Steve Woodward – Editor

I am an editor, teacher, and writer who worked for the respected independent publisher Graywolf Press for over twelve years. While there, I worked with emerging and established writers to develop their books and shape their careers. I specialize in literary novels and short stories on the fiction side, and memoir and essay on the nonfiction side. In each of these categories I have worked with writers from around the world, in translation and in English. Books I worked on have won the Booker Prize, the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the Dublin International Literary Award, and been finalists for the National Book Award and the Pulitzer Prize.

In addition to my editorial work, I teach college writing and literature at Normandale Community college and publishing and creative writing classes at Macalester College, where I prepare undergraduate students for work in the publishing industry. I have also taught at Hamline University, St. John's / St. Ben's, and Sierra Nevada University's low-residency MFA. My teaching experience means that I am used to translating editorial practices to everyday terms, which makes the process accessible for writers of any level. I am also an agented writer, which gives me additional insight into the writing process.

I approach editing as a creative and collaborative process that can unlock the writer's potential. I aim to equip writers with the tools and objectivity to be able to achieve their goals with their manuscripts. That means that when I communicate with writers, I'll offer a mixture of written and verbal feedback, to ensure it's clear what my recommendations are. Depending on the service selected—from copyediting and line editing to editorial assessment and developmental editing—this may include an editorial letter, a list of specific items to address, and marginal comments. No matter the form the feedback takes, my intent will be to make your work shine.