Blair Parke

Blair Parke – Editor

Seasoned editor turning heartbreak and struggle into inspirational stories to encourage others. Author of Empty Hands Made Full.

Overview

Since childhood, there wasn't a time where you didn't find a book in my hand or at least five books stuffed into my suitcase while traveling. I have always loved books, which transitioned well into my career as a magazine writer and, later, the senior editor for Salem Communications and copy editor at Charisma Media.


My editing knowledge reached a new level when I wrote my first book, "Empty Hands Made Full," a Christian-focused book to encourage couples dealing with infertility using my journey (and others I interviewed) and stories of the Bible dealing with infertility. Writing my own book, with the struggles and triumphs that come with it, gave me new insight on how to help my authors best in achieving their writing dreams.


When I am working with someone on their book, I want the person to feel as comfortable as possible and know that their story is worth sharing. Communication is key between author and editor and authors will get my full attention with editing their book. My suggestions are only to enhance their book and are, in no way, to make them feel their writing is inferior.


Testimonials:

Kathy Jenkins - author of Fear No Pink

"I wholeheartedly recommend Blair's services for any new writer eager to elevate their craft. As a first-time author, I found Blair's feedback not only constructive but deeply encouraging. Despite the writing process being both painful and tedious at times, she inspired me to rewrite my work, preserving my unique voice while enhancing it. Blair's keen eye and meticulous attention to detail transformed my thoughts into a polished final manuscript."


Nick Savage - author of The Fairlane Series and The Nation Series

"Even as a seasoned author, Blair has done wonders for everything from grammatical errors to overall narrative tone to catching the little things authors otherwise miss. I am delighted to have found her and look forward to seeing what she does with at least my next six books. Highly recommend, highly qualified."


Amy Hobbs - author of The Bucket List Journey

"Blair exceeded my editing expectations in every way. As a first-time author, she gave me a sense of peace with the editing process, and the courage to share my story and see my book through to completion. From the start, she was extremely professional, personable, and timely."


Daniel Herman Jr. - Reedsy author

"Blair was incredibly professional and a pleasure to work with during our discussions of editing my book. She provided thoughtful insights, answered all my questions with patience and clarity, and demonstrated a genuine interest in helping me achieve my goals. Her professionalism and attention to detail stood out, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend her to others looking for a skilled editor."

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Christian Non-Fiction Health & Wellbeing Inspirational
Fiction
Romance
Languages
English (US)
Awards
  • None
Certifications
  • None

Work experience

Self-employed

Jul, 2022 — Present

Provide book editing services, from proofreading to developmental editing, as well as editorial assessment/reviews and book cover copy writing.

Charisma Media

Aug, 2021 — Mar, 2022 (7 months)

Edited news and magazine stories to be published for online websites with Charisma Media, Charisma News and Charisma Magazine.
Edited hard copy of the print form of Charisma Magazine before it would go to production.

Salem Author Services/Xulon Press

May, 2013 — Aug, 2021 (over 8 years)

Led a team of in-house editors and freelance editors in reviewing, editing, and writing for up-and-coming authors writing Christian fiction and non-fiction (Xulon Press imprint), non-Christian fiction and non-fiction (Mill City Press), and political content (Liberty Hill Publishing).
Reviewed unedited manuscripts and edited manuscripts as well, from basic editing of punctuation, grammar, and spelling to line editing with sentence revision to developmental editing with paragraph sectioning and improving story flow and transitions.
Wrote back covers for authors as well as social media keywords to help with their books being noticed online.
Assisted in developing the style guide for Salem Author Services and becoming well-versed in Bible translations limitations and key terminology for Christian content.
Talked with authors by phone for coaching calls regarding questions they had about suggestions or corrections made and ways they could improve upon those changes without losing their voice in the manuscript.

4 Horseman Publications

Mar, 2022 — Present

Edit unpublished manuscripts to prepare them for publication.
Interact with authors via Zoom, email, and phone to answer questions and uncover areas to improve the impact of their books on readers.

High Bridge Books and Media

Nov, 2021 — Jul, 2023 (over 1 year)

Edit unpublished, Christian manuscripts to prepare them for production.
Leave editorial comments for the authors on ways to improve upon their content to make their books compelling to readers.

The Ghost Publishing

Aug, 2021 — Present

Edited unpublished manuscripts, from minor changes to major developmental changes in the manuscript, all to help authors make the most of their books.

Salem Web Network

Mar, 2018 — Present

Wrote several Christian-focused topics that were published for Salem Web Network's affiliated websites, Bible Study Tools and.
Researched and wrote topics based on the Christian faith, stories of the Bible, and even handling every-day topics, such as grieving a loved one or enduring infertility, through the guiding force of the Bible.

Southwest Orlando Bulletin

Mar, 2015 — Jul, 2024 (over 9 years)

From interviewing notable Orlando names such as Harris Rosen of Rosen Hotels and Pam Landwirth of Give Kids the World to writing local business profiles for several popular Orlando businesses, I have had the privilege of speaking to and writing about the individuals that help make Central Florida a great place to live. Speaking to and writing about someone's business, community involvement, or extraordinary path in life has made every article written an opportunity to learn, grow, and appreciate the uniqueness in all of us.

Portfolio

Developmental Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Developmental Editing
Copy Editing
Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Feasting on the Words of Christ

Stroud, Melanie

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Proofreading
Made with Reedsy
TAKE OFF YOUR PARENT-COLORED GLASSES

Hudson, Dr. Irwin

Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Struggling Women Walking Strong

Heard, Bronwyn Joy

Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Not Alone: God's Presence on the Path of the Special Needs Mom

Kingsbury, Erica

Vine and Branches Writing LLC

Developmental Editing
Fear No Pink: My Journey Through Cancer, Grief, and Faith

Jenkins, Kathy Daniels

Palmetto Publishing

Developmental Editing

Blair has 85 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Jean H.

Jean H.

Mar, 2025

Blair was very helpful and responsive. She provided the feedback and encouragement I needed to move my book to the next phase. I felt like she gave me a new perspective and that was invaluable.
Blair P.
Thank you for your review, Jean, and it was nice to see how enthusiastic you were about your book's next step after our work together!
Kim P.

Kim P.

Mar, 2025

Choosing Blair as my editor was one of the best decisions I made for my book! The final published version was a million times better than my first manuscript. Blair has a rare gift—she’s both kind and direct, offering constructive feedback that truly elevates the writing. She worked within my timeline, communicated effortlessly, and made the entire editing process smooth and enjoyable. I’ll def...
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Blair P.
Thank you, Kim. I really enjoyed working on your book and appreciated using some of the content for my own journey in motherhood. Yes, let's work on more books together!
Sarath J.

Sarath J.

Mar, 2025

very empathic, understanding the needs, attention to details, fair and understanding.
Sheila T.

Sheila T.

Feb, 2025

Blair was professional, extremely helpful, and prompt in her replies to me. The chapters she edited for me were always returned in a timely manner. She utilized user-friendly editing software that was easy for me to work with. The most important quality that Blair brought to the writing process is her gift of encouragement. I very much enjoyed our collaboration!
Blair P.
Thank you, Sheila. You put in the hard work and it shows in this touching book about your dad! Hope to work again together.
Katherine Ann M.

Katherine Ann M.

Feb, 2025

Blair is a lovely person and I appreciate her willingness to communicate and work together. We both had a couple of personal set backs with time lines, so I also appreciated her flexibility in regard to the extensions that were needed. We had a couple of hiccups through the process and I feel they were handled with professionalism and with integrity and I value that immensely.
Blair P.
Thank you, Katherine.

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