A few of the publications we've worked on:
Dark Premonitions (Second Sight Book Three)
The Disappearing Girl
A Pair of Docks
50 Days of Grace
Borrowed Things
Keepers of Arden (The Brothers Volume One)
Notes from a couple of our authors:
Indie Books Gone Wild is a supportive group of experienced editors and designers. I have used their proofreading and print formatting services for several of my novels and have been extremely satisfied with the final products. Jo and her team respond to every inquiry in a prompt and professional manner and work tirelessly to make each novel polished and ready for publication. After the book's release, as an extra service, they'll promote the novel on their website at no extra charge.
~ Heather Topham Wood - author of the Second Sight series
I'm not even sure where to begin when thanking Jo Michaels for all the wonderful work she did proofing my book. I have a horrible eye for editing, and I can't tell you how many times I read my book and thought I had caught them all. It wasn't until Jo read it for review and mentioned the typos that I officially gave up. Since I had been following her blog, I'd heard about IBGW and thought I'd check it out. The prices for proofreading are ridiculously reasonable, so I figured I wouldn't feel like I wasted tons of money if it didn't live up to my expectation (plus, Jo was always crazy nice and supportive of authors). The first thing I noticed was how grateful and responsive Jo was to my inquiry, not to mention her enthusiasm. Once the contract was all signed, she further surprised me with updates and great communication. I didn't feel like I'd become just another client. Heck, I felt like I was her only client. It was great! Then I got my book back. The amount of work she put into it blew me away. She went above and beyond, surpassed my expectations, and gifted me a cleaned up book. Not only did she find errors, she explained why she recommended changes and quoted me rules to follow. It was an education, for sure. I'm forever grateful for what she did. But it didn't stop there. I had a few questions and her responses to those were insanely fast. To top it off, IBGW did a promotion for me on their website and hosted a giveaway. Better yet, it cost me nothing! IBGW actually bought my book and gifted out to the winners! Basically, the exceptional service and support has never stopped. Still, Jo checks in with me, asking how things are going. Working with her and IBGW was truly an amazing experience!
~ L. K. Evans - author of the epic fantasy series The Brothers
Meet the EICs!
Jo Michaels:
Hi!
My name is Jo Michaels. If you've read my blog, you know I'm always
giving tips on writing and book design. You'll also know I'm a voracious
reader. I've edited many books, term papers, and briefs in my short
time on this planet, and I learned to appreciate the skills of a great
editor while in college; where I tutored English and writing for a year.As most of you know, I hold a degree in graphic design and I'm an Indie author as well. I know a good story and the building blocks that make one because I'm a lifelong reader and student as well as a writer.When I edit your book, you'll emerge on the other side with new knowledge. This is because I take the time to go through your story line-by-line and tell you why I'm changing it when I do.
I strive to keep your voice intact. Unless there's a major syntax error, I'll leave most construction alone. It's your book, not mine, and it should retain your voice. My style guide is The Chicago Manual of Style - 15th Edition. I look forward to working with you!
Praise from clients:
Jo Michaels is an incredible editor with a lot of compassion
for the author. I find her to be
delightful, both professionally and personally.
She “got” my vision for the novel I had written and instead of
re-writing and changing my words she enhanced them with her wonderful
suggestions. Ms. Michaels will help
guide you into making your novel professional, both content and
format-wise. I can highly recommend her
services and am very pleased with the finished product she helped me
achieve. It is apparent she takes her
job very seriously and is happy when authors she has worked with succeed. ~ L. Leander - Best-selling author of Inzared, Queen of the Elephant Riders
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Tia Siverthorne Bach:
Hi, my name is Tia Silverthorne Bach. Since I was a little girl, I either had a book or a pen in my hand. Guess the same is still true. Raised by a poet and an engineer, I found an equal love for words and structure. In college, I majored in Business but worked as a technical writer and newsletter editor for IBM. After college, I went to work for a bank and wrote and edited their company communications and marketing materials.
