Sara Kocek
“I am a better writer because of Sara Kocek. She didn’t just fix what was weak; she explained why, teaching me through her edits. Yet, her kind, supportive attitude combined with her sharp understanding of storytelling made me feel more, not less, confident in myself. She doesn’t tear you down, but builds you up by giving you the tools you need to succeed. On the business side, she gave me a fair estimate and returned my manuscript promptly, as promised. She was also accessible later to discuss follow-up questions. Although I was at first unsure about spending money on what might be a pipe dream, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again, for the return surpassed the investment.”
–Eva Pohler, Amazon bestselling author of The Gatekeeper's Saga
Suzy Spencer
“Suzy was my editor and writing coach for a leadership book series. Her editing was accurate and current. She noticed my long circuitous sentences and had me change them; she noticed my use of repetition to make a point and had me stop. Most importantly, she was an encouraging, insightful, and experienced writing coach. She wasn’t snarky, critical, or demotivating like some in this business. She coached me on writing style, seeking my niche, how to keep the reader engaged, and what publishers look for in my genre. I would highly recommend Suzy as your editor and coach without any reservations.”
–Margaret Anne Meacham, PhD, Eagle Communications, Leadership Consultant
Jennifer Ziegler
“Jenny’s critiques have been invaluable to my writing. First off, her comments are extremely easy to follow and organized — her last critique of my YA novel was broken down into these main areas: (1) overall thoughts, (2) setting, (3) characters, (4) style/pacing, and (5) plot. Within each area, Jenny provided constructive, thoughtful, and intelligent comments. This was particularly true for her feedback on my characters — She was excellent at helping flesh out their motives, and noticing when my protagonist appeared to be taking action, but really was stuck inside his head. Her comments also strike the perfect balance between being encouraging and pointing out if something’s not working."
–Sean Petrie, Austin, TX
Bethany Hegedus
“By the time I started working with Bethany, I’d already struggled with my manuscript for a few years. Bethany immediately identified what it needed and gave me portions of writing books, essays, and examples to read, in addition to her own editorial feedback. With Bethany’s guidance, I did my best work, and my book became the book I’d always wanted, but didn’t know how to write. Recently, I was lucky enough to have offers of representation from three agents on the manuscript Bethany and I worked on. Working with her was the best decision I could have made for my writing career.”
–Holly Green, Austin, TX
David Aretha
“David Aretha is one of the most reliable and qualified copyeditors and proofreaders I have worked with in my many years in publishing. His attention to detail, his consistent and conscientious approach to the text, and his organizational skills ensure that the material he submits on editing projects is always of utmost quality. I highly recommend David for both copyediting and proofreading work.”
–Josh Leventhal, Publisher, MVP Books
Jane Rose Porter
“I’ve written eight books, hundreds of articles and worked with many editors, and I think Jane Porter is terrific. She challenges my thinking and makes suggestions that make my writing better. I appreciate her insightful, no-nonsense, straight ahead approach. I recommend her skills and services.”
–Mark Sanborn, author, president of Sanborn & Assoc. Inc., leadership development firm, Lonetree, Colorado
Samantha Clark
“Exclamation-point exceptional, that’s how I would describe Samantha’s edits and her critique. Her comments were wise, clear, and made sense in respect to the whole concept of the book. I’m going through all the edits and making amendments accordingly. I’m sure it will read much better after that. I thank Samantha all for the time and effort that she put into my book. I’ll be seeking the services of Yellow Bird Editors again soon, particularly Samantha.”
–Raj Bijloll
Bradley P. Wilson
“Bradley P Wilson is one of the best editors I have ever worked with. Because of his critique of my first middle grade novel, I landed a contract with a highly reputable literary agency. He gave attention to the smallest detail, with an eagle eye on how to make each and every word count. Brad also pushed me to strengthen my characters, up the stakes, and keep the story on the right pace. I know I can trust him to be honest and objective and never sugarcoat his critique. Brad’s edits helped me take my novel to the next level, and helped me to strengthen my skills as a writer. He’s my go-to editor for every project!”
