with

Steven Shelton

Author of the multiple
award-winning book

Free Consultation

If you’re interested in hiring me for one of my offered memoir services, I invite you to a free half-hour consultation on Zoom to discuss your project.

The free consultation will give us an opportunity to see if we’re be a good fit.

During the session, I’ll also provide you with references. You should never hire an editor for your memoir (and that includes coaching) unless you’ve discussed their style and abilities with people they’ve worked with.

Information Request Form

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Reviews
5 Over 7 Reviews
Write a Review
Corey B 3 months ago
Steve’s expert advice both developmentally and grammatically has been spot on. He’s helped me amplify the theme of my memoir as well as my voice. Steve isn’t just an editor. He’s a teacher and a mentor. He’s taught me how to be a better writer and that’s given me the confidence I needed to continue on my writing journey.
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Tova Osborne 3 months ago
I didn’t know if writing a memoir would ever become a reality for me, even though I have spent years writing. Meeting Steve has been one of the greatest blessings to come my way. As soon as we started talking, I knew that with his mentorship, I was actually going to publish a memoir. He listens, he understands what you’re trying to get across and he helps you sharpen every piece of your talent. His input improves grammar, writing style, how to express emotion and how to tell a story in a way that will help YOU captivate your readers.
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Christian Klump 3 months ago
I looked for unvarnished honesty and found it in Steven's group. His no-nonsense critique encouraged me to dig deeper and write with more interiority. He balances his acerbic wit with genuine praise when deserved. Steven's support made me a better writer.
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Heidi Kellam 3 months ago
Steven genuinely wants your writing to shine. I'd warn you that he's quite harsh, but he does a fair job of warning you himself. His keen eye will take good writing and polish it. Working with him has challenged me as a writer and I'm all the better for it.
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Sara M 3 months ago
I received a phenomenal service from Steve who looked at structural issues as well as line editing for my memoir. Soon after I landed an agent.
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Jenni Woods 3 months ago
The years-long process of writing and editing has been difficult, but it’s been so much easier with Steven’s help. I am so grateful for your help. The critique is so valuable. Things are moving along and I’m learning a ton. Highly recommend.
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Carol Spencer 3 months ago
Steven is an expert in the memoir genre. He has a natural ability to see how best to structure and develop your story without taking away from your own unique voice. His grammatical knowledge is faultless. Through working with Steven I’ve created more scenes to engage the reader, and added realistic dialogue. I’ve learnt the importance of transitions to move the story forward, It's like panning for gold. Steven will help you find the essence in your story and bring it to life. Steven has written a very successful memoir of his own. He knows everything there is to know about bringing a book into the world. If your story is worth writing, Steven will help you make it the best it can be.
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It’s about the Writing

As a full member of ACES: The Editing Society, I strive to make your writing shine. I evaluate a client’s writing with brutal honesty. But my comments are always about the pages—not the author.

I want your project to succeed. To help make that happen, I offer three services:

  • Memoir Development,
  • Developmental Editing, and
  • Manuscript Editing.

Memoir development is for writers who are starting from scratch or who have a manuscript they need assistance to revise. This process can take months, but I don’t require a long-term financial commitment. That’s why I charge by the session.

Developmental critique is for those who’ve completed drafts of their manuscript and want assistance in arranging and developing the contents.

Memoir editing is another beast entirely. I’ll edit only the work I believe is of publishable quality and only the work I believe is ready to be edited.

Unlike others who call themselves “editors,” I won’t take you on as a client just to get paid.

  • If I believe your manuscript needs to be rewritten, I’ll recommend that you hire a ghostwriter or find a collaborator.
  • If I believe your manuscript requires significant developmental changes, I won’t perform line edits or copyedits until the manuscript is developmentally sound.
  • If I see line-editing issues with your manuscript, I won’t perform a copyedit or proofread the manuscript until it’s ready.

If you’re interested in my services or have questions, please complete the Request for Information form.

I do offer a free half-hour consultation for you to learn more about me and my services.

Happy writing!

The Craft

“I” and “Me”: Quit Using Them Incorrectly

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One of my pet peeves is when people improperly use the pronouns “I” and “me” in their writing. They are the most common grammar mistakes in modern writing. You hear it in everyday speech, you see it in emails, and it regularly slips into manuscripts that otherwise look polished. The confusion usually appears in phrases like: “She gave the tickets to John and I.” “Me and Sarah went to the store.” Those are cringeworthy. Both sentences feel natural to many people. Unfortunately, both are grammatically incorrect. To understand why, you have to know the difference between subjective case and objective…

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Truth vs. Emotional Truth

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When you write a memoir to be sold, you’re providing a product to meet a demand in the marketplace. Your job as the writer is to give readers what they want. That’s basic economics. But what do memoir readers want? Emotional connections Although memoir is a true story, readers aren’t looking for the simple truth. Face it: simple truth is boring, and a boring book is guaranteed to be pitched into the bargain bin. Rather, memoir readers crave emotional truth. They want to feel a connection to your story—a connection to you. Author Mary Karr once said that writing memoir…

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The Non-Celebrity Memoir

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Like me, you’re nobody famous, but you want to write a memoir—or you’ve already completed some drafts. Before you put your story on the page or publish the finished manuscript, make sure you meet the expectations of today’s readers. By “readers,” I don’t mean your family and friends. What A Non-Celebrity Memoir Isn’t Let’s clear something up first: a non-celebrity memoir is not a life story. That’s an autobiography—and nobody cares about the life story of someone they never heard of. The memoir also isn’t a greatest-hits album of trauma. It’s not a revenge piece to expose an ex’s narcissism.…

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Finding Your Narrative Voice

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“Narrative voice” is a concept you might find as difficult to conceptualize as Schrödinger’s cat—tucked away in a closed box that exists in a state of quantum superposition. If that’s the kind of uncertainty you feel, you’re overthinking it just as I did for several years. No matter how many craft books you devour, your “voice” won’t show up one day fully formed. It won’t tap you on the shoulder and say, “Here I am.” You Have to Find It But it isn’t something you can add to your writing. It’s either already there, or it’s not—similar to the pesky…

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