Editor Spotlight

I’ve always been an avid reader. While I was going through college majoring in English Lit and Creative Writing I discovered my love for editing.

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It’s such a great feeling to be a part of the transformation from manuscript to published book. I know how hard authors work on their books and to be a part of the process in creating that finalized product is awesome.

I have always loved editing. Since stepping out of the corporate world, I have plunged into the fiction book writing world. I love taking rough drafts and refining/chiseling them into gems that sparkle.

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I edit fiction with specialization in fantasy and paranormal whether it be Young Adult or Adult, with romance or without. I also enjoy reading and editing historical fiction, more so if there's a supernatural element to the story.

 I've always been attracted to the concept of creative craftsmanship. To me, self-publishing feels much more rewarding in terms of being authentic and true to the author's vision as opposed to traditional publishing (I have no ill will towards traditional publishing, though).

 

My favorite books to read, movies to watch, and songs to listen to are the ones where you can feel the individual artistry at work. It's also a part of why I started my own business, Oak Valley Media. Our motto: "Authentic. Creative. Endeavors."

At a young age, I wanted to be a singer and a writer. It became a family mantra that I should sing while young, then write when I turned old. Twenty-five years later, I discovered a story I really wanted to write while I was on a break from singing, & the rest is history—literally—as historical storytelling became a passion.

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I love to polish even the roughest diamond into its full potential. Sometimes books are the ultimate fulfillment for a writer. Other times, screenplays. For many, it’s both. And I love both forms of storytelling.

Books are a source of inspiration for me, and I've always felt that we all likely have at least one story inside of us to share. So editing books, to me, is a supportive act.

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Helping an author realize the potential of their story. So many authors come to me with a manuscript in hand and a lot of doubt. They want to publish, but they're worried their book isn't good enough. Many people imagine that editors exist to pick apart a story and find "what's wrong," but that couldn't be less true!

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​While I've worked with authors in a variety of genres, I'm most familiar with YA and adult fantasy and science fiction.

My favorite aspect is getting to know my clients, understanding their goals for their manuscripts, and helping them turn their vision for their book into a reality. Each project has had a special meaning to me. I have learned a lot from the writings of my clients. 

 

I also am very passionate about the editing process itself. There is nothing like molding a rough draft into a polished publication.

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I focus on nonfiction, specializing in the spiritual/metaphysical genre.

Editing books is something I grew into as a student. Now it’s just a normal part of life. I’ve been the editor of special issues in the scholarly journals Christian Bioethics and the Journal of Medicine and Philosophy.

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When I’m crafting a book, I know my effort is going towards something important, something that’ll last. A book is someone’s legacy. Civilization is built on books.

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I have the most experience in non-fiction content editing. If you’re an author with an argument to make or a big idea to present, I’m your editor.

Helping people find concrete steps forward. Writing is a skill set and everyone can learn it. Telling stories is in our DNA—humans have been sharing tales since we lived in caves! It’s the birthright of every soul. I love helping people realize that it is within their grasp to become an author.
 

Manuscript reviewing allows me to pinpoint a writer’s strengths. Authors need to know what it is they are doing well so they can focus on the parts of the story that need attention. Developmental editing is built into the way I critique manuscripts, and I also offer Book Coaching.

Growing up in an Air Force family, I treasured books as friends I could take with me from place to place. Becoming a librarian, reviewer, and editor were natural progressions of that early love.

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It always thrills me to help writers make their books more compelling while honoring each person’s unique style. I want authors who work with me to see me as a colleague, not a critic.

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My favorite genres are cozy mysteries, rom-coms, and character-driven fiction. I also love editing anything related to family, education or Christian thought. And I still have a passion for children’s books so I’d be delighted to edit a middle-grade novel.

I love immersing myself in stories; this is what first attracted me to the idea of editing books. As my passion for books flourished, the concept of partnering with an author on their journey to create their world and their story aligned with my desires for an intellectual challenge and creative outlet.

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My favorite aspect of working with books is two-fold. One, I love connecting with the author. Hearing from them, their vision, dreams, and desires for their story, I find utterly inspirational. Two, reading the books. It sounds basic, but going through a story and offering insight and encouragement is a challenge I find fulfilling.

