Editing


Join me live to sustain your practice and projects in the “Write Together” group and 4 other ways to collaborate creatively this spring, including:


Client Testimony

“With editorial prowess and kindness, Jonathan coached me in writing a spiritual memoir through storytelling and haiku, gently urging me onward. What began as a laborious journey to love in the hard places of life became a published book. Jonathan's mentorship convinced me of the power and beauty of a skilled companion to orienteer the creative process.”

                                                                                    -- Marisa Lapish, author of To Love Anyway

“Jonathan’s vision and guidance helped me see where my memoir needed to go and how to find a home for it.”

-- Julie Ryan McGue, award-winning author of Twice A Daughter

I signed with HarperCollins Australia to publish the memoir I worked on in Jonathan's course. He opened my eyes to new ways of seeing and writing, and I have kept those lessons close as I completed the manuscript. Jonathan has an uncanny ability to quickly tap into the emotional truth of a piece, and can ask the useful questions that allow further excavation. He has a curiosity about the human condition that comes through in his critiques. He searches for what he terms emotional heat, but it is his warmth that makes working with Jonathan both enjoyable and productive.

-- Michelle Tom, Melbourne, Australia

I loved Jonathan’s writing and asked him to identify the problem with my piece and suggest solutions. And he did: focus and cohesion. Jonathan understood quickly what I was trying to do, and he supported that vision with intelligence, sharp observation, logical suggestions, and a mastery of craft, leading me to revise the draft and eventually publish it in The Southeast Review. His critique was indispensable.

-- Anne Hodges White, Providence, RI


“Jonathan‘s holistic approach to editing helped form the body and soul of my memoir. He gave specific guidance on how to sharpen the focus of my pages to engage and inform. He was also astute about noting thematic elements which led me to new discoveries and deepened each draft.”  
-- Jill Stegman, author of One Pill Makes You Stronger


 “I highly recommend Jonathan Callard's critiques. Not only does he provide detailed suggestions on structure, pacing, and other elements of style to make my essays more engaging, but he asks probing questions that enable me to take my writing to a deeper level and a wider audience.”

  -- Margie Patlak, award-winning author of More Than Meets the Eye


"A good editor works diligently to make copy better, takes a modest story and shapes it to make it powerful, revels in finding and using just the right words to bring a story to life. Jonathan Callard, in his soulful commitment and ability to do all these things, is a really good editor."

-- Joanne Brown, Principal, Joanne F. Brown Communications
Former Communications Director, Graduate Theological Union
 

“Jonathan’s insights on my writing helped me move forward toward my goal of creating a well-crafted memoir. I appreciate his individualized attention, nurturing tone, and unwavering respect. Be prepared to become inspired when you work with him!”

-- Vivian Fransen, author of The Straight Spouse: A Memoir

 
"A true professional and a great colleague, Jonathan brings skill, commitment, and passion for the written word to every project. I was privileged to collaborate with him."

-- Ethan Vesely-Flad
Director of National Organizing, Fellowship of Reconciliation
Past Editor, Grace Online (1997-2000), The Witness (2001-2005), Fellowship (2005-2013)