Martha E Lang – Editor

Now accepting one new client for January 2026.

I am a seasoned developmental editor and published author with 33 years of experience. I have helped hundreds produce their best work and become better writers. I would like to do so for you, too. My interdisciplinary Ivy League Ph.D. allows me to move seamlessly across multiple areas of nonfiction. Because I have decades of experience as an editor and formal writing instructor, I work effectively with writers of varied experience and ability.

My approach emphasizes meeting clients exactly where they are. I work best with writers who are serious about their writing and ready to commit the time and effort necessary to make steady progress toward completing their manuscript. I excel at helping writers establish a strong structure for their memoirs and self-help books, including books that are a hybrid of these approaches. This ensures that their manuscript will be clear, compelling, and well-received. By incorporating a systematic and positive approach, I guide writers to set and achieve realistic goals.

I have developed a unique developmental editing process that includes a detailed report that addresses the "big picture" while also providing detailed, chapter-level feedback. From there, I use a customized color-coded and symbol-coded checklist system that breaks down every element of the revision and guides the author through each step of that process. Finally, I include with every developmental edit a follow-up coaching session to aid authors in the revision process.

For clients not yet ready for a full developmental edit, I offer an editorial assessment that uses the same unique color-coded and symbol-coded report and checklist system to identify the manuscript’s strengths and areas for improvement, along with actionable next steps for revision. This process ensures a solid foundation for further development and also includes a free follow-up coaching session.

And for clients just getting started, I offer book coaching services tailored to their specific needs and goals.

You may be looking at my picture and asking yourself, "What's that on her head?" It is a Quaker bonnet that forms a part of my religious observance. While I keep my work and religious lives separate, the values of Quakerism, such as integrity, social equity, and clarity, guide my approach to working with authors. Together, they also inform my underlying work philosophy: that each piece of writing is a form of storytelling and that each writer has a unique voice and truth to share through their narrative.

My experience in numbers:

34 years of editing

29 years of professional writing experience

14 years of teaching college writing

4 years of academic editing

8 years of freelance editing

1 Ph.D. from Brown University

11 academic articles published

2 #1 Amazon new releases authored

2 #1 Amazon bestsellers authored