Memoir Editor, Fiction Editor: Testimonials
Want to hear from clients who have used my memoir and fiction editing services? Read on!
Rachel Weinhaus
"My professional background is in screenwriting. When I started writing my memoir, I knew that I would need to find an editor who not only knew their stuff but could help me transition from one writing career to another. There are so many things I respect about Marcia—her incredible work ethic, her exceptional professionalism and skill, her kindness and patience and openness to any topic without judgment—but what I treasure the most is that she honored my writing style and voice. She didn't just edit my manuscript: she elevated it. I had also never written personal essays before, but Marcia helped me to learn the structure, worked with me on edits, and gave me advice on where and how to submit. I truly would not be where I am today without her support and expertise!" Author of The Claimant: A Memoir of an Historic Sexual Abuse Lawsuit and a Woman's Life Made Whole (G&B Media, 2022). Also by Rachel, two published essays: "My Therapist Told Me To Sleep With A Teddy Bear," HuffPost (2022); "I Uncovered Years of Buried Trauma Through Therapy," Newsweek (2022).
William T. Vandegrift, Jr.
"I have shared with Marcia several essays and short stories. She has worked patiently with me and helped me shape my work. Sometimes I was unable to see my way through, and with kindness she held the flashlight that guided me along. Marcia has helped me finish work in which I had no direction. Not only is Marcia good with working on structure, but she is also an excellent copy editor with an eye for detail; she can pick out a typo from a mile away. Without Marcia, I would not have accomplished as much as I have in recent years. These days, I am a much better writer, and now I write with confidence. I am forever grateful to Marcia for her help." Author of essays, including "Beautiful Things," published in The Writing Disorder (2022) and "Creative Sleep and the Writing Life," published in the Brevity Blog (2021). Also by William, the short story "Hominy," which appeared in Five on the Fifth (2022).
Donald R. Dempsey
"After struggling to write my memoir, I knew it was lacking something. Marcia was invaluable when it came to helping me figure out what that something was. She not only edited and polished my rough manuscript, but assisted and supported me with a variety of other issues along the way to completion. I consider her a great professional resource." Author of Betty's Child (Dream of Things, 2013). Read the Kirkus Review of this title here.
John W. Feist
"Marcia Trahan’s developmental editing nourishes your book’s self-esteem. She will recognize your strengths and ask the specific questions that help you find what else is there. Whatever you think of your manuscript when you hit 'send,' you will be prouder of it after working through her annotations. Collaborating with Marcia will earn you clarity of expression and pride that you made the effort.
"In 2012, I sent her the manuscript I’d spent years writing. As a result, the novel improved and was published. In the process, I picked up the confidence to write another, and that one became the first of a series of four. Now, anything I write, I send to her. I always will." Author of a literary historical novel, The Color of Rain (Winter Wheat Press, 2021; previously published as Diamond Mornings, 2016, eLectio Publishing) and The Three Heirs series of thrillers, beginning with Night Rain, Tokyo (2018).
John Macleod
"My thanks to Marcia Trahan, my talented, responsive, and thoughtful editor . . . She pushes and criticizes and encourages in all the right ways, always with a gentle firmness." From the acknowledgments for Justice Hill, a legal thriller (2020).
Bruce Angus
"Thank you so much for your work editing my memoir . . . [it] is first class and much appreciated. Your added notes on copy editing are informative and useful." Author of Minutiae (2019).
Angela Page
"I would not have completed my novel nor published it without Marcia's amazing guidance, coaching, and editing! I intend to be a repeat client and highly recommend all her services." Author of Matched in Heaven, a novel (Sambuca Media, 2017).
Ilana Waters
"Marcia deserves special thanks for her help in critiquing, editing, and formatting my manuscripts. She has an uncanny knack for coming up with elegant, simple solutions that elude me. The world needs more of her positive, gentle direction." Author of middle grade, young adult, and adult fantasy novels. View her Amazon page here.
Rob Barbee
"This book could not have been written without my amazing editor, Marcia Trahan . . . It was her probing questions, insights, correction of my sometimes-shaky prose, and overall editing prowess that helped craft this memoir through its numerous revisions. Nothing I write sees the light of day before it goes through her capable hands." From the acknowledgments for Detour to Tumortown: Dispatches from an American's Middle East Medical Crisis, a memoir (2017). Also authored by Rob and edited by Marcia, Saving Daisy: A Collection of Short Stories (2017).
Lucinda Weatherby
"I am deeply grateful to Marcia Trahan, dream editor, whose enthusiasm and patience never waned. I could not have done this without her." From the acknowledgments for Five Hours: How My Son's Brief Life Changed Everything, a memoir (Akashic Books, 2015).
Lou Macaluso
"Marcia is a professional. Her feedback and suggestions are honest, exhaustive, and constructive. She offers flexible plans to meet your needs and budget. Believe me, her prices are well worth the results. Having worked with many literary professionals, I can honestly say that if there are editors more talented than Marcia, I haven't met them." Author of several works of fiction and nonfiction, including The Greatest Escape, a novel (Righter's Mill Press, 2019).