John Byram

John Byram – Editor

I'm a nonfiction editor specializing in travel, photography, architecture, and cultural studies projects. Love working with new authors!

Overview

I have been an editor in the humanities and life sciences for over 30 years. This experience includes collaborating with hundreds of authors to develop award-winning scholarly and commercial book projects. My editorial career began at W. W. Norton & Company and has subsequently included leadership positions as the editor-in-chief of the University Press of Florida, and director of the University of New Mexico Press. This broad publishing industry experience also has featured specialized work in sales, marketing, research, policy development, and intellectual property licensing, permissions, and contract preparation. Beyond my skills as an editor and project administrator, I also am a well-established lecturer on the craft of writing, copyright, and the editorial acquisitions process, having presented at a number of conferences including the Association of University Presses, the National Humanities Conference, and the Society of American Travel Writers Institute for Travel Writing and Photography.

Each client’s needs are different, and I strive to shape my editorial role to reflect what will most directly support your writing objectives. For example, some authors respond best to written feedback, while others prefer to talk through their ideas. Whether brainstorming preliminary organizational approaches or providing a detailed critique of a manuscript’s strengths and weaknesses, I will draw upon my decades of editorial experience to improve your writing and best position your book for success in today’s increasingly competitive publishing marketplace.
Services
Non-Fiction
Architecture Art Biographies & Memoirs Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences Humanities & Social Sciences Nature Photography Travel
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Duke City Consulting

Jul, 2015 — Present

University of New Mexico Press

Aug, 2010 — Jul, 2017 (almost 7 years)

University Press of Florida

Jul, 2002 — Aug, 2010 (about 8 years)

W.W. Norton and Company

May, 1995 — Jul, 2002 (about 7 years)

Portfolio

2017 INDIES Book of the Year Award FinalistChristopher Felver's Tending the Fire celebrates the poets and writers who represent the wide range of Native American voices in literature today. In these commanding portraits, Felver's distinctive visual signature a... read more
Miami and Miami Beach from the ground up"This book provides an important--and readable--addition to the bookshelf addressing the context of contemporary Miami and Miami Beach. By presenting the built environment of the Miami area for its compelling variety and... read more
A glimpse into the private home life of the Darwins"A sensitive, intelligent portrait of Emma Darwin and her life at the centre of Victorian science."--Emma Darwin, author ofA Secret Alchemy "Succeeds brilliantly in discovering the poignant story of Emma Darwi... read more
Selected as one of the best books of the year by:Uprooted Music RevueEngine 145Uncut “Calling Me Home: is about just that: a land that always beckons, that underlies most of Gram’s songwriting, . . . a land that informs not only him but all others with whom he... read more
In this unusual book an evolutionary anthropologist and her coauthor/granddaughter, who has Asperger syndrome, examine the emergence and spread of Asperger syndrome and other forms of high-functioning autism. The authors speak to readers with autism, parents, ... read more
Almost as famous for the legendary excesses of his personal life as for his films, Sam Peckinpah (1925-1984) cemented his reputation as one of the great American directors with movies such as The Wild Bunch and Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid. Max Evans, one of ... read more
The hiking trails in the Sandia Mountains are one of the great assets of Albuquerque, for residents and visitors alike. This book will help more people take advantage of these beautiful places to walk, most of them hitherto unmapped. It introduces sixty short ... read more
Chicanismo, the idea of what it means to be Chicano, was born in the 1970s, when grassroots activists, academics, and artists joined forces in the civil rights movimiento that spread new ideas about Mexican American history and identity. The community murals t... read more
The Space Shuttle was once the cornerstone of the U.S. space program. However, each new flight brings us one step closer to the retirement of the shuttle in 2010. Final Countdown is the riveting history of NASA's Space Shuttle program, its missions, and its im... read more
Football Food

