Book Coach

“Your exacting first read of my first book manuscript was of immeasurable value. Using your comments as guidelines, I reorganized and honed my draft, pruning some 30,000 words. That exercise brought the narrative and themes into clearer focus and poised the manuscript for its next run down the editorial gantlet. Your even-tempered approach to a potentially fraught exchange was a model of genial candor and illuminating insight. Thanks again for helping to make The American Porch a success.” 

Michael Dolan, senior editor of American History magazine and author of The American Porch: An Informal History of an Informal Place

“Anybody with a good knowledge of English grammar and publishing trends can edit, but It takes someone special to read a manuscript and identify what’s missing in a character, where the plot flags, how pacing or theme can be improved. Alice Powers has that something, hard won from a lifetime of writing, teaching writing and studying American, Irish and Italian literature. Her review of my manuscript came after it had been vetted by my writing group over the past two years, then polished by a professional editor. Alice spotted flaws that others missed, and that I, as writer, was blind to after so many years mired in the rewrite process. What’s it worth to finally get the ‘big picture view’ of my novel? Everything. Alice Powers simply delivers.” Carol Folsom, author of Nice Girl (in process)

“People who love what they do and do it well are natural leaders and mentors in their fields–and in the field of writing, Alice Powers is just that.  She brought her expertise and knowledge to our project and helped us problem-solve on a finished work that needed some help getting out to the larger world.  Because she knows the world of travel writing and guidebooks, she was able to help us see our project in the larger context–and help us articulate the strengths of it, as well.  That’s a gift that sets Alice apart as an editor and coach, and it’s something every good writer should have.  It makes the difference!”  Kris Wilcox, Sales and Marketing, Tired Dog Press publisher of  A National Jaunt. 

“. . .no matter how skilled as wordsmiths we consider ourselves or how meticulously we inspect and re-inspect our efforts as we go along, it’s certain that there will still be those sneaky typo bugs, overblown passages and frost-nipped phrases that escape our scrutiny. . .Alice Powers is such a guide and mentor, a rare combination of gifted editor, devotee of the written word, a frank, honest and widely respected literary critic and a friend to any author who has had the privilege of working with her.”  Peter Kerr, author of Jen, Snowball Oranges, and more than a dozen books, both fiction and non-fiction.

Scriptwriting

Alice Powers has written and produced more than a half dozen scripts for the Smithsonian Associates Program, the National Geographic Society, and others. For information on “The Art of the Letter” at the Smithsonian click here.

Read “The Art of the Letter at the Smithsonian” from the Washington Post.

Editing

With extensive experience in both copy and book editing, Alice Powers has worked for private clients and public institutions, including The Corcoran College of Art +Design, the National Museum of the American Indian, and the Legacy Project.