What people are saying.

As my developmental editor, Natalie was instrumental in bringing my book, The Four Stars of Leadership, to life. She helped me reshape my original 500-page manuscript into a 250-page final draft without losing the message and cohesion or my voice. Natalie's process was thorough and professional, yet very personal.

She made every effort to get to know me and my vision, spending a lot of time asking questions and understanding me and my goals. It was clear she had the same goal for my book as I did—for it to be its absolute best.

As someone with a particularly high standard, I can say that the finished product exceeds even what I had hoped for. I am extremely grateful to have worked with her, and I have every intention to do so again with my next book, the follow-up to The Four Stars of Leadership!

—Dr. Tom Collins, author, The Four Stars of Leadership

After a few rounds of review of my book, my editor suggested a developmental editor to help me create more balance in the writing. The challenge was not the content or expression of my ideas, but rather, there was a lot of information that did not have a clearly defined structure and point of view. So my goal was to get help finding the throughline narrative in the book, which I knew was there, and then to get guidance on a structure to follow that would help to mesh all my ideas together in a way that was both accessible and that would keep a compelling narrative.

First, she read the book in its entirety and pointed out key areas where she could hear my voice and areas where it was absent. Second, she provided a clear editorial path for me to follow to provide structure, and to establish flow between the transition from idea to idea, including that vital topic sentence! This was crucial for me as I was feeling a bit buried by the history I was writing, and with her feedback, I was able to see my perspective on the topic. Her feedback also helped me to realize that I can assert my perspective on history, it does not have control over me. This was a big breakthrough for me.

Natalie is very personable and she connects with the work in a way that doesn't ask the writer to change who they are. Instead, she provides feedback to assist the writer in leaning into their voice so that they can become more authoritative in their writing. A writer doesn't need to be all knowing, but they need to know what they're talking about so that a reader can trust what they're reading. Authorial voice is something that comes with experience, but one of Natalie’s other strengths is approaching the work from where she thinks the writer is in that process. Meaning, Natalie have an ability to discern if she's working with a novice, intermediate, or expert in their field, and because of that, her feedback feels tailored, not boilerplate.

The decision to hire an editor can sometimes feel as though you've "failed" as a writer. The logic is, why can't you figure this out yourself? Writing and editing are interrelated crafts, but they are not the same. So for any writer who is thinking of hiring Natalie, I would say recognize the added value of an editorial review of your work, as it will not only strengthen your editing skills, but also give you deeper perspective on the reading of your work from someone not connected to the publication process.

I have never worked with a developmental editor before, so I had a bit of uncertainty as to how the process would work, and what I would get out of it but I can honestly say, working with Natalie has fundamentally changed my approach to writing and I feel that my current book, and everything I write from hereon, will be radically better having worked with her.

—Cheryl Thompson, PhD, Tier 2 Canada Research Chair in Black Expressive Culture & Creativity, Toronto Metropolitan University

I sought out Natalie’s editing services because I was feeling increasingly disconnected from my manuscript. I wasn’t sure if I was on the right track and needed a professional perspective to provide specific feedback on structure, flow, and logic. One particular challenge I faced was conveying the research I conducted over a long span of time in a compelling and cohesive way. I had the materials, ideas, and aspirations for the book, and Natalie helped refine and enhance the overall architecture to bring it all together.

Natalie’s edits were invaluable in helping me structure my book. She guided me in sequencing each story, context, and discussion to anticipate the readers’ needs and address potential questions. She encouraged me to highlight the urgency and broader significance of the topics, reminding me to always connect each discussion or chapter to the overall themes of the book.

Her comments are focused, clear, and solution-oriented. She would give suggestions by offering concrete examples of phrasings that can elevate my voice and authority on the topic. Her chapter outlines based on her readings were also particularly helpful to see how a reader understood the sequence and flow of my writing. She color-coded these outlines based on the chapter’s questions to help me keep track on whether or not I’ve addressed them.

Another thing I found extremely helpful were the meetings we would have shortly after she sent her edits. She would elaborate on her comments, answer questions, and we would find solutions together. She was always encouraging in these meetings.

