Now Offering nonfiction and children’s Publishing and book Consultations!

Early in your nonfiction or children’s book project and need help planning its focus and structure? Need help placing your writing with literary magazines and other outlets? Completed a draft of your book and looking for the editorial support necessary to prepare it to submit to publishers or help it become a self-publishing success? Lost or overwhelmed in the publishing process and need trusted guidance? We can help!

See testimonials at the bottom of this page.

planning

Brainstorming is an extraordinarily powerful tool. When you’re a fit with a great brainstorming partner, you can hone your best ideas and focus on telling the most powerful story possible. Whether you want to choose among several potential book or essay projects, refine an idea you’ve already settled on, or market a book you’ve already finished, we can help. An hour session is recommended for the first session and any package can be divided (see “rates” below).

editing

Erin Wood’s experience editing more than 50 books and thousands of essay-length nonfiction manuscripts guides her as she works with writers at all skill levels. Rates vary depending on desired level of edit (see “rates” below).

publishing

The publishing world can be baffling and overwhelming, and it is often difficult to know where to begin. Erin Wood draws on her experience as both a writer and publisher as she helps writers consider various publishing options, navigate finding potential publishers, begin querying publishers, and ensure that manuscripts are publication-ready. Rates are the same as for planning sessions (see below).

Testimonials

Speech

"Erin was so lovely to work with, and very patient and accommodating of my hectic work schedule. She helped me organize my thoughts in a beautifully powerful and moving way."

—Sela Ward, Emmy and Cable Ace award winning actor and New York Times bestselling author of Homesick: A Memoir (Los Angeles, California) 

Children’s Book Manuscript

“If you’re looking for top-notch editing and guidance on the publishing process, look no further than Et Alia. Working with Erin on my first children’s book has been such a delight. Her attention to detail, talent, care, and passion for what she does is quite evident and rare. She challenged me to hone in on my experience as an immigrant, giving the story deeper meaning and purpose. But that's not all. Erin guided me through every stage of the process, from manuscript to revising a query letter and feeling prepared to send them to publishers with confidence. She gently challenges you to take your writing to the next level and see it reach its fullest potential.” 

—E. Ballay, author of Tiki Tholley Reads Her Reflection (Iowa)

"Erin edited my first children’s book. I had a passion for the subject matter but otherwise was new to writing and the process. Erin helped me develop the skeleton of a story I started with into an appealing and educational story children can learn from. Her edits of my work were easily understood and thought-provoking. She saw my vision and encouraged me to develop the story in my own way with her tactful guidance. In addition to editing my book, Erin also educated me on the publishing process including editing my query letters. I could tell she truly cared about the finished product as much as I did. I've sent the manuscript to publishers and feel so prepared thanks to Erin."

—Megan Rugg, author of an in-progress children’s picture book about school violence (Arkansas)

Book-Length Memoir

“Erin was the perfect editor for my memoir. She went above and beyond! Not only did she offer clear, thorough, and helpful suggestions for improving my work, she was also a warm and empathetic reader who boosted my writing confidence. I would recommend her to anyone who needs a quick, careful, and compassionate editing professional.” 

—Dr. Leigh Pittenger, author of Confessions of a Bible-Belt Yogi (Louisville, KY)

“I first worked with Erin as a contributor to Scars: An Anthology, and I was impressed that she valued my writing enough to let it shine through the editing process. Our brains seemed to somehow sync. After I got my own book deal, I discovered that my publisher hired freelance editors. I knew Erin would be the perfect editor to bring in to help work on my book, so I crossed my fingers and played matchmaker: it worked! And I’m so glad. I can’t give Erin enough credit—from developmental to final editing, she knew exactly what my story needed, and after about nine months of creative push and pull, she made a brilliant observation that gave my book the beginning I had been searching for, my opening equivalent of Cheryl Strayed’s hiking boot going over the ledge of the PCT in Wild. Erin is a dream editor, one I will always choose if I can.”

—Aimee Ross, author of Permanent Marker: A Memoir (Ohio)

True Crime/Criminal Biography

“I was reluctant to give up my editorial rights. I could envision a developmental editor changing it completely to my distaste. Fortunately, my publisher assigned me to Erin, who assuaged my fears on the first proof. She compromised when I stood firm, suggested structural rearrangements that substantially benefited the book, raised issues of fact I hadn’t considered, and teased out errors I never could have found. Thank you, Erin, for a perfect effort.” 

—John Thorngren, author of Salvation on Death Row: The Pamela Perillo Story (Texas)

Essay

“I approached Erin when a trusted & admired writer friend recommended her editing services. ‘I always run my work past Erin before sending it out,’ she said. And I can see why. Erin is quick, has an exacting eye for detail, and a perceptive ear for the underlying themes and motifs of a piece of writing. I found her suggestions and corrections heightened the strengths in my writing, sharpened the impact, and honoured the intent and my voice. She gave just enough direction to make the piece stronger and was able to see what I was trying to do with the structure, offering suggestions that fit. I also know that, if needed, she would probably be able to take a piece down to the foundation and suggest a direction for rebuilding. I highly recommend her services.”

—Nancy Huggett‘s work won the 2022 American Literary Review’s CNF award, was shortlisted for TNQ’s Edna Staebler Personal Essay contest and Cutthroat’s Barry Lopez creative nonfiction prize, and has been published in Citron Review, EVENT, The Forge, Literary Mama, and Prairie Fire. Nancy writes, lives, and caregives on the unceded, unsurrendered Territory of the Anishinaabe Algonquin Nation (Ottawa, Canada). A gajillion rejections are not stopping her from working on a lyric essay collection about ambiguous loss and caregiving. 

"As a writer, I have worked with many editors from a diverse range of literary journals and small presses. Some of the editors were pushy, some were pushovers. A few of them acted like they would rather have nothing to do with me. A few would consistently forget my name. But then there’s that rare and special breed of editors who know what they’re doing, who were born to do this. They are the editors who are actually interested in you and your story. Aside from an engaging and helpful conversation I had with Erin about my essay—a conversation that would help to make me think differently about my writing—I have also grown into my writer self while under her guidance and through her expert advisement. When we worked through editing my essay, I was able to be at ease because I could just feel how I was handing my deeply personal essay to an editor who was going to treat it kindly, treat it with respect, and who was determined to improve the ways in which an essay can reach out to the reader. As an editor, I know how difficult it can be to convince a writer that her work is good, that those compliments weren’t fake, but testimonials to the ways in which they supported her work. My experience working with Erin was one that showed me how with the right kind of care and support my writing could thrive. I have become more confident in myself as a writer and editor after I saw how Erin was invested in my success. I felt like my essay was treated with extreme love and excitement."

—Chelsey Clammer, author of BodyHome and Circadian, winner of the Red Hen Press Nonfiction Manuscript Award. Her work has appeared in The Normal School, Black Warrior Review, The Rumpus, and McSweeney’s, among more than one hundred other publications. Her essay collection, Human Heartbeat Detected, is forthcoming from Red Hen Press