Amanda Owens

Amanda Owens – Editor

I am known for tightening up writing to create compelling copy as well achieving realistic dialogue that truly speaks to readers.

Overview

I have 30+ years of editing/proofreading experience, from nature to health, finance to science, and cooking to crafts. I have worked with individuals as well as institutions to attain their publishing goals. As a fellow writer, I am keenly aware of the importance of respecting the author's voice while striving to achieve clear, crisp, compelling copy. Having lived and been educated in six countries outside the United States has given me the advantage of working successfully with a number of authors for whom English is a second language. I’m nothing if not adaptable, so bring it on!
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Business & Management Calendars Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits DIY & Crafts Finance & Accounting Health & Wellbeing Home & Garden
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2010 — Present

Since striking out on my own, I have edited and proofread a variety of works, including nature guides, hospital newsletters, an amusement park guide, scholarly works such as memoirs and biographies, scientific papers and articles, tenure packages and essays, as well as fantasy and an as-yet-unpublished young adult fiction book. Additionally, i have written news releases and successful nomination packages for academics seeking prestigious awards. I have considerable experience working with writers whose first language is not English. A selection of published projects are reflected in my Portfolio listings.

Oxmoor House (a Division of Southern Progress Corporation [now owned and operated by Meredith Corp.]}

Oct, 1988 — Dec, 2009 (about 21 years)

As an assistant in Research and Development at Oxmoor House--originally the book division of Southern Progress Corporation, publishers of such magazines as Southern Living, Cooking Light, and Health-- I worked as part of a team with staff at Money and Fortune magazines to produce a series of finance books and business-related best-seller compilations. After being recruited to Editorial as a copy editor (then later senior copy editor) I worked on a wide variety of craft, decorating and cooking books before being selected to be the sole copy support for the newly established Health Department. In addition, I contributed to bookazines, catalogs, calendars, premiums, promotional packages and various materials for Southern Living At Home. I worked one-on-one with renowned psychologist Dr. Judith S. Beck (whose father, Dr. Aaron Beck, is the founder of cognitive therapy) on the New York Times Best Seller The Beck Diet Solution. We also worked together on two subsequent well-received titles. As copy chief, every book the publishing house put out came across my desk for review. And as managing editor I worked with editors and brand managers to ensure the highest quality publications. I was distinguished as having proofed the only trade catalog that came out without needing costly corrections at blue lines.. A selection of these projects are reflected in my Portfolio listings.

Portfolio

Features classic and new cross-stitch designs with step-by-step instructions and patterns for birth announcements, samplers, pillows, table runners, and holiday decorations
Who wouldn't like their living space to be more organized? Tapping into the popularity of the "Good Things" column in Martha Stewart Living, Good Things for Organizing provides practical, efficient, and pretty solutions for organizing just about everything, fr... read more
Scrap Saver's Bazaar Stitchery