Natalie brings numerous strengths to her role as an editor. She is a careful and empathetic reader who takes the time to understand the trajectory of my journey and the evolution of my thinking as an author. She encouraged me to make these aspects more transparent in the narrative. Her feedback is clear, non-judgmental, and constructive, delivered with kindness. She consistently returned her edits on time, and it’s evident that she approached the manuscript from multiple perspectives—reading as both a reader and a fellow author, while also stepping into the author’s shoes to provide well-rounded insights.

To anyone considering hiring Natalie, you’re about to make an excellent choice in working with her! Her presence on my team has been nothing but supportive. Thank you so much, Natalie!

—Victoria Kumala Sakti, PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow at Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity

I had completed a manuscript and was about to send it to my publisher for review when I sought out Natalie's services, I needed a knowledgeable and thoughtful reader who could help me anticipate the reviewer's critiques and get a head start on revisions. I was attracted to Natalie's skill set because she had worked with people specifically in my field, but also had broad experience across academic disciplines that would allow her to read my draft with the eyes of a general academic reader.

Natalie had an excellent sense of how to structure an academic book with clear throughlines to keep the core argument front and center. She also provided excellent feedback on where I could add more ethnographic detail to make my research and interlocutors really stand out on the page. Her work was thoughtful and she asked incisive questions that helped me clarify my thinking and strengthen my argument throughout the manuscript.

Natalie asks smart questions that get to the core of what you are trying to say as an author. She has a good eye for strained or awkward phrasing, and how academic language sometimes serves to confuse rather than help a reader. She helped me cut through the pieces of my work that I felt less confident about, to ultimately feel more confident in the work I was putting out into the world. Her edits also come back with frequent complements--"great sentence", "this is well written"--right where you most need a boost.

If you’re looking for developmental edits on your book-in-progress, Natalie will take your goals and concerns and make them the focus of her reading and editing. She offers time for discussion to help you move forward as a writer.

—Katharine Keenan, PhD, author, Belfast Imaginary: Art and Urban Reinvention, Rowman and Littlefield

I sought out Natalie because I was getting lots of rejections that my idea/proposal was great but the literary agents weren’t connecting with my writing. I knew I needed to improve my writing.

I auditioned numerous editors and had them edit the same section. I then did a side-by-side comparison of their edits and Natalie by far blew them all away. It was no contest! That gave me complete faith that I selected the best editor and that it really was Natalie.

Natalie took my writing to the next level and showed me what I didn’t even realize was missing. She did both developmental editing to help me rebuild my structure, and she did line edits to sharpen and polish. She taught me to create more tension and drama.

She also helped me overcome my fear of being afraid to break the parts I didn’t want to break—those things I was attached to—but with her help, they morphed into something better. As a writer, it can be hard, getting attached to my creation, and she had an insightful and gentle way of helping me see what wasn’t working.

Her strengths include her ability to deeply understand and connect with your work. She really understood my principles, my mission, my goals, and that helped to feel we were on a common endeavor. I had complete trust in Natalie because of her engagement.

She also didn’t just hand me a fish—she taught me HOW. I am a significantly better writer because her process showed me how I can adapt her method and style to my own self-editing. This was one of the greatest gifts. I called it “applying the Natalie method.” I am now able to self-edit and improve my own writing thanks to her!

The results also speak for themselves. When I queried my new material from Natalie’s edits, I immediately got a large agent interested in my manuscript. It worked! Natalie occupies a special place in my journey as a writer.

—Justin Kolber, author of Ripped

I have written two books, a master's thesis and dissertation, lots of newspaper and magazine articles, and worked as a copywriter. Natalie is truly one of the most talented and astute editors I've encountered during my writing career. I trust her judgment and know that her suggestions—both subtle and perhaps not so subtle—will take my writing to the next level. She can see what I cannot when I'm deep into a manuscript. She's an excellent communicator, too, so our work together is very productive. 

—Christine M. Tracy, PhD, author, The Newsphere, Peter Lang; The Mystic As Everyman, Thought Catalog