If you’re looking for a nonfiction editor, writing help, or terrible puns, this is the site for you. For more, subscribe to my free email newsletter for nonfiction authors.
But you don’t have to take my word for it. Here are a few books I’ve had the pleasure to edit, co-write, or write.
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James Clear contacted me for an early developmental edit of Atomic Habits. I knew that it was a good book from the outset, but its trajectory ever since has been nothing short of astounding.
Atomic Habits is a remarkable success of a book, a New York Times bestseller with over 10 million copies sold, and a perennial mainstay on the Amazon Charts.
James’s story is fascinating, and he shares some in the book. His 3-2-1 newsletter is also immensely popular.
I helped whittle his 120,000+ words to something more digestible. That said, James was already a clear writer (no apologies for puns) who’d put in a decade of writing before this book.
All nonfiction writers, watch this: How to deconstruct bestsellers with James Clear.
John Finch’s life story is equally tragic and inspiring. He lost his father to suicide when John was only eleven, then spent his young adult years chasing after an emptiness that could never be filled: a father-shaped hole in his heart.
When he eventually became a father to three daughters, John realized something deep within had to change.
Though a businessman by trade, God led him to create the documentary The Father Effect, which eventually led to this book, published by FaithWords.
The incongruity of the title isn’t lost on me. Breaking Bad is a violent show. There’s cursing and blood and evil. But when I read this quote from showrunner Vince Gilligan, I considered how this critically acclaimed show might reveal the gospel in contrast: “I want to believe there’s a heaven. But I can’t not believe there’s a hell.”
Consequently, the book takes a thoroughly Christian look at the show, delving into weighty theological issues such as identity, death, justice, power, fate, free will, and the gospel itself.
And yes, this book is for fans as spoilers abound.
Who is Blake Atwood?
I’ve had the pleasure to work on more than 60 books, from a developmental edit on Atomic Habits to posthumously publishing my late uncle’s murder-mystery novel Sins of the Five Fathers.
Today, I’m a full-time editor for a ministry nonprofit, but I still take on nonfiction editing and writing gigs from time to time.
Subscribe to Better Writing with Blake Atwood today.
Offered services
Note: I only work on nonfiction books.
If you’ve been searching for a book editor for long, you know that editing comes in a variety of forms. And it can certainly be confusing to know what you need. If the information below doesn’t clearly answer your question, please contact me.
If you’ve written most if not all of your nonfiction book and you’re not sure it’s working, you may benefit from a developmental edit.
If grammar often gets in the way of your best ideas, a copyedit is your best friend. Note: This requires that your book has been fully written and is nearly ready for publishing.
If your book has been written, copyedited, and formatted, whether for print or digital, a proofread is the final step to ensuring your manuscript is ready for the public.
If you’ve written some or all of your nonfiction book and would appreciate broad suggestions to enhance your work, a manuscript review could prove helpful.
If you’re seeking traditional publishing, you need to craft a nonfiction book proposal that demands attention. Together, we can create a compelling book proposal.
If you have a great idea or story but don’t consider yourself a writer—or you’re too busy to write—nonfiction ghostwriting or co-writing is a viable option.
If you have a book ready to self-publish, I can manage the process or teach you how to self-publish via Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP).
If you like what you see on this website, I can create and manage a nonfiction author website for you. I also offer author website reviews.
If setting up an email newsletter list for yourself seems daunting, I can help you establish a presence on Substack.
If you’re in need of short, routine content for a blog or content marketing, I can write compelling copy for your website or company.
If you’re seeking to establish or grow a freelance editing business, I can guide you toward finding clients and even a career.
If none of these options are what you’re looking for, please contact me with your specific question. If I’m unable to help, I will do my best to recommend someone who can.
— Ernest Hemingway
On writing, editing, publishing and . . . golf
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I fell down the rabbit hole of YouTube videos about Notion. In fact, the website you’re reading this on is created in Notion and hosted by Super.so—that’s how far down the hole I fell. YouTube’s algorithm eventually led me to watch Ali Abdaal’s “How to Organise Your Life – Building a Second Brain,” which eventually…
“Seventy percent of authors don’t earn out.” That’s publishing guru Jane Friedman during her excellent and information-laden workshop, “How to Get Your Book Traditionally Published” at DFWCon 2017. What does earning out mean? When an author signs a book deal with a publisher, the publisher pays the author in the form of an advance on…