You might remember me from such places as the internet, or the acknowledgements of your favourite book.
I’m a publishing strategist, book editor, and writing coach based on a small island in the Pacific Northwest in Canada. Writers often call me their “secret weapon,” but I prefer the more peaceful “best friend in the book-writing process.”
I spent fifteen years in the world’s top publishing houses, acquiring and editing fiction and non-fiction for change-makers and thought leaders. Now I’m a free agent, baby, and I work with independent writers, artists, entrepreneurs, and environmentalists to shape their big ideas and publish their books.
New! This Is a Book! A Program for Non-Fiction Writers. This program will help you figure out your book idea and start your first draft. Early bird registration available until December 5, 2022. Course starts January 2023. Learn more.
More about me
I was an editor and managing editor at Penguin Random House in Toronto, and inaugural editorial director at Page Two in Vancouver.
Books I edit regularly hit #1 on bestseller lists and win major awards. I’m one of the few editors who understands the intricacies of traditional, hybrid, and self-publishing strategies. I’m an expert at content development in print, digital, and audio formats, and am known for helping writers sort out the scale and direction of their project.
And I’m also an author: my first book, Tracking Giants: Big Trees, Tiny Triumphs, and Misadventures in the Forest, will be released in May 2023 (Greystone Books).
If you need help:
- developing your book idea
- shaping your book proposal or outline
- restructuring or polishing your manuscript
- determining your publishing strategy
- finishing your manuscript
I’d love to hear from you.
“Amanda Lewis has been one of the first readers of my work for years. First drafts are a crucial, vulnerable time for any writer, and Amanda’s close reading, insightful comments and palpable excitement about story and craft, are both clarifying and motivating. She’s a true pleasure to work with.”
John Vaillant, award-winning author of The Golden Spruce
“If I might speak honestly here … editors typically hate me. I’m pedantic, elusive, exhausting and overly opinionated. So it takes someone special to manage my ego, nudge me forward, and bring out my best, both as a writer and a person. Amanda Lewis is all that. I love The Advice Trap, and she held my hand through every stage of its creation, from roughing it out at the start to the fine finishing required at the end. And all without me going into diva mode!”
Michael Bungay Stanier, international bestselling author of The Coaching Habit and The Advice Trap
Here are the books I’ve edited in my career.
