Susan Litman: An Editor’s Perspective on Story, Strategy, and Collaboration

In this episode of The Write Frame of Mind, Adrienne Giordano welcomes a very special guest—Harlequin Intrigue senior editor Susan Litman. Susan also happens to be Adrienne’s editor, and together they turn the tables a bit by bringing an editor’s voice into the conversation. Susan gives a behind-the-scenes peek at editing, collaboration, and the business of publishing. She shares her journey from film development to Harlequin, talks about balancing creative and administrative demands, and offers thoughtful advice for writers on revision, trust, and stepping away from a manuscript before submitting. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 01:18 Susan’s path from film development to Harlequin 03:39 Working on Special Edition and continuity projects 05:10 Stepping into the senior editor role at Intrigue 06:29 How editorial, marketing, and art work together 08:59 Time management and shifting priorities 12:17 Advocating for authors and books 15:45 Managing energy and loving the work 18:37 The joy of editing and author communication 20:42 Why stream-of-consciousness edits help authors 22:50 Advice Susan would give her younger editor self 25:44 Learning how to communicate with authors 28:26 Why no book is perfect on submission 29:56 The author-editor relationship as collaboration 32:16 Creating stronger chapter and scene endings 34:17 Susan’s advice for writers 34:52 Why every writer should read ON WRITING 36:02 The value of stepping away before submitting 38:40 When writers should reach out to their editor Guest Bio: Susan Litman is the Senior Editor for Harlequin Intrigue, acquiring fast-paced romantic suspense. She joined Harlequin as an Assistant Editor on the Intimate Moments series in 2002 after several years working in film development in New York. She then joined the Special Edition series team as first Associate Editor and then Editor, acquiring contemporary romance. She has focused her strengths on author development, working with authors including New York Times Bestseller Allison Leigh, USA Today Bestseller Tif Marcelo, Brenda Harlen and Jennifer D. Bokal. Susan also played an instrumental role with Harlequin’s IP programs, including the Tough Justice digital-first serialized novels, and the long-running franchises the Fortunes of Texas and Montana Mavericks. She attended Sarah Lawrence College, and has a cookbook collection that is outgrowing her shelves at an alarming pace. Follow her on Threads or Instagram at @insusieskitchen if you want to know what concerts she attended this month. Love this episode? Rate it ⭐️ Thumbs Up 👍 Subscribe 🔔 Thanks to DELOSound for the great background music. Host Bio: Adrienne Giordano is a certified life coach, USA Today bestselling author, and seasoned professional with over three decades of experience in writing, marketing, client service, and life coaching. She empowers clients through personalized coaching that fosters growth, accountability, and lasting change. As the author of more than forty novels, Adrienne captivates readers with stories in romantic suspense, mystery, and women’s fiction. With a background in managing multimillion-dollar accounts and co-writing multiple successful projects, she blends business expertise with a creative vision. For more information on Adrienne’s coaching, please visit www.AdrienneGiordano.com/coachingcorner. #TheWriteFrameOfMind #AuthorMindset #WritingLife #CreativeResilience #MindsetForWriters #WriterWellness #podcastepisode #podcastguest #authorpodcast #authorsontheair #vidcast #authorssupportingauthors #PublishingLife #EditorsAndWriters #HarlequinIntrigue #WritingCommunity #CreativeProcess #AmWriting #BookEditing