Shannon C.

I help authors strengthen their books and businesses strengthen their operations. I’m a professional developmental editor, published indie author, and experienced business consultant with a background in building, managing, and growing small businesses. For authors: I specialize in developmental and substantive editing for long-form fiction, particularly fantasy, paranormal romance, romance, and darker fiction. My work focuses on pacing, character development and motivation, plot consistency, continuity, worldbuilding, narrative flow, and the overall reader experience. I also provide copy editing for grammar, punctuation, clarity, repetition, and consistency. I don’t believe an editor’s job is to rewrite a manuscript into the book they would have written. My job is to identify what isn’t working, explain why, and provide clear, actionable solutions while protecting the author’s individual voice and vision. As a published indie author myself, I also understand the realities of taking a book from manuscript through publication—not simply what looks good on the page. For businesses: I bring hands-on experience in business development, operations, sales, marketing, process improvement, and growth strategy. I’ve owned and operated businesses, managed employees, worked directly with customers, and helped other small businesses identify where they’re losing time, money, or opportunities. I’m particularly effective with small and growing businesses that need someone who can look at the whole operation, identify what is and isn’t working, and turn that analysis into practical next steps. Whether I’m looking at a 100,000-word manuscript or a small business, my approach is similar: find the weak points, understand why they’re happening, and build practical solutions that make the whole thing stronger. Services include: developmental editing, substantive editing, copy editing, manuscript evaluations, business strategy and consulting, operations and workflow improvement, sales and marketing strategy, and business development. I work best with clients who want thoughtful, direct feedback and practical solutions—not generic cookie cutter advice. Note: I am no longer taking on ghostwriting projects.