Then, I had my first child and decided to write during the few hours she slept. I convinced my mom to co-author a coming-of-age story with alternating view points, teenage daughter and middle-aged mother. Our award-winning novel, Depression Cookies, debuted years later. All the while, I continued to edit and publish Moms Club newsletters and other materials. My third book, Chasing Shadows, was just named a Finalist in Young Adult Paranormal in the 2014 Reader's Favorite International Book Awards.
Between books, I started offering my editing services to friends with novels in the works. Thanks to word of mouth, I built my reputation and business. I love all genres and have edited quite a variety: a nonfiction sailing book, poetry collections, young adult paranormal and fantasy, women's fiction, new adult contemporary, romance, and literary fiction. As an avid reader with varied tastes, I pride myself on finding diamonds in the rough. Few things bring me more joy than helping an author polish his/her piece while also maintaining the voice.
Independent authors are rocking the book world, and I’d love the opportunity to help you take your manuscript from draft to published book. Go Indie!
Here's what Tia's clients are saying:
“Having a book that I'm proud of has given me much pleasure since its publication last summer. It was a great comfort to have Gifts from a Muse in Tia' s professional hands as she worked with me in transforming my manuscript to one that was ready for the publisher. Her calm demeanor and sound suggestions were truly a blessing. I have missed our phone consultations and will definitely request her help in any future publication.”
~ Lane Farmer Schroeder - author of Gifts from a Muse
“Through Tia Bach's work on my book, Borrowed Things, I learned the priceless contributions a good editor can give to an author. She provided formatting and polish that I, as a novice in the world of writing, knew nothing about. She did this with respect for my creativity and sensitivity, and made the book better than it would have been without her skill and objectivity.”
~ Doris Schneider - author of Borrowed Things
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Time for the rest of the team!
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Karen Robinson (works with Jo):
Bio:Howdy! I’m Karen Robinson, and I’m excited to be joining the editing team at Indie Books Gone Wild. I’ve been an avid reader since I was in elementary school, reading anything I could get my hands on although my favorite genres are fantasy and dystopian fiction. In college, I majored in English and spent a couple of years as a copy editor for a financial firm and then a medical publisher. An opportunity led me to graduate school where I received a PhD in medieval literature (and graded many many freshman composition papers).
I decided to leave academia after having a child and to go back to my editing roots. Since then, I’ve been doing a wide variety of editing work from websites for plastic surgeons to eBooks about social media as well as fiction, which is where my editing (and reading) heart lies. I’ve had the pleasure of working with indie author Shane W. Shelton on his Believing Magic series and look forward to developing editing relationships with other authors. When I’m not reading (and even sometimes when I am), I can be found with two sticks and some yarn in my hands—knitting is my other passion.
Using The Chicago Manual of Style - 16th Edition, my goal is not to rewrite your book or create a book that I would have written. Instead, I aim to keep your voice—but make it a cleaner version of your voice. Ultimately, you are the author and ownership of the book is yours, but working with an editor is a valuable way of strengthening your book and making it the best that it can be so that readers can get great enjoyment out of it.
See what Karen's clients are saying:
“Karen took on my 'MASSIVE' project and did a fantastic job taking my raw manuscript and turning it into a 'book.' She didn't alter the story line, or over edit, which was one of my key concerns. And at the same time she wasn't afraid to do what was just plain 'needed.' One of my problem areas (especially with my earlier writing) was with paragraphing correctly. She addressed that issue wonderfully, which means she not only read it and proofed it but had to 'digest' the material and make decisions as to flow and pace. All changes were made in a way that was 'tracked' and easy to review her edits and tweaks.” ~ Shane W. Shelton, author of the Believing Magic series
“Karen is currently working with me on my 110,000 word fantasy novel, and so far she has been AMAZING! She answers any questions or concerns I have (almost immediately too! She is super fast at replying to emails!) and I feel completely confident my book will be the best it can be under her guidance. Some specific areas she has helped with are showing vs telling, PoV issues, and taking out all the little unneeded words in my manuscript (I have a problem with going into too MUCH detail sometimes). Even though she makes suggestions and helps reword awkward sentences/paragraphs, she doesn’t change my style of writing. I can still “hear” my author “voice” when I read the revisions she has suggested. I would recommend Karen to anyone who is looking for a seasoned, talented editor. She’s fabulous!” ~ Shiriluna Nott, author of A Call to Arms
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Eliza Dee (works with Tia):Bio:
Hi, I’m Eliza Dee. I’m a lifelong word nerd and foreign language freak. I was that child who read the dictionary for fun, and the only thing that’s changed is that I have more dictionaries now! I hold both bachelor’s (University of Michigan) and master’s degrees in English, in addition to stints as a law student and a student of library science. I’ve always known I wanted to work with words for a living, but while I love writing, bringing out the best in others’ work is my true passion.
