When mere words just won’t do…

Whether you’re a new author or a publishing pro,  a small nonprofit or a large commercial enterprise, there will be a time when you need an objective set of eyes to review your work. Maybe you want to make sure your novel’s plot holds from beginning to end, or maybe you need someone to check your corporate newsletter for typos. Either way, I can help.

I come to the editing table with degrees in English, journalism, and theology, and twenty-five years of experience in the publishing industry. Be it creation, development, or production, I’ve had my hands in all aspects of the publishing process, from brochures to books and everything in between.

If you’re ready to look for an agent or a publisher, I can help you craft the perfect proposal to get the job done. If you’re just getting started and you need assistance with character sketches, I can evaluate your manuscript with those goals in mind. And if you just need someone to remind you when to use a semi-colon instead of a colon, I can help with that, too.

In the end, nothing gives me more pleasure than juggling consonants and vowels, predicates and verbs, to help you create the “just right” message for yourself or your company.

Please contact me if you’d like to discuss how we might work together: hamblett2@gmail.com.

A LA CARTE EDITORIAL SERVICES: Copyediting, developmental editing, proofreading, research, and writing.

COACHING: Got a story to tell but aren’t quite sure how to do it? I can help by providing support, resources, and encouragement.

EDIT^TEMP: Looking for a part-time publishing pro to fill in for several weeks while your staff writer is on leave? Searching for a set of eyes to proofread the company newsletter just this once? With 25 years of editorial experience and academic degrees in English and journalism, I stand ready to handle your (temporary) communications needs—on site or on call—so you don’t have to.

• Editing: Whether a straightforward line edit or a thorough developmental restructuring, I will refine your message for optimum readability and comprehension.
• Managing: Keeping tabs on all the pieces of a communications project requires organizational skills, attention to detail, and an obsessive concern for clean line breaks. I will shepherd your idea from concept to production.
• Proofreading: Typos don’t have to happen. I will read your copy word for word in order to correct misspellings and solve problematic punctuation.
• Writing: From research and interviews to content creation, I will craft compelling copy for your target audience.

PROPOSAL PREP: Well-crafted proposals sell books. Three words most writers don’t like to deal with are competition, demographics, and marketing. But consider them you must if you want to attract an agent or a publisher. Let me know when you’re ready and we’ll put together a comprehensive and accurate representation of your project so it can move from your desk to amazon.com.

WOMEN’S WRITING CIRCLES: The Amherst Writers and Artists (AWA) workshop method, used in my Women’s Writing Circles, fosters creativity, not critique, and focuses on process, not product. No one tells you how you “should” write. Instead, your own words are heard and valued just as they are. Writing prompts and exercises are presented to evoke responses, and all who want to share are invited to do so. Material offered within the circle is kept confidential and treated as fiction regardless of its factual components. Email me if you’d like more information, and be sure to check out amherstwriters.com.

“Whether Amy Lyles Wilson is drafting a grant proposal or creating a communications campaign, she is on time, on budget, and on point.”

Kathy Tompkins, Tompkins and Associates Development Consultants