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Shelly Stinchcomb - Editor
Charlottesville, VA, United States
Dedicated, compassionate, honest writing coach who has polished manuscripts for both new and best-selling authors. I make your work shine!
Overview
As a Developmental Editor with over 8 years of experience, I take the approach of a writing coach. My expertise, strength, and value is in working closely with you on areas such as language, story flow, narrative tension, plot and character development, consistency, and pace. Understanding how intrusive editing can feel, I take great pride in providing an honest review and thoughtful suggestions, often with explanation, so not only does your current manuscript improve, your overall writing for future projects does as well. My focus is all in the details to help you polish your manuscripts and make them shine.
I create an environment of open communication where projects are discussed freely and without judgment. My end goal is to work collaboratively to build a trusting, long-term relationship with each of my clients.
I edit for both fiction and narrative nonfiction authors across a variety of genres, with clients such as Barnes & Noble Best Seller Holly Kammier and Amazon Multiple Best Seller Caroline Mitchell.
Services
Languages
Fiction
Work experience
Content/Development Editor
Content/Development Editor at Self-Employed
I am a passionate fan of the written word!
As a Development/Content Editor, I take the approach of a writing coach. I work closely with authors on areas such as language, story flow, character development, consistency, plot and pace. A writer myself, I understand how intrusive editing can feel. I take great pride in providing an honest review and thoughtful suggestions, often with explanation, so not only does the author’s current manuscript improve, their overall writing for future projects does as well. My focus is all in the details to help authors polish their manuscripts and make them shine.
I work with both fiction and narrative nonfiction authors across a variety of genres, with clients such as Amazon Best Sellers Holly Kammier and Caroline Mitchell.
Outside of the book world, I can be found enjoying the scenery of the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Charlottesville indie music scene, or sampling wines from one of our many local vineyards.
Portfolio (18 selected works)
Paranormal Intruder: The Terrifying True Story of a Family in Fear
Caroline Mitchell
The terrifying true story of a family in fear An innocent family finds itself completely helpless against the sudden onset of paranormal activity in their quiet rural home. A knife embedded in a kitchen cupboard, crockery smashed by invisible hands, and blood-chilling growls emit from thin air. Caroline and her husband Neil search for answers as they try to protect their family from the unseen... read more
The terrifying true story of a family in fear An innocent family finds itself completely helpless against the sudden onset of paranormal activity in their quiet rural home. A knife embedded in a kitchen cupboard, crockery smashed by invisible hands, and blood-chilling growls emit from thin air. Caroline and her husband Neil search for answers as they try to protect their family from the unseen... read more
The Moorigad Dragon (Age of the Hybrid Book 1)
Debra Kristi
Saving a life shouldn’t come with so many complications. Saving Marcus’s life should’ve qualified as a good deed. Except, that’s not why Kyra saves him. She’s pulled to the deed by something supernatural. But then Marcus sees Kyra’s hybrid dragon and she finds herself bound to protect him. A bond already causing tension between Kyra and her best friend, Sebastian. Only, Kyra will find it is no... read more
Saving a life shouldn’t come with so many complications. Saving Marcus’s life should’ve qualified as a good deed. Except, that’s not why Kyra saves him. She’s pulled to the deed by something supernatural. But then Marcus sees Kyra’s hybrid dragon and she finds herself bound to protect him. A bond already causing tension between Kyra and her best friend, Sebastian. Only, Kyra will find it is no... read more
Forbidden Quest (Hypnotic Journey Book 1)
Alaina Stanford
Exciting Fantasy Adventure! No one told them hypnosis could kill you. Wouldn't it be cool to suddenly have the battle skills of a seasoned warrior? What if the battles felt real but there was no physical risk to you? Wouldn't it be perfect if the hypnotist in charge of your session were not insanely evil and using you as a weapon in a plot for revenge? Four friends, two in love, two in hate en... read more
Exciting Fantasy Adventure! No one told them hypnosis could kill you. Wouldn't it be cool to suddenly have the battle skills of a seasoned warrior? What if the battles felt real but there was no physical risk to you? Wouldn't it be perfect if the hypnotist in charge of your session were not insanely evil and using you as a weapon in a plot for revenge? Four friends, two in love, two in hate en... read more
