We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Susan Hopper a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Susan thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

I have always been an avid reader and love the written word. I enjoy reading and love helping others connect with books.
The clearer and more understandable someone is, the easier their message is to read and understand. I find great satisfaction in editing because I’m able to help others find their clearest voices to reach others with their words.

I come from a family filled with creative people and grew up with lessons from painting & drawing to writing & editing. I was supported in my desires and dream to write.

While I’ve not yet finished a manuscript, I have gathered bits of experience here and there over the past few decades editing on and off. I’ve worked on everything from non-profit communications to legal documents to fiction to newsletters.

Most of my adult life, editing work has come through word of mouth so I never launched an official business. I’ve often thought about it over the years but the timing never worked out – and then I met Desi Stowe.

Desi and I became good friends, in huge part thanks to our shared love of writing. She’s been a great encouragement as well as a motivating inspiration for me to make things official. The timing finally feels right.

That’s how Lightpress Edits came to be. Between Desi and another wonderful friend of mine who’s always encouraged me to go for it, I finally set things up and am ready to take on my mission of helping other authors in a professional capacity.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Lightpress Edits came to be due to my desire to help other writers produce their very best work. I’m passionate about assisting in making their words clear, concise, and easy to understand.

I offer several types of editing services. I recently helped one author flesh out her plot because she was stuck and needed something as simple as having someone to bounce ideas off of. I also do developmental and line edits, everything from checking for consistencies within the manuscript to final proofreads looking for typos. I hope to eventually offer other author support services, such as connecting with other groups for greater feedback and publicity.

I will say that what seems to make me a bit different from most editing services is that I prefer to check for everything at once – checking for flow and plot holes at the same time I also check copy for grammatical errors and punctuation typos. I suppose that’s usually a combination package most editors may offer and I do as well, but it’s definitely my favorite way to edit. To me, it’s easier to absorb the story as a whole while also being able to break it down into pieces for editing. Not all editing companies offer every option, instead choosing to focus on either developmental edits or only proofreading edits.

I would also say that I try to be as authentic as possible, maintaining high integrity in my work. I desire to give my very best to all aspects of my life, including editing. I tend to be a practical and realistic person, which I feel translates well to my writer feedback. I am a huge proponent of encouraging truth without attempting to break down anyone’s spirit. Writing is an extremely personal practice and I understand how scary it can be to begin the process of stepping out to share it with the world. I love walking side by side with my authors on that journey.

Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Writing can be a rather lonely thing for most people, I think. Putting yourself out there can be intimidating and scary. I am not a person who succeeds well at selling herself to others. As a point of fact, I’ve failed in the past at selling scrapbook supplies because at the time I just wanted to have fun and maybe make money at the same time. I didn’t know how to “sell” anything and in my ignorance was trying to do it all myself.

Launching my own editing business feels very personal – a dream I’ve had for a long time. It was only with the encouragement of my family and friends that it felt achievable. You have to be able to share your dreams so that others can help come alongside you to achieve them.

If you feel alone in your dream, I’d encourage you to also reach out and share your desires with those you love and are closest to. Allow them to walk alongside you as you try.

I’ve also discovered great learning opportunities may be found through finding like-minded people, such as writers’ groups, Facebook or other social media groups or people you can follow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lightpressedits.com/
• Instagram: @lightpress.edits
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lightpressedits/
• Other: My email address at is [email protected].

Image Credits

Desi Stowe