Jo Michaels - EIC

 

Hi! I’m Jo Michaels, Editor-in-Chief, lifelong reader, and lover of all things story craft. If you’ve followed my blog, you already know I’m passionate about helping writers strengthen their prose, sharpen their storytelling, and present polished, professional books.

I’ve edited countless novels, academic papers, and business briefs over the years, and I discovered my love for editing while tutoring English and writing in college. With a degree in graphic design and a career as an indie author myself, I bring both an artistic eye and a storyteller’s instinct to every manuscript I touch.

When I edit your book, you won’t just get corrections—you’ll gain insight. I work line by line, explaining changes when needed so you come away with new tools you can use in every future project. Your voice is the heart of your book, and I consider it my job to protect it. Unless there’s a structural or clarity issue, your voice remains exactly where it belongs: front and center.

I work in all genres, and my style guide of choice is The Chicago Manual of Style (18th edition)—yes, I love my Oxford commas.

Ready to get started?

 

Contact me now by clicking here.

Praise from clients:

 

I found Jo through my editor. Since I didn’t have a clue about formatting or who to choose, I trusted my editor’s advice. I’m so glad I did. As a new author, I had a ton of questions and Jo patiently answered all of them, then asked a ton of her own to make sure the ideas in her head matched those in mine. All three of my books were formatted by Jo. Everyone always comments on how beautiful the interiors are. She includes little details that make the page interesting for readers and that tie into the story. For instance, in my sci-fi series, the page numbers have cute alien spaceships on them. My paranormal series about gargoyles has gorgeous wing details inside. I definitely love the interiors and so do my readers. Most of all, though, I appreciate Jo’s professionalism and willingness to continue to assist me even after the product is finished. She provides a level of commitment to her clients and to producing a high quality product that’s so reassuring to freaked out authors (like me) who need someone they can depend on.

~  P. M. Hernandez - author of the YA Sci-Fi series Earthborn

 

Jo Michaels, quite simply, is the best! I've had the pleasure of working with her on all three titles of my Sphinx series, for both print and ecopy formatting, and the results have been amazing. She is incredibly professional, detail oriented, and her creative flair adds an artistic element to the very pages of a story.

When YA Book Central reviewed bestselling Demigods and Monsters, (5 stars and "Easily the best surprise read of 2016"), they also made special mention of the formatting of the books in the Sphinx series: "The overall design of both books in this series is well worth mentioning. I usually purchase ebooks, but when a book is this well designed, I prefer the paperback or hardcover editions."

In the indie world, authors are lucky to sell a few hard copies here and there. I sell dozens every month, and the number continues to rise.

That is the power of Jo!

~  Raye Wagner - author of the YA mythology series The Sphinx