Diana Arterian provided the seemingly impossible balance of hands-on/hands-off editing. Allowing Upend space when need be, she was always swiftly available to offer her sharp, thorough mind for several iterations of the manuscript. She generously tracked everything between the smallest inconsistency fixes and big picture, structural questions–all with sensitivity, humility, and patience towards the ethnically, geographically, and inter-generational complexity of the book. — Claire Hong
Editing one’s own manuscript is always iffy, but having Diana work on Besiege Me is an awesome experience. Her point of view and opinions elevated my work to another level. — Nicholas Wong
There is always a point in writing a book when I can no longer see my writing as a whole piece—I can only see it as a series of my own writerly puzzles, problems, and ecstasies. Diana Arterian was able to give me extremely insightful and apt line-level edits as well as, invaluably, the details of what my book was like as a book. What it felt like for her to read it, its momentum, tone, movement, where it lagged, or lost its driving question, or disappeared behind a technique. She’s a genius writer, too. It is this writerly-ness that helps make her such a brilliant editor. — Sarah Vap
Diana brought a precise amount of care to my work that emboldened me to fight for the parts of my work that I loved and to accept what could use a fair shake of polishing. There wasn’t a moment where I did not feel that the comments and edits she suggested were brought in without an investment in the work being as clean as it needed to be. — Aeon Ginsberg
Finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in Transgender Poetry
Diana Arterian’s work as an editor is that of a first reader, not only sharpening work at the level of the line, but also offering interventions I had yet to think of. The opportunity to work with Diana tremendously shaped the project for the better. — Chaun Webster
Publishing a first book is always, I suspect, a dizzying, anxious-making endeavor, but I was so lucky to have Diana Arterian’s help in bringing my first book to the world. It was largely through Diana’s care for my work—her perceptiveness, her line-level precision, and her general support of my vision—that I came to have confidence that it was, in fact, a book at all. I will always be grateful for what I learned from our encounters. — Cameron Awkward-Rich
Finalist for the Lambda Literary Award in Transgender Poetry
As the editor for my first book, Bone Confetti (Noemi Press), Diana’s editorial eye is truly sharp and incisive, attentive to the textures of language as much as technique. I feel very lucky that such an important debut project of mine is treated with such care. — Muriel Leung
Working with Diana Arterian on my book Ford Over was a dream. Small-press editorial work is underpaid and undervalued, and Diana went above and beyond: tuned into the energies of the book, passionate about its layout and design, and committed to shepherding the book through the editorial process with a keen eye for detail. — JD Pleucker
Diana helped me make my collection stronger, smarter and braver. She is a thorough and responsible editor full of keen insights and deep compassion. — Arielle Greenberg
