Elisabeth Adams

Editing

As a freelance editor, I’m passionate about helping people share their stories.

The words are yours; the product is yours. But like a midwife, I love to stand by, to encourage, and then to share your joy when your blog post, story, article, essay, research paper, or book is born.

Writing is not a mysterious skill that’s only open to certain people. Everyone has a story; everyone can write. At the same time, I know how hard it can be to get words on paper.

I know firsthand how a writing mentor can get you out of that mental gridlock, and I love performing that same service for others.

As a writing mentor, I try to work myself out of a job, but as an editor — well, everyone needs an editor: an eagle eye that helps you do your best. Even if you’re already a confident and competent writer, you still need the final polish.

My gift to you is an eye for detail and a heart to help others write more confidently, more clearly and more correctly.

By soliciting feedback, the writer says, “I trust you. I know you’ll be forceful, but not destructive; you’ll polish my writing without eradicating my personality.” And by accepting the challenge, the editor replies, “Your work is worth a serious investment of my time and talent.”

What’s my experience?

Writing more than 50 published articles, with an emphasis on memoir and personal experience essays

Editing:

  • nonfiction books, many with a memoir emphasis
  • a few novels
  • doctoral dissertations, a thesis, and many scholarly articles with an emphasis on biblical historical geography, first-century Jewish literature, and the Dead Sea scrolls

Researching for my university professor (in Jerusalem) and a local historian

Serving as a writing mentor to:

  • children and teens
  • graduate students
  • first-time authors
  • writers of English as a second language

The editing and mentoring process could mean:

  • phone or video consultations
  • a personalized critique by email
  • tracked changes in a Word or Google Docs file
  • a few key nudges, or a full-fledged walk-through of the task at hand

You choose! The editing and pricing process are flexible, and tailor-made to you and your project.

What next?

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

I loved working with Elisabeth. Her grammar knowledge and expertise were a huge help, and she caught many “little things” that had slipped by. But, for me, the most important aspect of Elisabeth’s editing was her ability to clearly see and suggest ways to tighten up the story or smooth out rough places, improving the whole flow of the scenes.

– Christy Martenson, author of The Christmas Cactus

For the first time in my life, I hired an editor. In a very real, tangible way, I could feel the writing get better as she would say, “Well, this sentence should be up here, not down there,” and “You don’t need these words.” She was so gentle, and it was just a wonderful experience.

— Matthew Clark, author of The Well Trilogy

My editor worked to fix my mistakes and to help me communicate more clearly, but she didn’t try to change the essence of my writing. She appreciated who I was and my unique writing voice.

My editor was picky, and I valued that. I wanted to publish a perfect document, and she wanted me to publish a perfect document. Sometimes she sent the same paragraph to me three or four times, until we were both satisfied.

My editor sprinkled kind, encouraging comments throughout the document. “I loved how you said this,” she would say. It took the edge off the corrections I had to make. She gave me hope that my book, as a whole, was good.

– Christy Fitzwater, author of Blameless, Moving in Close and Calloused Hands

Editing Projects