Reap Not the Dragon (Age of the Hybrid Book 2)
Debra Kristi
A Reaper with a mission. Sebastian is finished following commands. Higher powers be damned. He has his own agenda – find Kyra and help restore her memory. At first his plan goes better than expected. But as life starts looking up for the would-be Reaper, his metaphorical sickle becomes caught in a web of complications. Things are never smooth for Sebastian and Kyra. Best-laid plans sometimes r... read more
A Reaper with a mission. Sebastian is finished following commands. Higher powers be damned. He has his own agenda – find Kyra and help restore her memory. At first his plan goes better than expected. But as life starts looking up for the would-be Reaper, his metaphorical sickle becomes caught in a web of complications. Things are never smooth for Sebastian and Kyra. Best-laid plans sometimes r... read more
Plight of the Dragon (Age of the Hybrid Book 3)
Debra Kristi
Kyra and Sebastian have again reunited, but their future remains as foggy as the mist around Mystic’s Carnival―uncertain and unpredictable. Fractured and torn, Kyra must restore her dragon-shifter state before her body rejects its divided status. Mystic’s magic is on Kyra’s side, but the true key to her salvation lies within Sebastian, and for Kyra, he would do anything. Or so he believes. Can... read more
Kyra and Sebastian have again reunited, but their future remains as foggy as the mist around Mystic’s Carnival―uncertain and unpredictable. Fractured and torn, Kyra must restore her dragon-shifter state before her body rejects its divided status. Mystic’s magic is on Kyra’s side, but the true key to her salvation lies within Sebastian, and for Kyra, he would do anything. Or so he believes. Can... read more
Becoming: The Balance Bringer (The Balance Bringer Chronicles Book 1)
Debra Kristi
Ana’s world is falling apart. What she thought were dreams start entering her waking life. Eerie shadows hunt her. Her dream guy becomes reality. And strange new abilities begin developing. Ana is becoming something other. She is determined to find answers, but where to turn? Her mom and best friend are keeping secrets. Her older sister is dead and exists only in her dreams. And her younger si... read more
Ana’s world is falling apart. What she thought were dreams start entering her waking life. Eerie shadows hunt her. Her dream guy becomes reality. And strange new abilities begin developing. Ana is becoming something other. She is determined to find answers, but where to turn? Her mom and best friend are keeping secrets. Her older sister is dead and exists only in her dreams. And her younger si... read more
El Awake
Jordan Sala Tenna
In the year 2115, Eleutherius (El) is struggling to find meaning in a city where most are strangely submissive and unquestioning towards the absolute rule of the merciless authorities. But after discovering the dark truth behind the white city, El ventures on a fast paced and thrilling journey to fight for the freedom of a people he once resented. Guided by his now-deceased grandfather's poems... read more
In the year 2115, Eleutherius (El) is struggling to find meaning in a city where most are strangely submissive and unquestioning towards the absolute rule of the merciless authorities. But after discovering the dark truth behind the white city, El ventures on a fast paced and thrilling journey to fight for the freedom of a people he once resented. Guided by his now-deceased grandfather's poems... read more
Kingston Court
Holly Kammier
What happens when you take middle-aged, stay-at-home moms, and throw them back into the workforce and dating? A modern twist between Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives, Kingston Court follows the love, lies, and friendships of two wealthy Southern California women. Samantha and Natalie are at a crossroads. Gorgeous, over-the-top Samantha, hangs her status and her happiness on her “perfe... read more
What happens when you take middle-aged, stay-at-home moms, and throw them back into the workforce and dating? A modern twist between Sex and the City and Desperate Housewives, Kingston Court follows the love, lies, and friendships of two wealthy Southern California women. Samantha and Natalie are at a crossroads. Gorgeous, over-the-top Samantha, hangs her status and her happiness on her “perfe... read more
Oppression (Children of the Gods Book 1)
Jessica Therrien
Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than average people, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's... read more
Elyse knows what it means to keep a secret. She's been keeping secrets her whole life. Two, actually. First, that she ages five times slower than average people, so that while she looks eighteen years old, she's closer to eighty. Second, that her blood has a mysterious power to heal. For Elyse, these things don't make her special. They make life dangerous. After the death of her parents, she's... read more
