The most thankless profession

I've been doing freelance nonfiction book editing since April '08 and just started my twentieth book.

Yesterday I received my first thank-you, from a co-author of the nineteenth book.

One out of nineteen: It doesn't make it all worthwhile, but it helps a bit.

I've been an editor since '83 and understand that this is a profession in which its practitioners are judged primarily by their mistakes, not by their contributions. I can live with that.

Anyone who needs to be thanked for a job well done needn't apply.