Melissa W.

Hello, my name is Melissa, and I am the founder of Melissa Woods' Editing LLC, a boutique editing company (it's just me—a one-woman operation!), specializing in developmental and sentence-level editing. I would be honored to hear more about your book! My book, Call Me Elizabeth Lark, was released in 2020 by Crooked Lane Books/ Penguin Random House. I have a bachelor's degree in creative writing and have written six novels. I'm a seasoned editor of fiction and nonfiction with experience in AMA-11, APA-7, Chicago Manual of Style, and AP style guides. I have taken many manuscripts to the next level; several of my clients have received publishing deals and agents. I started editing in 2021 after mentoring two authors for Pitchwars, a popular Twitter contest. Their book comes out in the summer of 2025. After helping them, I was hooked! My unique skill set can elevate your book to the highest standards. I aim to retain your voice while enhancing the content of your story through copy or developmental editing. If you want a skilled, enthusiastic editor, look no further! I was awarded The Stephen R. Kustra Fellowship and The Glenn Balch Award for Fiction. I was also nominated for The Pushcart Prize in November of 2024. Specialties: *Developmental editing *Line editing *Copy editing *Beta reading *Query letter writing and editing *Ghostwriting * KDP formatting using Vellum as an add-on to editing I specialize in several different genres, which are very diverse!: *Literary fiction *Crime fiction *Nonfiction, including self-help, academic, and spiritual *Romance, from clean to high heat *Historical *YA PUBLICATIONS * Lithub * Crimereads * Coffin Bell Journal * Memoir Magazine * Chicago Story Press