Uprising (Children of the Gods Book 2)
Jessica Therrien
Elyse has done everything she can to protect her friends from The Council's reach. As long as they believe she's dead, she has time to rest and train for war. And war is inevitable. When Kara arrives with the news that Anna and Chloe have been captured, Elyse is faced with the realization that no one is safe until The Council is stopped and Christoph is destroyed. She doesn't need a prophecy t... read more
Elyse has done everything she can to protect her friends from The Council's reach. As long as they believe she's dead, she has time to rest and train for war. And war is inevitable. When Kara arrives with the news that Anna and Chloe have been captured, Elyse is faced with the realization that no one is safe until The Council is stopped and Christoph is destroyed. She doesn't need a prophecy t... read more
Don't Turn Around: A dark, thrilling, page-turner of a crime novel (Detective Jennifer Knight Crime Thriller Series Book 1)
Caroline Mitchell
You don’t know him. But he knows you. Soon he would be able to touch her, to feel the warmth of her blood. And when the time came, nothing would stop him. As D.C. Jennifer Knight investigates a routine stabbing in the quiet town of Haven, she is shocked at what seems like a personal message from beyond the grave. When more bodies are found, Jennifer is convinced the killings are somehow linked... read more
You don’t know him. But he knows you. Soon he would be able to touch her, to feel the warmth of her blood. And when the time came, nothing would stop him. As D.C. Jennifer Knight investigates a routine stabbing in the quiet town of Haven, she is shocked at what seems like a personal message from beyond the grave. When more bodies are found, Jennifer is convinced the killings are somehow linked... read more
Shadows of Shame
Bruce Ashkenas
Harold Apple is a Jewish reporter willing to do anything for a story. When he's asked to risk his life to infiltrate the Nazi Bund in late 1930's New York, he jumps at the chance, Leaving behind his fiancée and the safety of his home, Apple goes undercover in search of the real story. Before the world knew enough to fear them, the hate-filled paramilitary mob know as the German American Bund t... read more
Harold Apple is a Jewish reporter willing to do anything for a story. When he's asked to risk his life to infiltrate the Nazi Bund in late 1930's New York, he jumps at the chance, Leaving behind his fiancée and the safety of his home, Apple goes undercover in search of the real story. Before the world knew enough to fear them, the hate-filled paramilitary mob know as the German American Bund t... read more
Eomix Galaxy Books: Illusion
Christa Yelich-Koth
"One strength is the depth of the abilities you’ve created for Daith. Everything in your book is SO well thought out … I can just feel the anticipation!” —From Jessica Therrien, Barnes & Noble best-selling author of the Children of the Gods series. Daith's father is dead. His death caused a rip in the galaxy's peace. The remains of his army are fighting to restore it. But Daith knows nothing o... read more
"One strength is the depth of the abilities you’ve created for Daith. Everything in your book is SO well thought out … I can just feel the anticipation!” —From Jessica Therrien, Barnes & Noble best-selling author of the Children of the Gods series. Daith's father is dead. His death caused a rip in the galaxy's peace. The remains of his army are fighting to restore it. But Daith knows nothing o... read more
Seasons Within: Nature has its own will
Lele Iturrioz
Most teenage girls know their name, where they came from, who they are. Not G, a beautiful redhead with unusual markings on her wrist. She gets her name from a silver locket she keeps around her neck, unaware the engraved letter “G” on its front holds the secret to her past.G’s life before the age of six has been a mystery to her. Each night for the last twelve years she’s been haunted by the ... read more
Most teenage girls know their name, where they came from, who they are. Not G, a beautiful redhead with unusual markings on her wrist. She gets her name from a silver locket she keeps around her neck, unaware the engraved letter “G” on its front holds the secret to her past.G’s life before the age of six has been a mystery to her. Each night for the last twelve years she’s been haunted by the ... read more
GATHERING DARKNESS
STEPHANIE BODDY
When their dream holiday in LA comes to an end, Mandy has too many thoughts running through her mind to worry about her husband, Peter’s, fear of flying. Whether her marriage would last the thirteen-hour journey home was one of them. But she is left with little time to contemplate when their flight is interrupted by a severe bout of turbulence and an unexplainable horror is unleashed upon the ... read more
