Clients' Recommendations:

"Susan helped me in all phases of writing four of my books, but two of her contributions stand out as really crucial: the initial critique of my first complete draft, and line editing the last draft, the one to be sent to the publisher. Her analysis of the first draft told me what worked for her in the story and—most important—what didn't work (insights which eluded me at that thought-jumbled stage). With Susan's input, rewriting and polishing were almost fun. When the reworked manuscript was, I thought, very close to perfection, I gave it back to Susan for line editing. My 'perfect' piece usually wound up with dozens if not hundreds of errors, most of them minor. But every error, big or little, if uncorrected would scream 'amateur.' If there are errors in the published books, no one has pointed them out to me. Susan's help throughout the process with each book was invaluable."
— Mart Baldwin
Author of Over the Edge, A Diary to Die For, and other mysteries; a memoir, Drifting the River: Growing Up Wild in the South; a travel book, A Busy Day in Loafer's Glory: A Rambler's Guide to Off-the-Path Carolina Places; and a short story collection, Rocking Chair Tales

"I am happy to recommend Susan Snowden to other authors because she has been such a help to me, first, in the revision of my book, and later during the proofing of the galleys on a tight deadline. She is so knowledgeable and efficient, I know she saved me a lot of time and money. Because of the honest and professional manner in which Susan works, I was able to trust her all the way through the process. Without her, I could not have produced the book in which I now take pride."
— Polly McCanless Kent
Author of Earth's Only Paradise (historical romance)

"Susan Snowden knows more than The Chicago Manual of Style or just the right word to make a sentence sparkle. She diligently points out inconsistencies in characterization, where to cut text to increase narrative flow, and whether or not something will be absolutely crystal clear to the reader."
— Steve Brown
Author of the Susan Chase™ Mysteries, Of Love and War, America Strikes Back, Radio Secrets, and other works of fiction

"Susan has a number of editorial strengths, but one of her greatest assets is the ability to capture the tone and essence of a work-in-progress—something every writer desperately needs when objectivity flies out the window, as it inevitably does. I trust Susan's instincts completely and tell my workshop students that hiring her to edit their books is the best investment they can make in their own writing futures."
— Marie B. Maher
Author of Gifts From Shane; Trooper Down: Life and Death on the Highway Patrol; Flight for Life; and a novel-in-progress

“Susan is a delight to work with. I am grateful to her for helping me pull my book together into a readable form. She brought my words to life and guided me to the most effective presentation of the material. I truly believe that it was because of Susan’s editorial skills that I was able to find a publisher so quickly.”
– Robert Gongloff, Dream Exploration: A New Approach
http://www.heartofthedream.com/book.htm

“In the final stages of readying our manuscript for typesetting, Susan played a major role with in-depth line editing of the text. Particularly important was her critical and uncanny knack for detecting areas of unclear wording in some chapters. We are indebted to her for her editorial input, which significantly increased the clarity of the text.”
– Joseph Arcos, Ph.D., editor, Voices from the Gathering Storm: The Web of Ecological-Societal Crisis (essays by eighteen renowned experts in science, philosophy, religion, etc.)
http://www.voicesfromthegatheringstorm.com

“Thank you for the line edit and suggestions for my paper “Clashing Archetypes in Academia.” I am very pleased with your work and consider this money well spent.”
– Letter from J. Mackey, professor, Appalachian State University

“You did a bang-up job on the query letter. It is so much better than mine–so much more detail and written with spark. I really appreciate your time and your care. I feel I can hook an agent with this one!”
– E-mail from Ingrid Heegaard

“I respect your professionalism and thoroughness in critiquing my stories, and I know I’ll definitely recommend your services to others. Your honesty and frank discussion regarding problem areas were extremely helpful.”
– E-mail from Nancy Purcell

“What makes Susan an asset to any writer is her ability to assess a manuscript globally, recognize a stalled narrative, 'hear' the character who speaks 'out of character,' while at the same time spotting the difference between 'fiancé' and 'fiancée' in an 80,000-word text. A good editor is no excuse for a writer to be sloppy, but all writing, no matter how conscientious the author, is enhanced by the objective eye of a knowledgeable and sensitive editor. Susan has always given her keenest attention and detailed analysis to every piece of my fiction that has crossed her desk.”
– Lonnie Busch (www.fiction.lonniebusch.com)

