“I have been very fortunate to benefit from Amanda Lewis’s sharp editorial eye, as well as her political wisdom. Over the years I have been deeply impressed with her fierce dedication to quality publishing, and by the positive attitude she brings to her projects. It is a joy to work with Amanda, and I can’t recommend her highly enough.”
Naomi Klein, author of This Changes Everything
“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
“Working with Amanda on my book is a highlight of my career. She asked questions that no one ever asked me before and helped me see where I could make the book even more clear for people and myself. Before I worked with Amanda, I thought an editor was someone who fixes your writing; it wasn’t like that. Amanda coached me to see a clearer narrative without losing the me-factor in the book. It was a delight to work with her.”
Kerri Twigg, author of The Career Stories Method
“Above all, an author needs an editor who ‘gets’ the story, not to mention the writer. It was my good fortune to be paired with Amanda Lewis who―with brio―skillfully and thoughtfully edited my latest book. She is the rare combination of brilliant, hardworking, and fun. A total pro. I would work with her again in a flash.”
Howard Green, author of Railroader (#1 bestseller, finalist for the National Business Book Award)
“I had the good fortune to work with Amanda as the editor of my most recent book, The Good Fight. The opportunity to work with a true editorial partner like Amanda is exactly why I left traditional publishing to move to a hybrid publisher for my third book. From development through substantive editing, I felt like Amanda had the perfect deft touch…knowing when to push me to make my ideas clearer and when to let my unique voice and my idiosyncrasies shine in all their glory. The Good Fight is a better book because of its excellent editing, something I wish my other books could have benefited from. Now if only this recommendation had the benefit of Amanda’s editing!!!”
Liane Davey, author of The Good Fight
“You hope your editor will seem as excited as you are about your work and will inspire you to make it better and then better again, but you also hope your editor will bring a combination of experience, knowledge, creativity, insight, kindness, encouragement, flexible thinking, rigour, professionalism, fun, and the ability to see issues and solutions on both the large and small scale. All those hopes were realized when Amanda Lewis worked with me on my novel, my twentieth published book. My novel and I couldn’t have had a better experience.”
Gary Barwin, author of Yiddish for Pirates
“Amanda is generous, meticulous, deeply incisive, and an extraordinary champion for writers and their work.”
Sean Michaels, author of Us Conductors
“Every time someone tells me that my book is well-written, that they read it in one sitting, or says, ‘everyone should read this,’ my first thought is of Amanda. Although readers credit authors for writing good books, those authors often credit their editors. I am one of those authors who wrote a good book because I had a great editor: Amanda Lewis.”
Tom Morin, author of Your Best Work
“Amanda is a brilliant editor. She effortlessly brings out the best in the writers she works with through her keen insight into both where the reader will be coming from and what unique voice the author has to offer. In particular, she understands authors who are striving to create a better world and how to bring their insights and talents to life on the page. She was truly a delight to work with and made the editing process such a joy.”
Nell Edgington, author of Reinventing Social Change
“One of my biggest fears as a writer is to publish a book that’s only mediocre. That’s where Amanda’s brilliant editing comes in! I’m incredibly proud of my book, and able to hand it over to readers with all the confidence in the world. If you work with Amanda, you’ll quickly learn she is an editor who understands the importance of honest, direct feedback as well as the power of encouragement. I absolutely loved working with her, and while I was thrilled when the editing process was over, I really missed the process of working with Amanda. I would hire her again and again!”
Amy Davies, author of A Spark in the Dark: Illuminating Your Path to a Brilliant Career in a Reorg World
“Exceptional editors are rare, and that is why I am grateful to have found Amanda Lewis. She is both a gifted editor and a pleasure to work with. Amanda’s thoughtful, detail-oriented and professional style vastly improved my book. I offer the strongest possible endorsement without hesitation.”
Micah White, author of The End of Protest
“I had the good luck to work with my first novel, All True Not a Lie In It, with Amanda. Without her, the manuscript wouldn’t have been picked up, polished, and reshaped into its final form. She’s the reader you dream of—inspiring, encouraging, clear-minded, and eagle-eyed.”
Alix Hawley
“Amanda Lewis is an astute and insightful editor and publishing professional. She is also deeply engaged in the arts, the environment, and other issues and causes that contribute to making our communities thrive. Not least, she is a delight to work with.”
Anne Giardini, author, director, and Chancellor of Simon Fraser University
“Working with Amanda is both a pleasure and a challenge because she asks all the right questions to ensure you dig deep and produce your strongest work. I couldn’t have asked for a better editor. She is creative, thorough, and thought-provoking.”
Tzeporah Berman, author of This Crazy Time
“The first thing that impressed me when we started working together was that you understood and were interested in what I wrote. You asked the kinds of questions that required me to look again at what I had written and to reconsider whether a piece of information or a story helped the flow of the main theme or slowed it down. You are clear about the next steps I need to take. It’s so helpful to be told what to do next when there is so much that can be done. You understand my circumstances as an Alzheimer’s caregiver and are willing to work around my schedule. I would have discounted your opinion about the value of my story if you had not told me the reasons why you thought the story was good. You speak like you edit. You allow me to babble on in our conversations and then respond only to the important items. I feel that the story is still all mine but that you have helped me most by making it interesting to the reader.”
Daphne, memoir writer