Shari MacDonald Strong

Shari MacDonald Strong – Editor

I've worked as a freelance editor and writer for 25 years. Projects include memoir, politics, spirituality, literary and historical fiction.

Overview

I am a freelance writer and editor living in Portland, Oregon. I've been doing this work for more than two decades and I love it. My areas of particular interest include memoir, historical fiction, literary fiction, politics, women's fiction, women's issues, history, personal growth, and spirituality.

In addition to my freelance work, I am a former Senior Editor for the online literary magazine Literary Mama and the editor of The Maternal Is Political: Women Writers at the Intersection of Motherhood and Social Change. I have also contributed to other anthologies, such as It's a Girl, edited by Andrea J. Buchanan, and Jesus Girls: True Tales of Growing Up Female and Evangelical, edited by Hannah Faith Notess.

In my free time, I can often be found reading Russian literature or literary fiction. Favorite authors include Ann Patchett, Elena Ferrante, George Saunders, Jane Gardam, David James Duncan, Maria Semple, Anthony Marra, Jess Walter, Barbara Kingsolver, and Anton Chekhov, but that's just scratching the surface.

I am a wife and mother, an introvert and friend, and a student of literature and life. My spirituality and politics fall left of center and whenever I stumble across someone quoting Rumi or Mary Oliver, I feel like I've found a friend.
Services
Fiction
Anthologies Literary Fiction Women's Fiction
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Health & Wellbeing Inspirational Political Science & Current Affairs Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

May, 2014 — Present

Providing thoughtful and professional substantive editing, line editing, and copyediting services.

Literary Mama magazine

Sep, 2007 — Jun, 2014 (over 6 years)

Literary Mama magazine

Sep, 2006 — Sep, 2007 (about 1 year)

Literary Mama

Mar, 2006 — Aug, 2006 (5 months)

Self-employed

Jan, 1994 — Dec, 2005 (almost 12 years)

Multnomah Books/Questar Publishers (a division of Random House)

Mar, 1993 — Jun, 1994 (over 1 year)

Multnomah Books/Questar Publishers (a division of Random House)

Jan, 1992 — Dec, 1994 (almost 3 years)

Multnomah Press

Aug, 1991 — May, 1992 (9 months)

Multnomah Press

Mar, 1991 — Aug, 1991 (5 months)

Projects

This Is My Body: From Obesity to Ironman, My Journey into the True Meaning of Flesh, Spirit, and Deeper Faith

I was the editor of this memoir about faith and the body.

Bleak's Landing

I was the editor of this novel, the third in Terrie Todd's trilogy, which was a finalist for the 2018 Word Guild Award (Canada) for Historical Fiction.

Maggie's War

I was the editor of this novel, the second in Terrie Todd's trilogy, which won the 2018 Word Guild Award (Canada) for Historical Fiction.

The Silver Suitcase

I was the editor of this novel, the first in Terrie Todd's trilogy, which won the 2017 Word Guild Award (Canada) for Historical Fiction.

Portfolio

Exploring the vital connection between motherhood and social change, The Maternal Is Political features more than 40 powerful, hard-hitting literary essays by women who are striving to make the world a better place for children and families — both their own an... read more

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