You want a memoir editor who can write, teach, and edit brilliantly.
An editor must understand how to:
- use writing craft
- teach you how to enhance your writing craft
- communicate writing solutions clearly and directly
- provide the support you need to succeed
What you get as my client:
• A passionate reader who enters your story eager to discover your intentions
• A smart editor who quickly discerns if your story is working
• An articulate teacher who helps you fix story problems by developing content and editing current material
• A savvy member of the publishing industry who advises on what makes a book sell, and helps you prepare your manuscript and book proposal for agents and editors
Editing services offered:
• Developmental Editing—is about developing your story, helping you bring your story vision to fruition. We need to be a good match to make this work, so get in touch and we can figure out if we are. You get help writing what it is you are trying to say; I don’t write it for you. I guide, steer, and teach.
• Line Editing—ferrets out craft problems, like too much telling instead of showing, inconsistencies in tone, wobbly character development, clichés, deficient descriptions, passive verb choice, imagery that scuttles the atmosphere of your project, and many more elements of composition that go into making a manuscript ready for publishers.
• Copy editing—is about getting the style right. I use the Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam Webster, as do most book publishers. I know the rules and make sure your manuscript adheres.
• Proofreading—is performed on end copy, truly, pages that are ready to go to the printer. Most writers are not at this stage, but you may be if you are self-publishing. It’s about punctuation, paragraph indents, word spacing, italics, typefaces, and the like.
Learn about my Comprehensive Manuscript Editing service.
Common concerns you may have where I can help:
• You are stuck and can’t make your story work; you need help seeing a solution.
• You need help with story structure.
• You have a finished draft, but you want to be sure it’s ready for agents and editors. You want professional feedback.
• You have submitted your manuscript to agents, gotten rejections, and you need fresh eyes to discern story, writing and marketing problems.
• You need a book proposal and don’t know how to begin.
I’m happy to help solve these issues and move your manuscript toward publication.
Or, get in touch
Client feedback:
Here’s what Lisa’s clients say:
“I’ve told anyone who would listen that working with Lisa Dale Norton for me was the equivalent of getting an MFA degree. I started writing as a journalist, and finished my work with her as a memoir writer. To me this means I was using the techniques of fiction to craft a story, instead of reporting on it.” —Sally Petersen
“Her work ethic regarding timely responses, pricing, and a genuine commitment to excellence is first rate. I highly recommend her.” —Joe Pritchard
Click here to read more from my writing and editing clients.
Shimmering Images—America’s go-to guide for writing memoir
Click here for free reading of Chapters 1–3 of Shimmering Images.
How I came to write Shimmering Images: A Handy Little Guide to Writing Memoir:
After interacting with thousands of writers in classes and public gatherings, it dawned on me that the real reason 
people didn’t write their stories was: They simply didn’t know how to begin.
Every writing book on the market told them what they should do to create a story, but few offered instruction on how to do it.
With that in mind, I wrote down the simple techniques I’ve been using for years to help writers get their memories onto the page.
Library Journal found Shimmering Images “hard to put down.”
Click here to buy this handy little guide to writing your life story.
