A Deeper Approach to Storytelling

When you hire me as your editor, what you’re really buying is my perspective—the way I think about storytelling and how I help you incorporate that knowledge into your writing. You want an editor who understands that our craft isn’t just about massaging dialogue, patching plot holes, polishing tone, or correcting typos. It’s also about helping you discover and reveal the power and efficacy of your own writing voice.

I offer the kind of guidance that respects your work and honors that voice, and throughout the edit I am always available to you. To answer questions, to offer advice or suggestions, and to help you along, no matter where you are on your author’s journey.

When I consider the totality of what I furnish my clients—when I meticulously evaluate the services I provide and how closely I work with clients through the entire edit—I land on the word preside as perhaps the best, most accurate description of what I do. 

As editor, I’ve presided over the assassination of thousands of terrorists, over alien invasions (multiple times), over endless police shootouts, over torrid Regency-era affairs, over the end of civilization as we know it (multiple times), and over tales of everyday people often thrust into the worst possible circumstances as they struggle to find emotional and physical purchase in the roiling worlds my clients create. The cover images below are just a tiny sample of those worlds:

True both to the meaning and spirit of presiding, I draw upon every last neuron of experience, every last morsel of knowledge, as I help guide and distill your book into its most potent form.

My Clients Speak

One of those artists who understands and wields the power of potent narrative is USA Today best-selling author Ernest Dempsey. I’ve served as his editor for years, and in that time he’s built a thriving career and a devout fanbase who treats the release of each of his novels almost as a religious experience.

Here’s what Ernest has to say about my work for him through the years:

“Jason has helped me take my writing to that proverbial next level that everyone talks about. With every word I write, I consider his advice, his suggestions, and his teaching. And that’s what he really does exceptionally well: Jason helps make my words more powerful, more thoughtful, punchier—and each line I write for every single book is influenced by his instruction. 

“He’s helped me understand my own characters better, how they would handle certain situations, and how they should progress going forward. I consider each sentence, each paragraph, each verb with care, each description with purpose. That’s because of Jason. I had good ideas for stories before. Jason has helped shape them into works of art. I hope he’s immortal because he helps make everything I create so much better.” — Ernest Dempsey

What he’s describing is how I treat each of your words as if I had written them myself—how I work to understand and polish your book from the foundation all the way up to the friezes on the gables. Each little jot of digital ink on digital paper has the power to transform the lives of readers, whisking them away to worlds of your choosing. Hopefully, in addition to a great story, they’ll find somewhere in your pages some truths about life, perhaps some truths about themselves.

I’ve honed this talent through years of writing and editing, many of those years at the highest level. Whether I was reporting and editing the kind of news that actually stops the presses, helping longstanding brands like Showtime and Community Change tell their stories to the world, or helping best-selling authors build their own worlds, I’ve been obsessed with captivating, compelling storytelling.

Each story you tell should grab the reader by eyeballs and refuse to let go. Through tone, word choice, structure, and the rhythm of your language—though by no means through those alone—I help you polish your writing until it sings with a voice that is both clear and commanding.

Writers of All Experience Levels Turn to Me

In addition to editing for long-established writers, a good portion of my work has been for authors who are either at the first few steps of their careers or who have published maybe half a dozen tomes each.

One of those authors is Dan Stratman, a veteran pilot turned crafter of high aerial drama and catastrophe. In just a few short years, Dan has rocketed up the Amazon bestseller lists and turned readers into rabid fans.

Dan says hiring me was crucial to his success.

“From the very beginning on my journey as a self-published author, I vowed to create novels that were every bit as professional as the traditional publishing world. Using a book-cover-design company and an experienced editor are mandatory to achieve that goal. With his vast experience as a professional editor, hiring Jason Whited was one of the best decisions I've made yet.” — Dan Stratman

Amanda Byrd is another promising, dedicated author whose lethal female protagonist is Florida’s deadliest serial killer. Amanda tells anyone who’ll listen about how I’ve transformed and deepened her writing.

“What were once merely good books are now real, vibrant stories, with depth and emotion. My writing is cleaner and more concise; the extraneous details I've had a habit of including no longer make it to the final draft for Jason's finishing touches. Since I began working with Jason a few years and a small handful of books ago, I've grown exponentially as an author.” — Amanda Byrd

But she doesn’t stop there.

“If you're going to hire Jason, I'll say this: You're not only investing in your stories; you're investing in yourself. Jason is a fantastic editor and teacher. You'll get more than you expected from him, and he'll help you grow as an author. I'm so grateful for having been introduced to Jason—now my stories have way more than a fighting chance in a crowded, competitive global marketplace.”

As you’ve seen in this portfolio, I’ve built a career on guiding authors in telling compelling stories and getting readers to pay attention to them. I’d love the chance to do for you what I’ve done for these successful writers. 

Words are fire. They’re power and light. Don’t hide yours under a sloppy edit.