"Susan's fine job of editing my manuscript and proofing my galley were just part of what she brought to the table. Her broad experience with various publishers and as an author gave a perspective to my task that improved the final product dramatically. Professional in every respect, Susan is able to offer guidance and suggestions in a manner that makes it easy to accept corrections and changes. I not only recommend her highly but look forward to using her expertise in the future."
— Laurence S. Graham, J.D., Attorney
Author of Important Choices: A Guide for Your Survivors

"Susan Snowden is a consummate professional. She saved the day for us on a number of occasions when we were 'down to the wire' in getting our publication to press. Her proofreading skills are impeccable, and she cheerfully met our deadlines even when it required working after hours or on weekends."
— Thomas Howard Jones, M.D.
Former co-editor, Psychoanalysis in the Carolinas
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

"As writers, we have confidence in our skills, yet it's always reassuring to have Susan's masterful and experienced eyes on our project before it goes out into the world. Susan not only brings an eye for detail to her editing; she also helps us create more coherence and clarity in our content. In addition, Susan teaches us as she edits; our writing consistently improves each time we collaborate with her. It's also a pleasure to work with her. She is prompt, impeccable, and reliable. Plus there are never any surprises such as additional fees at the end of a project. You may find an editor who charges less than Susan, but the relationship we've built with her over the years is priceless. We both highly recommend her to writers who want to get the best results possible for their books, articles, or other prose."
— Shonnie Lavender & Bruce Mulkey, authors of I Do! I Do!
The Marriage Vow Workbook (endorsed by Harville Hendrix, Ph.D.)

Writing Experience:

Susan has published stories (fiction and nonfiction), essays, and interviews in numerous literary journals and online e-zines. Her poetry has appeared in various “little” and literary journals, online e-zines, and anthologies.

Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in the following journals, among others:

New Orleans Review
Now and Then
Pisgah Review
Writers’ Exchange
Moonwort Review
Backstreet Quarterly
Vermont Ink
Hummingbird
Waterways: Poetry in the Mainstream
Solares Hill
Victoria Press
Dreams International Quarterly
La Pierna Tierna
The Poet’s Pen
Long Story Short
Slow Trains

Susan’s poetry has appeared in four anthologies:

Taj Mahal Review, Vol. IV, No. 2
December, 2005
Allahabad, India

A Celebration of Southern Poets, Vol. II
2004
Atlanta, GA

Earth and Soul: An Anthology of North Carolina Poetry
(bilingual edition)
2000
Kostroma, Russia and Raleigh, NC
(sponsored by the Sister Cities Program)

Raising Voices: A Café of Our Own Anthology
1997
Asheville, NC

To learn more about Susan’s background and views on writing, you can read an interview with her in the online journal Long Story Short. http://www.alongstoryshort.net/SusanSnowden.html

Honors and Awards:

Doris Betts Fiction Award - Third Prize
North Carolina Writers Network
Chapel Hill, NC
2004

Celebration of Southern Poets Competition -
First Prize (for non-rhyming poetry)
Kennesaw State University
Atlanta, GA
2004

72nd Annual Writer’s Digest Competition - Two Honorable Mentions (for poetry)
Writer’s Digest
Cincinnati, OH
2003

James Still Award for Poetry - First Place
Appalachian Writers’ Association
2001

Regional Artist Project Grant
(to complete a novel)
Asheville Arts Council and the North Carolina Arts Council
2000

James Still Award for Poetry - First Place
Appalachian Writers’ Association
1997

Mary Schierman Award for Poetry - Finalist
Coos Bay, Oregon Writers’ Workshop
1997

International Writers’ Workshop Poetry Contest - Honorable Mention
Asheville, NC
1997

James Still Award for Poetry - First Place
Appalachian Writers’ Association
1996

International Writers’ Workshop Poetry Contest - Honorable Mention
Asheville, NC
1996

Georgia Women in Communications Award - Honorable Mention
(for creative nonfiction)
1991

Full academic scholarship (master’s degree program)
New York University, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences
New York, New York
1982-84

First Place Mark of Excellence Award
(for a published interview with Tennessee Williams)
Society of Professional Journalists (national)
1980

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