Editor's Note: In conjunction with his publication of his new book, "Good Prose," Pulitzer Prize winner and bestselling author Tracy Kidder and editor Richard Todd will host “Good Prose Month” on Biographile.com, with the goal of bringing together the strongest voices in nonfiction to share insight into the writing and editing process with the next generation of authors. Every day during the month of January, visit Biographile.com for a new Good Prose tip, lesson, or story from bestselling authors, award-winning journalists, acclaimed editors, and favorite storytellers. The conversation will continue on Twitter with a weekly #GoodProse chat about the craft of writing, hosted by selected authors from a range of nonfiction genres.

Kendra Harpster is a Senior Editor at Random House where she acquires and edits literary and commercial fiction, as well as narrative nonfiction by writers such as Bret Anthony Johnston, Susan Burton, Annie Barrows, Kurt Andersen, Rachel Joyce, and Lavanya Sankaran. She began her career in 1999 at Doubleday and in 2006 moved to Viking where she published fiction by bestselling author Tana French (whose debut In the Woods won the 2007 Edgar Award for Best First Novel), Kim Edwards, and Danielle Ganek, among others.

"Ask questions; if you wonder or are curious about something, chances are other readers will be too."

"Praise is very, very important!"

"Remind the writer that the book is hers and that all of your editorial efforts are in the service of helping her do her best work. Ultimately all of the decisions are hers to make because the book is hers, not yours."

Jennifer E. Smith is the author of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, The Storm Makers, You Are Here, and The Comeback Season. She earned a master’s degree in creative writing from the University of St. Andrews in Scotland, and currently works as an editor in New York City. Her work has been translated into 27 languages, and her new young adult novel, This is What Happy Looks Like, is coming out in April 2013.

"An editorial letter is a little bit like a sandwich. The filling is made up of notes, suggestions, and constructive criticism. But on either side of all that, you need a big slice of praise and encouragement. Otherwise, there's nothing to hold it all together."

Andy Ward is an executive editor at Random House. In addition to editing Marcus Samuelsson’s memoir, Yes, Chef, he has worked on Thanksgiving by Sam Sifton, The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg, Tenth of December by George Saunders and a forthcoming history of the processed food industry, Salt Sugar Fat, by Michael Moss. He and his wife also do a column for Bon Appetit.

"Writing is hard, and it’s always good to keep that in mind. In other words, support and suggest, don’t merely criticize."

"Editing without specificity on the page is not really editing. It’s throwing the ball back into the writer’s court."

"If the writer can see, based on your notes, that you care – about every sentence, a lot -- then he or she is probably going to be more likely to trust you, and to work hard for you."

"Care."