Fiction editing is somewhere in between an art, a craft, and a science, and I am as passionate about the technical aspects of language as I am about the art of storytelling. Before switching to fiction editing, I spent over ten years editing academic writing. I’ve also been a college composition instructor, a writing center administrator, and a writing tutor, experiences which are reflected in the educational approach I take to my editing work. I love seeing my authors improve over the course of our relationship, so I won’t just tell you that a comma is unnecessary—I’ll explain why!
I’m thrilled to be a part of the self-publishing revolution and to work directly with indie authors to make their books the best they can be! My style manual is The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th ed.
Here's what Eliza's clients are saying:
"Eliza is AWESOME. She just did content editing on my release for next month and her work is meticulous, thorough and very thoughtful. She knows her stuff. I’ll definitely be coming back to her again in the future for the next books." ~ Brenna Aubrey, bestselling author of At Any Turn (edited by Eliza) and At Any Price
"The book she edited was the first book I’d published. It had already gone through edits with another editor. However, I kept finding mistakes in the manuscript and had planned to get it re-edited when Eliza stepped in. Talk about great timing! I have to say that Eliza caught a lot of mistakes. It gave me a headache just looking at all of them! Eliza is the real deal. Copy edits and line edits were awesome. She even did some proofreading and found lots of extra spaces in the manuscript, backwards quotation marks (grr), among other typos. For developmental editing, she caught lots of plot holes (which I fixed up) and gave me a 5-page report that detailed motivation problems, detours, plot holes, loose ends, and characterization problems with the story. [...] If you’re working on your first book, I highly recommend Eliza’s comprehensive editing." ~ L.G. Castillo, author of The Broken Angels series
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Jennifer Oberth (works with Jo):
Bio:Hello, my name is Jennifer Oberth. My mother started to read to me when I was in the womb, and I was hooked on stories from that moment forward. I’ve kept a journal since I was seven, completed my first novel when I was ten, and published my first short story in 2011.
I’m a lifetime member of the Sisters In Crime, a mystery writer’s organization, and served on the board of the Sisters In Crime Chicagoland chapter as the treasurer for two years. I also sat on the programming committee. Back in 2009, I was on the Why Join? panel at Love Is Murder, a popular writer’s convention. I regularly attend the Writer’s Police Academy, easily the best writer’s convention I’ve ever been to. I love National Novel Writing Month and have written 50,000+ words in the month of November for several years.
As a part of improving my own writing, I’ve joined writing groups and helped other authors by critiquing their work in the process. I’ve been critiquing other authors’ stories for years. I discovered that I have a knack for editing due to my attention to detail, my care for the works, and the fact that errors jump out at me. As a kid, I used to love finding a mistake in a traditionally published book, and now I can’t pass a billboard without spotting common blunders.
I believe it’s a necessity for independent authors to have their books as professional as possible. They should be indistinguishable from a traditionally published book (or whatever high level of quality you hold books to) and the good news is, you don’t have to do it yourself. You likely can’t, as you’re too close to your own work to see those pesky, sometimes persistent, problems. That’s where I come in.
My goal is to make your book the best it can be, without changing your voice, vision, or story. It’s my job to make your book stronger, smoother, and of the highest quality.
