Overview
Writing a memoir or autobiography and need help? I have the experience needed to be your developmental editing partner.
Many of my author partners came from military leadership backgrounds. They were more used to giving orders than taking them. This experience fostered in me the sensitivity, tact, and empathy required for a successful collaboration with all types of writers.
CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:
Jimmy Stewart: Bomber Pilot (biography/memoir)
Starr Smith served as an intel officer beside Jimmy Stewart in World War II. I was assigned to be his project editor, and quickly gathered my editorial faculties.
Starr and I were in constant communication throughout the process. We knew his book would garner a lot of scrutiny as the first military biography of this Hollywood icon.
The finished product received the blessing of Stewart's family. His daughter Kelly stated, "My father would feel honored by this book." It would go on to be my publisher's all-time bestseller.
A Spy’s Journey (biography/memoir)
This was a rare firsthand chronicle by a career CIA agent, Floyd Paseman, who served through eight presidential administrations. It received major news coverage and reviews, including in the New York Times and USA Today.
The Sling and the Stone (history)
Col. Thomas Hammes is the Pentagon's top expert on insurgent warfare. When he set out to compile his knowledge into one volume, he turned to my publisher and me to help develop it.
Stumped for a title, I presented Col. Hammes with one evoking David vs. Goliath: "The Sling and the Stone," with an appropriate Bible quote to include in the front matter. We were off and running.
The book was a sensation in the nation's Beltway media and among Pentagon mavericks, and would help reorient the American military in facing this growing threat around the world.
Hope (history)
This book recalls a seminal moment in American history, when a relatively unknown junior senator named Barack Obama skyrocketed to the nation’s most powerful office.
Independent, anti-establishment art featuring this inspiring candidate began to spontaneously appear in public spaces throughout America. Art professor Hal Wert collected the best of it.
I helped him curate posters from his collection and shape it into an art gallery-worthy companion book for his touring exhibit. It went on to win the Benjamin Franklin Award as the top Political / Current Events book of the year.
Services
Non-Fiction
Languages
Certifications
- Bachelor of Arts in English Literature
- Digital Marketing Certificate
- U. of Iowa Novel Process Workshop (completed)
- Simon Fraser U. Publishing Immersion (completed)
Work experience
Self-employed
10-VALUE PLEDGE
My pledge to clients is to uphold what I have found to be the 10 core values for excellence in nonfiction editing and publishing:
1. clarity,
2. honesty,
3. discernment,
4. factual accuracy,
5. stylistic consistency,
6. grammatical correctness,
7. a sense of order and organization,
8. time sensitivity,
9. humanity, and
10. integrity.
Zenith Press/Quayside Publishing Group
My focus was to communicate with authors, agents, photographers, rights holders, and others to ensure the successful publication of a project. I was in charge of acquiring and editing military history, heavy equipment, and automotive enthusiast books. As a result, I helped the publishing department achieve dramatic year-to-year growth in profitability, sales, and product quality. Some of my notable accomplishments are listed below:
• Acquired and edited the first complete account of Hollywood legend Jimmy Stewart’s World War II experience, the most commercially successful book to date in the company’s military history category.
• Worked with high-ranking military officers to acquire and edit books on recent events in warfare, including in Afghanistan and Iraq.
• Won Benjamin Franklin Award in 2010 for Excellence in Independent Publishing for coffee table book featuring curated political posters.
Portfolio
Steve has 3 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
Value
Responsiveness
