Copywriting and Custom Content

If you’re going to spend time and money to hire someone to write for you, the words need to sing. You need someone who can craft a message, grab a reader’s attention, and make them want to come back for more, and all of it needs to reflect well on your business.

Contact me if your business needs product descriptions for catalogs, website features, sales copy, press releases, reports or manuals. I’ve provided these services for nationally-recognized companies, and I can deliver them for your company as well.

Statham Communications can also provide editorial management for special projects. If you have a single issue or special publication that needs guidance from an experienced hand, let’s talk. Having worked as a magazine editor, I’ve spent years mapping out production schedules, assigning stories to freelancers, editing content, selecting photos, configuring the magazine, and meeting deadlines. A special one-shot or annual publication is a great marketing tool, but it needs to make a strong first impression. Put Statham Communications in the driver’s seat and you’ll have a smooth ride to publication.

Editing

Steve is fantastic. Fast turn around, accurate, and a pleasure to work with! — Lori Ryan, NY Times and USA Today bestselling author

Need an experienced, skilled editor to whip your book into shape for publication? You’ve landed in the right place.

I’ve worked as a professional editor for years. I was editor of a nationally-distributed monthly magazine for seven years, and was managing editor of another monthly title for four years. I earned my BA in journalism from Texas State University. I’ve faced every editing challenge you can imagine, and worked with experienced pros as well as beginners still learning the basics.

I’m an author myself, so I know the process, standards, and expectations that come with putting a book on the market. I’ve had twelve non-fiction books published by traditional publishing houses, and I’ve independently published eight works of fiction. I have many indie authors among my clients, writing in just about every genre. I offer:

Line editing — This is the most common service requested by authors. With a line edit, I’ll note any plot holes, pacing issues, and continuity problems. I’ll be hunting for grammar missteps, redundancies, erratic point-of-view shifts, and anything else derailing your story.

I’ll do fact-checking (you’d be surprised how often celebrity names are misspelled), ruthlessly extract cliches, be on the lookout for pet words, and clean up clunky dialogue. I’ll rework sentences for clarity when necessary, but I’m always mindful to not trample on an author’s voice. If your story just doesn’t seem to be working and you’re not sure why, we can talk about a line edit plus structural edit with big-picture analysis for an additional fee.

Proofing — My proofing service straddles the line between what the publishing industry calls a copyedit and a proofread. It’s a heavy proof. Either way, this is typically the final step before publication, when all of the rewrites and structural edits have been completed. I search like a hawk for the little typos that bedevil every project—misspellings, dropped words, missing punctuation, homophones, extra spaces. If I discover any glaring errors I will point them out, but this service is intended to put the final polish on the publication before it’s released into the world, not be a heavy edit on a first draft of a manuscript.

Non-fiction/Corporate — Need that professional edge? I can take your corporate reports, manuals, catalogs, and web content and catch those small things that detract from a professional presentation. If you’ve ever winced as you’ve read a product description marred by stupid mistakes, you know why this service is good for business.

Steve is a vital part of my editing team. He has a fine eye for detail and great communication. I can’t recommend him highly enough! — Kate Baray, paranormal and urban fantasy author

Feature Writing

If you’re a magazine editor looking for quality content, let’s talk. As a former magazine editor myself, I know the ropes when it comes to putting together compelling, accurate, and lively feature stories. I’ve also produced in-depth technical articles, business profiles, sporting event coverage, and interviews of prominent people, so I can handle just about anything you can throw at me.

I entered the magazine biz at a time when we were expected to wear a lot of hats, so my camera goes where I go, and I can deliver the complete words/pictures package.

I’ve been published in dozens of magazines, including Road & Track’s annual Buyers Guides from 2001-2013, Motor Trend’s Truck Trends, Corvette Magazine, Mustang Monthly, Texas Co-op Power, the Jeep-oriented JP Magazine, Muscle Car Review, Heartland USA, and plenty of others. I’ve twice won first place in the Texas Auto Writers’ Association’s Excellence in Craft competition, in the magazine feature writing category. Magazines are navigating disruptive tides these days, but people still want good stories and great photos. Let’s give it to them.

Photography

Need images for calendars, product packaging, or advertising? I have extensive photo files of classic cars, many of which are extremely rare. Statham Communications is also available for photo assignments, whether it’s press release material you need, or a gorgeous feature spread. Poke around this website and you’ll find plenty of examples of my work.