I love mysteries, and will read any genre except horror or erotica. I prefer to avoid novels with extreme violence, gore, or harm or abuse to animals or children. The style guide I go by is The Chicago Manual of Style – 16th Edition. I can’t wait to read your book!
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Mollie Turbeville (works with Tia):
Bio:
Hi, I’m Mollie. I’m an editor who strives to
preserve every writer’s unique voice. I graduated from North Carolina
State University with a bachelor’s degree in English Literature and a
minor in Creative Writing. I developed a love for reading and writing
over the years, as well as a keen interest in helping authors put their
best story forward.After college, I worked as a writer and editor at a literary consultancy, helping business professionals establish their brand, create and edit content, and manage social media accounts. I launched my business a year later as an independent editor, and I have immensely enjoyed helping authors enhance their stories. My style guide is The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Edition. I currently live in Winter Park, Florida, with my husband, lazy hound dog, and two fat cats. I like to ride my bike around the city and drink my weight in coffee.
And, Mollie's clients say:
“As a beginning writer, your first editor becomes an essential collaborator in achieving a lifelong dream. She helps you polish your prose, gives direction where you may have gone astray, and helps you to better resonate with your readers. For me, Mollie Mohr Turbeville has done this and more and I will always be grateful for her guidance. On her website she quotes Maya Angelou about there being no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you. I would recommend her to anyone struggling to get that story out and to help you express it in the best way possible.”
~ Jerry Inberg, author of The Shuffle Thumpus
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Krystal Wade (works with Tia):
Bio:When I first began writing, I never imagined becoming an editor. I mostly imagined posh residences, flash photography everywhere I went, zero money issues, and a departure from my 9-5 in the nation's capital. Boy, what an idiot I was. My first book was accepted for publication, and my editor threw ALL THE RULES at me. She taught me everything I know, and then some, using her little red notes and references back to the publisher's style guide. Since then, I've worked in several different arenas of the publishing world: from acquisitions, to marketing, to production, to full-scale edits. I love helping authors hone their craft, teaching them how to write clean manuscripts the first time, pointing out their usual flaws, and making stories sparkle like hot vampires--if you're into that sort of thing. My first love is young adult fiction, with strong interests in dark plots and twisted characters . . . and a little romance helps. And if you must know, I live in Virginia with my husband, three children, two dogs, two cats, three bunnies, and way too many chickens.
Here's what her clients are saying:
"Krystal provided tremendous insight into the publishing industry, particularly where young and new adult novels were concerned. She consistently made herself available to answer any questions, provide coaching, and offer moral support to ensure I stayed on track.
She routinely demonstrated that she had a keen eye for detail, performed well on a deadline, and was always willing to go the extra mile when needed. Her work was always completed before the deadline in a very satisfactory manner." ~ A.K. Morgan, FADE (2012)
"I’ve already learned so much from Krystal. She’s given great feedback not only on the technical aspects of sentence construction but also on content. Her advice and suggestions have made my book tremendously stronger already, and we aren’t even finished yet. Her comments are honest but kind. She not only shows what needs to change, but will explain why so I can understand what I need to do differently in the future. She’s always very clear with her comments, which I very much appreciate. I am thankful to get to work with her and would definitely recommend her editing services to anyone." ~ Amy Bearce, FAIRY KEEPER (2015)
"Krystal always edited with enthusiasm and an innate understanding of the story and the book-selling market. She helped me produce the best version of my manuscript possible. She always worked on deadline and was very willing to provide additional information and clarify certain points as needed. I highly recommend Krystal as an editor. As an author and public figure herself, she takes great pride in her reputation, conducts herself professionally, and is easy to work with." ~ Jamie Ayres, My So-Called Afterlife (2012)
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We've decided not to offer any of these services to those either under or those who intend to seek a traditional publisher with the manuscripts we work on. It's full-on indie. Call it camaraderie, call it narcissism, or call it snobbery. Those traditionally published folks have all the help they need.
If you have any questions, fill out the form. Thanks for visiting. We look forward to hearing from you.