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Applying for my Manuscript Mastery process through my site rbwolfediting.com is the best way to see if we're a good fit as author and editor. 

I have always loved reading and seeing the ways that authors put words together. Words were my first profession, which was working as a newspaper copy editor and reporter.

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Editing books is a natural progression of what I’ve been doing my entire professional life. The longer form allows me to get more deeply involved and learn more about the topic and the writer.

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Each writer has a voice that works for them. Their work is their expression of themselves. My job is to help them bring their best selves forward. It’s a cooperative process with a lot of give and take.

 

My focus is mostly nonfiction.

As an author, I have been part of several critique groups. Every time I read a chapter and was able to help the author polish their book, I felt like I was part of something bigger, and I loved that feeling.

 

I love reading, and I want all of these authors to succeed, to meet whatever goal they've set for themselves. I know a lot of people shy away from independent authors. Helping authors slay their typos and plug all the plot holes, so the naysayers can't tell if a book is traditionally or independently published, is my favorite part.

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I've worked with all kinds of books, but my favorites are fantasy novels from epic tales to urban fantasy and middle grade to adult.

My first experience in editing was in the academic world, where I have written and edited various kinds of writing like accreditation reports and so on for a couple of decades. I like working with authors to identify any barriers readers will encounter.

 

This might mean helping the author clarify, provide more information, or at times include additional story elements so readers have a smoother experience. It might mean presenting the information in a different place, so as to hold the reader's attention and interest. Also, I have worked with many authors for whom English is not their first language, and I find that English first-language writers need much of the same kind of help, as their chosen genre and style may not be a "first language" to them.  

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While most of my editing is academic and scholarly--in the fields of education and health care as well as psychology and religion--I am interested in editing fiction and creative non-fiction. I am not much interested in YA, fantasy, or romance, but lean toward literary fiction, mystery, thrillers, and westerns.

The way I feel about editing books is very similar to the way I hear people describing becoming a reader. Time and time again we hear, I became a reader as soon as I learned to read and that is how editing is for me. I was editing long before I knew what I was doing. I have always been pulled toward storytelling with collaboration and being able to connect with

another person through problem-solving.

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My favorite aspect of working with books is seeing the way things shift and change and grow through the writing and editing process. I love seeing characters, plots, and themes come together and take shape.

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I own Bibliophage Press where I offer editorial and productivity services for Queer and Women writers.

I’ve been captivated by the power of story since buying my first hardback young adult novel at the ripe old age of ten: Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King. But it was only a few years ago that I stumbled upon a fork in my path and discovered that we aren’t all writers crafting compelling tales from scratch, like diamond miners coaxing out raw crystals from deep in the earth’s mantle. Some of us are editors.

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Beyond getting the front-row seat to a book’s publication journey, my favorite aspect of working with books is actually guiding and supporting authors through their manuscript’s evolutionary process. (Because we all know writing and publishing books is nothing short of a Darwinian experience.)

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I offer three editing services to authors of young adult and adult fiction, specifically in the mystery, horror, and thriller genres—Story Consults, Line Editing, and Copyediting. Each level is designed to give authors a thorough understanding of their manuscript’s presentation from a reader’s perspective and through a professional editor’s eye.

I started reading anything and everything as a child as a way to escape a chaotic childhood.  My favorites were mystery books. From there I found an additional outlet in writing.  I am blessed with a photographic memory, so after years of learning grammar rules and reading everything in front of me, editing became the next logical step. 

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Books have the ability to allow us to transcend time and space.  They teach us so much while at the same time taking our minds and souls on adventures we may never do in real life. Becoming a part of that adventure for other writers brings me extreme pleasure and gratitude.

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I like to teach as I go along, for writers who allow me the honor of doing so.  Being creative and following grammar rules don’t always go hand-in-hand, so I enjoy inserting comments so writers learn what works and what doesn’t while editing their work.  Not every writer wants that, so I respect that as well and assist only with preciseness when warranted.

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I enjoy working with many genres and styles, my favorite being autobiographies, self-help, as well as romantic and biblical fiction.