When their dream holiday in LA comes to an end, Mandy has too many thoughts running through her mind to worry about her husband, Peter’s, fear of flying. Whether her marriage would last the thirteen-hour journey home was one of them. But she is left with little time to contemplate when their flight is interrupted by a severe bout of turbulence and an unexplainable horror is unleashed upon the ... read more
The Academy: Making of a Ruler (The Eagle King's Academy Book 1)
C.C. Monö
“I want you to remember something, Mr Hallman,” she whispered. “At the Academy you’re always evaluated. Even when you least expect it.”Very little is known about the Eagle King’s Academy, but when 22 year-old Axel is admitted, he’s catapulted into a world filled with luxury, gruelling trainings, and dark secrets. In this world built on lies, ambition and pride, he’s primed to become one of the... read more
“I want you to remember something, Mr Hallman,” she whispered. “At the Academy you’re always evaluated. Even when you least expect it.”Very little is known about the Eagle King’s Academy, but when 22 year-old Axel is admitted, he’s catapulted into a world filled with luxury, gruelling trainings, and dark secrets. In this world built on lies, ambition and pride, he’s primed to become one of the... read more
Till Death: A Novella
G. W. Boileau
With her laid back partner, Todd Vaughan, Detective Nasrin Farhi is called out to a carbon monoxide poisoning in the suburbs, there to confirm it’s another in a long string of suicides. Except this one is different. This one Nasrin thinks might be something more sinister.Despite her partner’s skepticism, she investigates, taking her to a place she doesn’t want to go, and to a memory she though... read more
With her laid back partner, Todd Vaughan, Detective Nasrin Farhi is called out to a carbon monoxide poisoning in the suburbs, there to confirm it’s another in a long string of suicides. Except this one is different. This one Nasrin thinks might be something more sinister.Despite her partner’s skepticism, she investigates, taking her to a place she doesn’t want to go, and to a memory she though... read more
The Timefarer
Harrison Becket
JACK IS A YOUNG, recently separated man living in the city of Chicago. The year is 1997 and for some time now he has felt a growing sense of alienation for the era in which he lives and with the culture and people that surround him. One morning, on the way into the office, he is involved in a violent bus crash and suffers a blow to the head.The injury somehow unlocks an innate ability within J... read more
JACK IS A YOUNG, recently separated man living in the city of Chicago. The year is 1997 and for some time now he has felt a growing sense of alienation for the era in which he lives and with the culture and people that surround him. One morning, on the way into the office, he is involved in a violent bus crash and suffers a blow to the head.The injury somehow unlocks an innate ability within J... read more
Shelly has 9 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
Value
Communication
Shelly's a delight to work with--professional, clear, and reliable. She was able to take my work and make it shine, finding inconsistencies and errors others had missed. I also appreciate greatly that she didn't try and change my voice. Instead, she became familiar with it and then coached me on how to make it really pop. I hope to work with her again in the future.
Amity Grays, June 2017
Shelly is a joy to work with on every level. She communicates well and at the right frequency. Her editing feedback is excellent and educational. I look forward to working with her again in the near future.
Colleen Herrera, March 2017
Shelly recently finished editing our second book together, and all I can say is, “Woww! I adore her work .” English isn’t my first language, so on top of standard Developmental Editing (which she's incredible at), Shelly spends extra time cleaning up the minor errors in my word choices and odd sentence structure. During the editing of my second book, she discovered the reviewers of my first boo...
Lele Iturrioz, February 2017
Working with Shelly was a true pleasure. She’s an exceptional editor. Her comments, thoughts and ideas will not change your voice but rather enhance it. In addition to identifying areas that need improvement, she will also clarify what she likes and why. That’s an important but often neglected part of constructive criticism, which proves that Shelly takes on a very professional and holistic app...
Chris Monö, January 2017
Shelly is an exceptionally competent editor who knows her stuff. Her additions have created a world that is far more real and alive. She found things I never would’ve thought of, and because of that I have learned a lot through the process. On top of her ability as an editor she is also a great communicator, and I had no qualms about asking her questions. Highly recommend.
Geoff Boileau, December 2016
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