Frank Ewert

Every book is a story.

In a novel or memoir, the reader is invited to watch a character—or a cast of characters—go through a series of events and experience a meaningful change of some sort. A single woman discovers that she doesn’t just want to find the love of her life: she needs to learn how to love herself. An embittered prince is tortured by life and eventually chooses a path that results in the death of pretty much everyone around him. (Meaningful change ≠ a happy ending.)

In a work of prescriptive nonfiction—e.g. a book that tells you how to build a saleable business or one that teaches you how to reframe your perfectionism—the same building blocks of a story are present. The difference is that a nonfiction book invites the reader to see themselves as the main character. It’s an invitation for them to imagine how their life could be different if they learn the lessons within the book and apply them to their own lives.

To that end, whether I’m editing fiction or nonfiction, I’m focused on the same things:

• Dramatic tension. Are you keeping the reader engaged and appropriately subverting their expectations? Or are you allaying their fears and assuring them that everything is okay any time you broach on uncomfortable topic?

• Show, don’t tell. In fiction, this means setting the scene and allowing your reader to interpret the scene for themselves. In nonfiction, this means avoiding abstractions and instead providing concrete examples that bring life to your teaching.

• Less is more. In nonfiction, I’m looking for unnecessary repetition, overly-long descriptions, and rabbit trails that are going to confuse the reader. (Note: not all rabbit trails are confusing.) In fiction, I’m evaluating every scene to make sure it moves the story forward. Anything that doesn’t needs to go.

Through it all, I’m striving to identify and polish the author’s unique voice, especially when I’m delivering line edits. Good editing doesn’t flatten the text: it allows their natural tics and patterns to shine.

Note: I do not use AI in my work, nor do I work on AI-generated manuscripts.

I have worked in publishing for nearly a decade. During this time I've held a variety of roles: order fulfillment, sales & marketing, product development, ghostwriting, book coaching, and editing. While I specialize in book coaching and developmental editing, this breadth of experience equips me to guide clients through the ups and downs of writing a book.

After working for a boutique publisher for three years, I took a twelve-year detour in the corporate world to work as a project manager. This unconventional path has been an asset to my current work as a book coach and editor: I’m able to deliver unique structure to my book projects and operate in an organized fashion to ensure that I meet deadlines.

In 2021, I returned to the world of writing and publishing. Since then I’ve worked with numerous professionals on both fiction and nonfiction projects.

My nonfiction clients are coaches, consultants, and professional speakers who have something unique to offer the world. Sometimes, that's their expertise and research. Other times, it's their story. In both cases I help them discover their true voice and organize their message into a clear, compelling book.

My fiction clients write in a variety of genres, including YA fantasy, urban fantasy, horror, vampire novels, and magic realism. What they have in common is a desire to tell character-driven stories. They want to give their readers an experience with relatable protagonists who experience real challenges and growth.

I also write for myself. In 2009 I published Blue Ice and Other Stories from the Rink, a collection of short fiction about hockey. In 2025, I self-published a workbook for writers titled Embrace Your Writer’s Block: Ten Steps to Breathe New Life into Your Writing Project. I’m currently working on my next book, tentatively titled The Thrill of Writing.

To get a taste of my current writing, check out my newsletter. As I write my next book, I’m documenting the process there—including behind-the-scenes glimpses of how I edit and revise my chapters.