Writing is a hard, lonely task. All writers need encouragement and support, someone who understands what you're trying to do. Sometimes all you want is a little push getting started, a little help in refining the concept for your novel or nonfiction work. Sometimes you could use some intelligent, objective feedback as you work. Often, once immersed in the writing, you get so deep into the forest, you can't see the trees: which ones to nurture, which ones to cut? That goes for thoughts as well as words. This is when you can use the specific, step-by-step suggestions and astute advice that only a professional can give.
Having worked as an editor on both books and magazines--most recently as features and arts editor of San Francisco magazine--I can give you the encouragement, coaching, and clear-eyed critique that every writer needs. I can give you the substantive, line, or copy editing that every writer deserves (and that so few publishing houses offer these days). I write, too, so I know what it feels like to have your work criticized. I know what kind of advice is helpful, and what kind is not!
Pamela has a sharp eye and the insight necessary to allow a writer to tell the story that he or she needs to tell. In other words, she doesn't get in the way, which is the greatest gift an editor can have. --Barry Gifford | WIld at Heart, Memories from a Sinking Ship
Pamela Feinsilber’s astute eye gave my novel Kingdom of Simplicity just what it needed to go to press. Her touch is like applying every grade of steel wool, from scouring down unnecessary subplots to burnishing the finest thematic strands. Her editorial skills cover the gamut, from structural changes to line editing. Getting great editorial help like this is a necessary investment for any professional author.
--Holly Payne | Kingdom of Simplicity, The Virgin's Knot, The Sound of Blue
When I finally decided to publish a family memoir, a friend in the publishing world recommended Pam. She was the perfect match. She took a rough text through meticulous editing involving language issues, historical references, and multiple voices, shepherding my entry into the literary world with patience, wisdom, encouragement, and enthusiasm. Her attention to detail and precision led to a book of which I am truly proud.
--Joshua Rassen | From the Shtetl to America: Jacob Rassen's Lifetime Journey
