Alexis Rizzuto at Beacon is a most patient and wonderful editor who reminded me that the inspiration and writing of a book is like the falling in love part of a relationship, and the revision process is more like marriage—it takes more work!
John Shivik
Alexis is everything you could ask for in an editor--conscientious, a meticulous line-editor, SMART, warm, reliable, and passionate about her projects, authors, and activism. She was a delight to work with as an office mate and equally appreciated as a model editor whose projects were always in impeccable shape when handed over to production. A rare combination of writer and editor, Alexis would be an asset to any editorial project.
Marcy Barnes
For her somehow laid-back, yet simultaneously intense line of questioning, suggesting, reordering, rethinking, rereading, contemplating, scrutinizing, and fine-toothed combing, to my editor at Beacon Press, Alexis Rizzuto—thanks again.
Steven Hawley
From my first, long conversation with my editor at Beacon Press, Alexis Rizzuto, I realized that I had what every aspiring author dreams of: a contract with a respected publisher and an editor I immediately liked. Over the course of more than a year, as I worked on this book, Alexis demonstrated that she possesses the skill to make my writing better and the humility to recognize when she had done enough. I’m doubly fortunate to have made a new friend.
Michael Lanza
This is the second book I have worked on with Beacon Press senior editor Alexis Rizzuto. ‘Work’ is a misnomer—collaborating with Alexis has been a pure joy, and she has helped to fulfill my vision for this story, even at a point when I began to lose my way. I greatly appreciate her intelligence and honesty but most importantly her warmth in what has been an emotional, often challenging, process.
Jorja Leap
During the many years I dreamed of being an author, I prayed I would be blessed with an editor who would make my work far better than it otherwise could be. Alexis is that dream editor, and I am grateful for the opportunity of working with her. Alexis ‘got’ the book from the outset and saw potential in it beyond my original concept. Because of her vision, guidance and insistence, Blood of the Tiger is a much more concise, poignant and inspiring read. The narrative is much stronger because of its focus on the stories of the many heroes I met along my 20-plus year journey. Because of Alexis, I was forced to dig deep to help readers see and feel the story – to take them with me rather than simply tell them what happened along the way.
Judy Mills
Working with Alexis on my two books, Harvest the Wind and Harness the Sun, has been pure joy. Not only does she have a keen eye and ear for clear prose, but she is highly adept at telescoping back from the individual turn of phrase, or the specific passage, to assess the flow and coherence of the broader narrative. When Alexis told me I needed to shift the order of chapters, or the sequencing within chapters, she was always right. I write about energy technology, which can come across as dry and arcane, or as broadly accessible and alive with promise. Alexis was masterful in guiding me toward the latter, and helping me steer clear of the former. Our author-editor collaborations have only been strengthened by her personal commitment to tackling the climate change conundrum. Her editorial skills are not just inspired; they are deeply purposeful.