Sandra Lounsbury Foose

Provides instructions for making a variety of gifts, toys, and Christmas and other holiday decorations
The host of the Mr. Food Show shares tips and secrets from his kitchen, including 175 easy-to-prepare, budget-minded recipes that can be easily replicated by most people.
Book by
Profiles over twenty-five lawn grasses, ornamental grasses, and groundcovers suitable for use in the Southern States, explaining how to fertilize, avoid pests and weeds, and design durable low-maintenance lawns
Greer, Jennifer, Chaplin, Lois Trigg
Fortune Digest Four Best-Sellers condensed in One Volume One: Up on Wall Street, Leadership Secrets of Attila the Hun, the Enigma of Japanese Power and The ITT Wars is a book from Oxmoor House released 1990.
While not a biography of legendary American forester and conservationist Gifford Pinchot, On Strawberry Hill: The Transcendent Love of Gifford Pinchot and Laura Houghteling explores a vital and transformative facet of his personal life that, until now, has rem... read more
An important historical account of Tuskegee University’s significant advances in health care, which affected millions of lives worldwide. Alabama’s celebrated, historically black Tuskegee University is most commonly associated with its founding president, Book... read more
How a grassroots movement led primarily by women shaped Alabama’s environmental consciousness.A Movement of the People: The Roots of Environmental Education and Advocacy in Alabama is a detailed history of the Alabama Environmental Quality Association (AEQA). ... read more
An examination of the first attempt to conquer cancer in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. In Malignant Growth: Creating the Modern Cancer Research Establishment, 1875–1915, Alan I Marcus explores a relatively understudied period in the histor... read more
Winner of the Elizabeth Agee Prize in American LiteratureAn innovative exploration of postwar representations of effeminate men and boysSissy!The Effeminate Paradox in Postwar US Literature and Culture expands on recent cultural criticism that focuses on the w... read more
A masterful study by a preeminent scholar that situates Cather as a visionary practitioner of literary modernism Willa Cather is often pegged as a regionalist, a feminine and domestic writer, or a social realist. In Cather Among the Moderns, Janis P. Stout fir... read more
Christmas is Coming 1994: Holiday Projects for Children and Parents
South-central Wisconsin provides an impressive array of opportunities for all types of paddling, including some of the very best day trips in the entire state and even Upper Midwest. Paddling South Central Wisconsin, by experienced paddler and author Timothy B... read more
Covering the region surrounding the 22-mile-long lake, author Jordan Summers guides hikers along 40 of the region's best trails--all located within 25 miles of Lake Tahoe's shoreline.Trekkers can easily find the perfect hike with the complete trail description... read more
A collection of two hundred all new slow cooker recipes is focused on simplicity, dependability, and versatility to help readers create great-tasting, home-cooked meals for family meals or larger crowds, with minimal preparation and only a single pot.
F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby occupies a preeminent place in American letters. Scholars have argued that Jay Gatsby is, in fact, the embodiment of American cultural and social aspiration. Though The Great Gatsby has been studied in detail since its pu... read more
African American writers have incorporated Martin Luther King Jr. into their work since he rose to prominence in the mid-1950s. Martin Luther King Jr., Heroism, and African American Literature is a study by award-winning author Trudier Harris of King’s charact... read more
Among the Garifuna is the first ethnographic narrative of a Garifuna family. The Garifuna are descendants of the “Black Carib,” whom the British deposited on Roatan Island in 1797 and who settled along the Caribbean coast from Belize City to Nicaragua. In 1980... read more
The purpose of this book is to help you enjoy a comfortable retirement and lifelong financial security - goals not easily reached in an increasingly complex financial environment. Money Guide to a Secure Retirement will help you understand your options and adv... read more
Big Book of Scrap Quilts

L. Amanda Owens and Patricia Wilens

Book by L. Amanda Owens and Patricia Wilens
The author of The Wine Bible combines thirty sumptuous menus and more than 150 kitchen-tested recipes with wine recommendations for every season of the year and handy tips on buying, ordering, and serving wine. 25,000 first printing.
A definitive handbook for living well on one's own terms brings together a collection of informative, empowering, and motivational articles from O, the Oprah Magazine that are filled with expert advice on how to promote one's physical and emotional well-being,... read more
Real life solutions from the editors of Health Magazine. Discover how to eat, work, sleep, play, and look your best.
Winning With Mutual Funds

Ill.) Money (Chicago

Explains how mutual funds work, tells how to determine which funds meet one's financial goals, and provides information on taxes, portfolio management, and top funds
Bestselling author and weight-loss expert Judith S. Beck, Ph.D., has inspired thousands of dieters to lose weight and keep it off using the power of Cognitive Therapy. Her techniques emphasize preparing the mind and changing eating habits before making changes... read more
A practical workbook based on the Beck Diet Solution introduces a six-week regimen to help readers retrain they way they think in order to help them stick with their diet, lose weight, and keep the weight off, explaining how to use the principles of cognitive ... read more
The Beck Diet Solution has descriptive copy which is not yet available from the Publisher.

Amanda has 5 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Carol S.

Carol S.

Mar, 2022

Excellent Editor and one that I always had confidence in. She found the "little stuff" as well as the BIG stuff. A real pro.
Carol S.

Carol S.

Aug, 2020

I can’t recommend this Editor highly enough. She goes above and beyond the call of duty, because she’s a perfectionist and wants it done correctly. She’s the best kind of person to have in your corner. I’m so glad she was in mine. You can’t go wrong with this Editor. The best.
Carol S.

Carol S.

Apr, 2020

Working with Amanda was a dream. She's an exceptional editor who worked with me on specific problems and did a tremendous job of corrections and suggestions on the entire manuscript. I hope to work with her again on future projects and couldn't recommend her higher than an 11 on a scale of 1 - 10!
Sharon B.

Sharon B.

Dec, 2019

Amanda is fast and thorough. She knows her stuff and is easy to work with. Her caring and human side shines through to me. I'm definitely using her in the future.
Rosalyn B.

Rosalyn B.

Nov, 2019

Amanda was my first editorial experience. I'll continue to use her for my upcoming 3 books in 2020. She's efficient and sometimes early in her responses. I love working with her.

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