Kellie Lawless

This creative cookbook offers over 200 of the authors' favorite easy-to-prepare recipes, from substantial comfort foods to snacks to appropriate "beyond beer" beverages. Kellie Lawless and Maili Brocke offer sample party plans and menus that mix-and-match dish... read more
Be a part of the legendary boxing gym in its prime"It was the gym where the Muhammad Ali legend was born. The 5th Street Gym in Miami and those that inhabited it are gone now, but inside these pages their spirit lives."--Thomas K. Stewart, Boxing Writers of Am... read more
New models of research and analysis, as well as breakthroughs in deciphering Mesoamerican writing, have recently produced a watershed of information on the regional use and importance of cacao, or chocolate as it is commonly called today. McNeil brings togethe... read more
Miami Modernism, or MiMo, is the exotic brand of mid-century architecture ubiquitous in the world-famous city. Designing the Good Life is a personal account of the postWorld War II movement that shaped a city and defined an era. This captivating story offers a... read more
What they didn't want you to know"We all watched in shock and disbelief when Challenger was lost. Probably no one felt more disappointment and regret than Allan McDonald, who had warned us not to launch that day. His story tells of loss, grief, and the eventua... read more
Soccer is the most popular sport in the world. It is also an endless scientific panorama. Every movement by the players and each interaction with the ball involves physics, fluid mechanics, biology, and physiology, to name just a few of the scientific discipli... read more
From the end of the 1950s through the middle of the 1960s, Amiri Baraka (b. 1934) and Edward Dorn (1929-99), two self-consciously avant-garde poets, fostered an intense friendship primarily through correspondence. The early 1960s found both poets just beginnin... read more
Paula Morton provides a fun, concise introduction to jai alai, a fast-paced ball game with ancient roots that is admired by fans for the sport's power and spectacle. Cesta punta, as the game is known in its Basque homeland, became a phenomenon during the twent... read more
Winner of the Prestigious New Mexico-Arizona Book Award Award-winning photographer Craig Varjabedian has spent decades photographing the many moods of the magnificent and ever-changing landscape of New Mexico's White Sands National Monument. His photographs re... read more
"The ordinary tortilla was an extraordinary bond between the human and divine. . . . From birthdays to religious ceremonies, the people of Mesoamerica commemorated important events with tortillas. One Maya tribe even buried their dead with tortillas so that th... read more
This unique reference work describes over 350 wildflowers and flowering shrubs that grow in New Mexico's Sangre de Cristo, Jemez, Sandia, and Manzano Mountains, as well as neighboring ranges, including the Manzanita, San Pedro, Ortiz, and other lower-elevation... read more
New Mexico is home to 165 species and subspecies of snakes, lizards, turtles, frogs, toads, and salamanders. Some are ubiquitous and others are localized. If you want basic and reliable information on the lizard in your backyard or the snake you encountered on... read more
Wilderness

Debra Bloomfield

Debra Bloomfield engaged for five years on a photographic project in the wilderness. After photographing the desert in Four Corners and the ocean in Still, she has moved on in this new book to the forest.Her photographs do not describe a particular place. She ... read more
Eco-Travel New Mexico is the essential take-along companion to sustainable travel in New Mexico, on the main trails and off the beaten path. Ashley M. Biggers's guide delves into the heart of this enchanting land--from stunning natural landscapes to vital cult... read more
Gold Winner for Reference in Foreword Reviews' 2015 INDIEFAB Book of the Year AwardsWith decades of experience as a gala event planner, award-winning director and producer Ron Miziker presents the ultimate guide to planning and executing every special event in... read more
Winner of the 2016 Western Heritage Award for Photography from the National Cowboy & Western Heritage MuseumWinner of the 2015 Southwest Book Award from the Border Regional Library AssociationWinner of the 2015 New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards for Arts Book and ... read more
Winner of the 2016 Southwest Book Award from the Border Regional Library AssociationWinner of the 2016 New Mexico-Arizona Book Award for Arts BookGold Winner of the 2016 PubWest Book Design Award for Adult Trade Book, IllustratedKnown as a painter's painter, I... read more
Dichos, or proverbs, offer a daily source of strength and inspiration in Spanish-speaking households all over the world. In this book about growing up in Manila with a Filipina grandmother, Maria Paz Eleizegui Weir shares the centuries-old dichos she learned f... read more

John has 13 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Coreen A.

Coreen A.

Sep, 2023

John was able to comb through my text giving it greater clarity and directness. He was so nice to work with as well!
Justin B.

Justin B.

Aug, 2023

John was incredibly helpful and thorough in his feedback. He made time for additional follow questions and his advice was professional and thoughtful. Highly recommend his services.
Bill R.

Bill R.

Jun, 2023

John did an excellent job delivering a professional quality index on schedule. He was a pleasure to work with despite the many limitations of the Reedsy platform.
Gillian A.

Gillian A.

Feb, 2023

John was brilliant to work with, I feel way more confident in the quality of my first book after two comprehensive editorial reviews (before and after feedback) by John.
Jacob B.

Jacob B.

Jan, 2023

John performed an editorial assessment of the first two chapters of a book I'm writing and I found his editing to be excellent. He made some pertinent points about the continuing structure and themes of my book that have been helpful in organising my thoughts for the rest of the project. He performed quick, high-quality work that was inexpensive compared with other quotes I received and I'd tho...
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