Editorial Freelancers Association
Member Profile
Ted Olson
Story Road, LLC
Writing under the eyes of Fortune 500 companies makes one a deadline disciple, a dogged proofreader, and a fussy copy editor. For me, that’s where it all started.
Following a 31-year career copywriting for companies such as American Express, Newport News Shipbuilding, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Bank of America, Johnson Matthey, Stanford University, Bayer, and Caterpillar—among many others—I’m aligning my work toward fiction (though I’d be happy to take on copywriting work when the project feels right). I’ve been writing fiction and creative nonfiction all my life, but I’ve spent the past 28 years studying creative writing and honing my critiquing and editing skills.
I’m particularly fond of character-driven stories, regardless of genre. Having reduced my first novel by 483,000 words, I’ve learned some things about tightening the narrative, creating engaging imagery, developing characters, and building and maintaining tension.
And I’m still learning.
Some kind words from clients:
“I’ve been working with Ted for almost two years on my novel. He is extremely approachable and incredibly knowledgeable. I sometimes look at his edits and think to myself, ‘I never would have been able to come up with that on my own.’ In short, he’s great.”
—Tom Carlson, author
“Ted has proven himself a thoughtful and thorough proofreader and is on my A-List. I’m giving him final drafts that have been seen by several pairs of eyes and he is making great suggestions and catching mistakes others have missed.”
—Terrel Lefferts, Once Upon a Dance
“Ted did a wonderful job editing my book. His editing, insight, and suggestions for improvement made volume one of A Band Geek’s Diary so much better. I look forward to working with him again on the rest of the trilogy!”
—Steven Hendricks, A Band Geeks Diary: Upbeat
“Ted took my good story and made it great, by adding value to the telling of my journey. Working with him has been an engaging experience. I am forever grateful to Ted for his devotion and skill in fine-tuning my story.”
—Narda Pitkethly, Nardagani: A Memoir—Finding Light in the Shadow of a Brother’s Disappearance
When copyediting or developmental editing, I always read through the manuscript three times. The first reading is an Overview Pass—just to become familiar with the story’s strengths and shortcomings. During the Main Pass, I’ll dig much deeper and begin suggesting changes to improve character development and dialogue; sentence, paragraph, and scene structure; pacing, tension, and narrative arc. At the Loose Ends Pass I’ll go through my suggestions and the copy again, making certain they’re clear and free of typos.I’ll also include an Editorial Letter to discuss major concerns, if any.
I structure my fees according to the reading:Overview Pass — half the hourly rateMain Pass — full hourly rateLoose Ends Pass — half the hourly rateEditorial Letter — full hourly rate
For rates and other information, check out my website: https://www.storyroadwriting.com/
Email: ted@storyroadwriting.com
P.O. Box 1142
Centerville, UT 84014
US
Cell phone: 801-390-6222
Email: ted@storyroadwriting.com
https://www.storyroadwriting.com/
More information: View PDF file
Years in the field: 10
Years freelancing: 6
Ted Olson
Member at Large
Writing under the eyes of Fortune 500 companies makes one a deadline disciple, a dogged proofreader, and a fussy copy editor. For me, that’s where it all started.
Following a 31-year career copywriting for companies such as American Express, Newport News Shipbuilding, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, Bank of America, Johnson Matthey, Stanford University, Bayer, and Caterpillar—among many others—I’m aligning my work toward fiction (though I’d be happy to take on copywriting work when the project feels right). I’ve been writing fiction and creative nonfiction all my life, but I’ve spent the past 28 years studying creative writing and honing my critiquing and editing skills.
I’m particularly fond of character-driven stories, regardless of genre. Having reduced my first novel by 483,000 words, I’ve learned some things about tightening the narrative, creating engaging imagery, developing characters, and building and maintaining tension.
And I’m still learning.
Some kind words from clients:
“I’ve been working with Ted for almost two years on my novel. He is extremely approachable and incredibly knowledgeable. I sometimes look at his edits and think to myself, ‘I never would have been able to come up with that on my own.’ In short, he’s great.”
—Tom Carlson, author
“Ted has proven himself a thoughtful and thorough proofreader and is on my A-List. I’m giving him final drafts that have been seen by several pairs of eyes and he is making great suggestions and catching mistakes others have missed.”
—Terrel Lefferts, Once Upon a Dance
“Ted did a wonderful job editing my book. His editing, insight, and suggestions for improvement made volume one of A Band Geek’s Diary so much better. I look forward to working with him again on the rest of the trilogy!”
—Steven Hendricks, A Band Geeks Diary: Upbeat
“Ted took my good story and made it great, by adding value to the telling of my journey. Working with him has been an engaging experience. I am forever grateful to Ted for his devotion and skill in fine-tuning my story.”
—Narda Pitkethly, Nardagani: A Memoir—Finding Light in the Shadow of a Brother’s Disappearance
When copyediting or developmental editing, I always read through the manuscript three times. The first reading is an Overview Pass—just to become familiar with the story’s strengths and shortcomings. During the Main Pass, I’ll dig much deeper and begin suggesting changes to improve character development and dialogue; sentence, paragraph, and scene structure; pacing, tension, and narrative arc. At the Loose Ends Pass I’ll go through my suggestions and the copy again, making certain they’re clear and free of typos.I’ll also include an Editorial Letter to discuss major concerns, if any.
I structure my fees according to the reading:Overview Pass — half the hourly rateMain Pass — full hourly rateLoose Ends Pass — half the hourly rateEditorial Letter — full hourly rate
For rates and other information, check out my website: https://www.storyroadwriting.com/
Email: ted@storyroadwriting.com
