You just poured your heart into a piece of writing and now you’re having doubts.
You know something is missing. You need someone you can trust to look at your work, understand your vision, and give helpful suggestions for revision.
You need to nail this—whether it’s a blog post, article, personal essay, gallery talk, artist statement, or novel. And you want an editor who’s going to look at your work with a critical eye, but not cut you down like that angry middle school English teacher with the death glare and the wrist-smacking ruler. (You know the one.)
That’s where I come in.
In addition to looking at grammar, I’m a developmental editor who looks at the overall narrative arc of your piece to ensure it’s engaging to your readers, true to your voice, accomplishes the goals you have in mind, and is a work of art you can be proud of for years to come.
Let's work together!
Here's the run down:
[1]
Specializing in working with creative entrepreneurs and artists, I can help you polish your business copywriting until it shines. I'll help you captivate your readers and keep their attention.
[2]
I'm equally passionate about fiction and creative nonfiction. As a creative nonfiction writer who's had book reviews and essays published in a variety of literary magazines, I've got a keen eye for the type of nuanced editing lit mags require. I'm the girl from your MFA workshop that you want to edit your every submission.
[3]
Likewise, I write book reviews, personal essays, feminist commentary, interviews with fascinating folks, and other enjoyable things to read. You can hire me to write any of these things for your publication. Check out my published articles here.
Here are just a few of the things I can do for you...
Got a book, essay, or article?
I edit those. One of my clients even wrote a sweet blog post where she talks about what it’s like to work with me.
Want to make sure your grammar will pass a white glove test?
I can dust it up.
Want to ensure your story makes as much sense to your reader as it does to you?
I can check your overall storyline to make sure the narrative flows smoothly.
Need image descriptions for your artwork or photos on your website?
I write those.
Teaching a class or workshop?
I can help you write and edit your course materials and slides.
Got an art show or gallery exhibition coming up?
I can help you write and edit your artist's statement so your words will do your art justice.
Got a speech to give?
I can edit your draft or work with you to write a speech from scratch, fine-tuned to your specific audience.
I edit other professional copywriters’ work.
This screenshot is from the website of a professional copywriter who will remain anonymous:
It’s a small bit of copy. You might think there’s not much to change...
Here’s what I’d do:
If I can edit the crap out of professional copywriters’ work and be that thorough,
just imagine what I can do for you.
Ready for me to write or edit for you?
Can’t seem to get started? Not sure how readers will react?
Already written your piece and don’t know where to get it published?
Book me for a writing consultation!
Writing consultations are for people who…
have creative blocks they can’t get past.
don’t know where to submit their work.
don’t know how to write a cover letter for literary magazines.
need a quick live edit of their short work (under ~3k words).
want to try me out to see if I’m a good fit for a larger project.
want to pick my brain.
Before another year goes by with your best work not being published, let’s work together to make your writing dreams happen.
Testimonials
Photo by T. Scott
testimonial
"My relationship with Mandy started out in a local writing group. Even though I didn’t know her very well, it was clear she was a talented writer, gifted student, and kick-ass human being. On a whim, I asked her to be my blogging partner, I needed somebody to hold me accountable.
However, what I gained was so much more than accountability. Her ability to listen to your goals, then provide you with feedback to create a better version of your story, article, or thought process is exceptional. She reads and digests the content to gain a clear understanding of your message, at times, uncovering something you hadn’t even considered.
Creating client offers has been a bit of a struggle for me. I was writing a message to appeal to and attract my audience, yet I was coming up short with my vision. Mandy read my copy and challenged me to get more specific, providing real time examples of ways I had benefitted my clients. She shed light on exactly what I needed to do to share my gifts and talents, and made it crystal clear. Now, whenever I need help with my writing and message, it’s a no-brainer. I turn to Mandy for support."
Mindy Santo, Women's Empowerment Coach at mindysanto.com
Photo by Audrey Davis
testimonial
"Mandy helped me write an amazing artist statement for my website! I am not that great of a writer, myself. With the help of her amazing writing skills, my portfolio looks more professional than it ever has."
Josh Hoggle, fine artist at joshhogglesart.com
Photo by Natalie Cordova.
Photo by Time Inc. photography
Photo by Joshua Parker
testimonial
“I’ve been working with Mandy as my professional editor for some time now. Before Mandy, my work was scattered and really missing that ‘it’ factor. I had the creativity, but lacked the ability to polish it. Since working together, my writing has garnered the attention of huge publications, and I’m now regularly published in big name magazines. Before I submit any piece of work, I send it Mandy’s way and she fills up the pages with well-thought-out questions, notes, and suggestions. Working with Mandy has given me the professional edge I needed to start making a living with the work I do and I’m so grateful for her. I hope we continue to work together for years to come.”
Jessica Furniss, owner and chief food photographer at Spiffy Eats and Giggle Water; spiffyeats.com
testimonial
"Mandy is an incredible editor! I came to her struggling to come up with enough content for an upcoming gallery talk––I was writing about a series of my photographs. There aren’t a lot of examples available for gallery talks, and without a standard structure or model to take inspiration from, I was so worried that I wouldn’t be able to fill up my allotted time in an intelligent and artistic way.
Mandy has such an impactful way of making insightful suggestions and asking key questions that got me diving into my topic in ways my panicked brain hadn’t considered! With each comment, she helped me cover all of my bases in a well-rounded and cohesive way. I began struggling with the length, and ended up with not only enough content for my talk, but enough material to expand into a larger project down the line!
She also guided me into a smoother syntax that helped me present the work spoken aloud, even though I organized and prepared my thoughts like a written paper. She even had suggestions of which slides of images to pair with consecutive ideas in each paragraph that really strengthened my talk as a whole!
10/10, Mandy is a dream to work with! She can tackle traditional papers and non-traditional projects with ease. I began with stress and uncertainty and ended feeling confident and inspired!"
Audrey Davis, photographer at audreydavisphotography.com
(Read the full gallery talk on Audrey's blog)
testimonial
I loved working with Mandy! She helped me edit a unique writing project that was outside of my usual scope of work. Her suggestions really brought out the poetry of what I was writing and made it a more powerful piece overall. She was quick to get back to me and really seemed to understand what I was trying to accomplish. I highly recommend her services for writers of all types. I'll definitely work with Mandy again in the future.
Melissa Scott, Owner, Teacher, and Therapist at Melissa Scott Yoga and Counseling
If you’d like to see my resume, click here.
Ready to see what I can do for you?
Say hello. I can't wait to meet you!