–Christina Soontornovat, award-winning author of The Mapmaker’s Boy (VCFA Journal, 2013) and The Changelings (Sourcebooks, 2016)
A.R. Capetta
“AR’s editorial feedback changed the way I saw my own novel. In a wonderful way. They peeled back my story layer by layer, character by character, highlighting the strength of each while raising the tough questions that needed to be asked. My protagonist and the people around her were brought front and center and asked to account for themselves, their wants, their fears, their motivations. AR managed all of this with a wonderful enthusiasm that I had started to lose. They shed a new light on the world I’d worked so hard to create, a world that had accumulated a few cobwebs from the months of second guessing myself. AR picked it up, blew off the dust, and breathed a bit of fresh life into it. That’s something I couldn’t have done on my own.”
–Meg Matherne, MFA graduate
Cory McCarthy
“Cory should be the Secretary of Explaining Things. Their editorial letters break down the elements of the manuscript and thoroughly analyze each–premise, plot, characterizations, relationships, setting, and beginnings and endings. For the writer, this provides an overview of the manuscript’s strengths and how to build on them, the weaknesses and how to fix them, and the marketability of the manuscript. Cory is especially astute in pointing out where a story might fit into the market and ways to make it even more salable. In addition to the overview, specific comments within the manuscript indicate strong writing and genuine emotional and relationship development as well places that need attention–including (but not limited to) inconsistencies, inadequate character or story development, and awkward and cliched writing.”
–Lyn Miller-Lachmann, award-winning author of Gringolandia (Curbstone Books, 2009) and Rogue (Nancy Paulson Books, 2013)
E. Kristin Anderson
“As a novice fiction writer, I made the decision to focus on the creative aspects of my work. Of course, that left a myriad of other details undone: formatting, copy editing, proofreading and the like. What to do? I turned to Yellow Bird for assistance in converting my story into a readable manuscript. E. Kristen Anderson was my editor/advisor and worked over each page with attention to writing style and story detail. I found her review comprehensive and comments beneficial. Thank you Emily and Yellow Bird for making my work better!“
–David McKinney, author of Bear Bones (Top 3 winner of the Alaska Writers Guild Contest, 2014)
Matthew Patin
“I’ve learned a lot about editing and writing from [you] and really appreciate everything you’ve done. . . I am getting very excited at how close this is and how far it’s come. . . [You’ve] brought a polish to the ideas I have [been able to] see and feel in my head, but haven’t been able to get until now.”
–James Boileau
Katherine Catmull
“I’ve had the great good fortune of having Katherine Catmull review and comment on a range of my writing over the years, from stage plays to short stories to newspaper features and, most recently, my debut novel. Her attention to the craft of writing–big-picture structural things like voice or point of view or exposition, or the finer details of language–comes from a unique perspective derived from years of honing her own writing, reviewing and editing prowess. Receiving Katherine’s editorial wisdom both complements the writer’s direction and nudges it gently along the most exciting route. She is a welcome colleague to have on your side and offers her advice firmly, gently and always with a sense of humor.”
–Robi Polgar
Rebecca Maizel
“I just wanted to let you know that I received Rebecca’s critique and I just talked with her on the phone. She’s great. She is a very skilled editor and is very thoughtful in pointing out flaws in the manuscript and suggesting possible solutions. Thanks for steering me to her!”
–J. Harris, Los Angeles
Katherine Don
“Katherine did an amazing job with my manuscript. She helped put the story in a cohesive, beautifully organized format that retained my voice while making my message clear and authoritative. Katherine held my hand during every step of the process from idea creation all the way to making the finest editorial adjustments. I would recommend anyone who is struggling to form a message that cuts through the clutter to work with Katherine.”
–Jovanka Ciares, author, speaker, wellness expert
Salima Alikhan
"Salima’s critiques were deeply insightful. She displayed a real ability to dig beneath the surface text of a work-in-progress and offered helpful suggestions and thoughtful questions that, to my mind, really helped me enhance my manuscript."