tell me how to fix it,’ Diana’s your woman.”—Seth Dickinson, author of The Traitor Baru Cormorant
“With Diana Pho, you are in the hands of a consummate professional from start to finish. Her attention to detail is awe-inspiring–she notices even the smallest changes buried deep in the manuscript. Respect for the author’s vision, along with dedication to polishing your novel until it shines, are keystones to her professional approach. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with Diana, and would do so again in a heartbeat.” — Ilana C. Myer, author of The Poet King
“Diana is a fantastic and conscientious editor with an innate understanding of story and publishing, built over years of shepherding some of the best authors in the business.” — Michael F. Haspil, author of Graveyard Shift
“Working with Diana was a dream. She dug into the sub- and meta-textual levels of my writing, and helped me to tweak and fine tune my prose so that the story was as good as it could be. She parsed the unconscious implications and hidden (even from myself) levels of what I was doing, and yet was never less than positive and supportive. I’d work with her again anytime.” —Alex Bledsoe, author of the Tufa series
“Diana is a superb editor. Her advice is always insightful and incisive, and she always finds ways to enhance any manuscript she touches. Not for nothing is she a three-time Best Editor Hugo finalist. She has been my editor for two books so far, A Labyrinth of Scions and Sorcery, and The Last Uncharted Sky, both of which she helped by restructure in subtle but significant ways to their great benefit. Like a skilled surgeon, she makes great repairs with little damage to the original corpus. She is a pleasure to work with, professional to the bone, yet compassionate even when delivering the most needful critique. She is prompt in her responses, reliable on a deadline, and scrupulously honest. I would happily work with her again. “—Curtis Craddock, author of the Risen Kingdoms series
“Working with Diana is amazing – from our first meeting I knew our story was in excellent hands. Not only is she an extremely skilled editor (helping identify the weak points and bolster them with stronger ones, guiding creators to explore elements and snap the story into something stronger) but her empathy and involvement build on her skill. She is engaged – and every piece of guiding advice or note given reflects that.
One of the first questions she asked me was, ‘How do you want us to talk about this?’ For anyone telling a story that requires you to open up, be personal, share your experience, this…this is the question. Diana…gets it. Not just the story, nah, she can lead you through that and help you build something truly great…but she’s not willing to sacrifice YOU for the project. That’s what you want in an editor…and Diana is one of the best.” — Marie Enger, cartoonist of FHTAGN & LOATHING, illustrator for Where Black Stars Rise, Invader Zim and Rick & Morty vs Dungeons & Dragons comics
“Diana combines a keen eye for detail with a deep understanding of story. She is what an editor should be: someone who guides a narrative toward its ideal, while maintaining its unique voice and vision. Her feedback is never sugar-coated, but its effect is to stimulate and motivate, rather than discourage. Writers at any level would benefit from her personalized services. I’m also excited to see her offer sensitivity reading and editing. Writers who are committed to not erasing people of color and other marginalized groups from our works must often navigate with care so as not to appropriate or misrepresent. I’ll certainly be considering engaging Diana’s skills on my own future projects.” — Lettie Prell, professional short story author
“I was thrilled when Diana acquired my novella We Shall Sing a Song Into the Deep for Tor.com—and also pretty intimidated! I had never worked with an editor at this professional level before, or on this length of manuscript. I was immediately set at ease from my first conversation with Diana. It was clear she deeply understood my intentions and aims for my book. In fact, her keen observations and revision suggestions helped me to better understand my own writing, enabling me to refine my vision and scope. An insightful, conscientious reader. A hell of an editor. Working with Diana has been the best sort of collaboration, and my book is absolutely improved because of it. I would work with her again in a heartbeat, and, indeed, I hope to.” —Andrew Kelly Stewart, Clarion alum and author of We Shall Sing a Song into the Deep
“Diana’s notes changed my life! She gave me an edit letter several pages long, and also an annotated copy of my manuscript with some in-line feedback. The biggest thing her notes did is give me permission to lean into some of the aspects of the book I had been skirting around. She encouraged me to make the allegories more explicit, put some of the darker insights more directly on the page. I had been debating whether the story made more sense in YA vs Adult. Once she helped me see that it was firmly in Adult territory, so many choices became clear.” —Jill Tew, winner of the #EditsforBlackSFF project
Diana M. Pho 