Monday, February 20, 2017

Success Stories

Through the years, we’ve been fortunate to work with many talented and dedicated writers. Most of them were men and women who couldn’t rest until they arrived at the top of the manuscript mountain. As a result, our bookshelves are filled with the titles of great authors we’ve been able to guide properly until their manuscripts were published. Here are a few of the success stories we’ve been able to cultivate in the last year…


Dr. Raafat Georgy, Absolution
Raafat knew he was onto something special when he contacted us. His utopian manuscript about an Israeli prime minister and a Palestinian politico whose love helps forge a two-state solution in the Middle East was too academic and stilted. He needed characters that leaped off the page in order for the book to work. We set about fleshing out the characters and making the text more accessible, and his manuscript took off from there. Set to be published later this year, Absolution is a great read for anyone interested in the intersection between politics and love.

Peter Ochs II, Eyes of the Sage

Rarely have we worked with an author who was more well-researched than Peter Ochs II, whose book about an astrophysicist who leads an investigation of a lost civilization on the Arabian peninsula was nearly ready for publication. Peter’s command of the history and geography of the region is spectacular, but he needed a sharper point on the human aspect of his narrative, along with another pair of eyes. As always, the combination of a passionate author and our fine-toothed comb editing paid great dividends for this book.

Shawn Inmon, Feels like the First Time

We have a special place in our hearts Shawn Inmon and his memoir about love and rock n’ roll in the ‘70s. We knew Shawn had a great story to tell after providing a manuscript evaluation, and it was clear he was targeting a specific niche of readers. What we didn’t know was how dedicated he was to completing his great story and selling the heck out of it. Shawn’s transformation from a guy writing a story into professional author has been truly incredible to watch.

Michael Robinson, The Violent Offender

Some of our best work comes from helping people with great stories to tell. Michael’s ficitionalized account of a young man locked away for ten years is a startling account of violence, abuse, and neglect. Few writers we’ve met were more determined than Michael was to get his story on paper and onto publication. He had the personal history and passion, but he lacked the industry knowledge and editorial skills. Together we fine-tuned his story, while keeping the raw edge he craved.

Randal Lanser, The 22nd Secret

One thing we’ve learned over the years is that everybody has a story to tell. But some of them take the reader on an unbelievable journey. This is definitely the case with Randal Lanser’s epic story of espionage and romance, which combines top-secret undercover operatives and futuristic computer science, with a passionate love story in the dead of an Alaskan winter.  I knew Randal had a great book after the first page, and our goal was to sharpen the text and get the hiccups out of the way of the great story.

Isaac Yoryor, Giving Life Meaning

Isaac’s story of his 15 years spent inside a Liberian refugee camp was one of the most tragic personal accounts we’ve ever read. We knew from the first paragraph that his story needed to be heard by as many people as possible. His commitment to turning his experience into life wisdom was something we wanted to see to its best possible conclusion. There is no doubt Isaac’s story – and that of the Liberian people – will be read by thousands eventually.

Frank Layman, Success through Logical Thinking

Frank is a lifelong physical therapist and Army reservist, who compiled the best of his wisdom and never gave up on his path to publication. We knew from the start that Frank’s manuscript needed sharpening and organization. But it was also clear that his homespun wisdom could benefit people from all walks of life. We were proud to help make his text as strong and lean as his message.

Margie O’Connor, Return Your Sword

We love fine-tuning a great story into a lean, sharp manuscript that lets the characters and narrative arc shine, and this was the case with Margie’s book. This futuristic tale of two friends drafted into war was nuanced and complex when we received it. But Margie’s work needed to be clearer and leaner to let her characters shine. Margie knew she was onto something good and needed a good push to get over the hump.

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