Testimonials
Clients
After struggling for years with various versions of Push Not the River, I worked on the manuscript with Pam Sourelis and within a short period of time things began to fall into place. Pam has an eye and an ear for the written word par excellence. I didn’t always agree with the master at first, but in the end I found out she was always spot on. For an editor with a fantastic mix of insight, foresight, and down-to-earth good sense, a writer could not do better. Push Not the River was at last picked up and by one of the big leaguers, St. Martin’s Press. When they requested a sequel, Pam again helped me ready the manuscript for Against a Crimson Sky.
James Conroyd Martin
Author of six novels, including The Poland Trilogy
and IPPY Gold Medal Winner, The Boy Who Wanted Wings
As a first time author, I had an atrocious experience with another editor, and I was discouraged as I was searching for someone new to work with—but a fellow author referred me to Pam Sourelis…and I’m so glad he did!
After being heavily praised by the previous editor, I submitted the same work to Pam. She pointed out multiple fixes that needed to take place to make my story better—while still being complimentary to the strong portions of my writing. At first, I wondered how both editors could be so vastly different, but quickly figured out that Pam knew what she was talking about and brought balance to both strong and weak aspects of my work. She was both humble and confident, pushing me where I needed to be pushed.
My manuscript read smoother, more clear, and was free from multiple grammatical errors, some of which were actually changes the previous editor had made! Pam addressed tone, story line, character development and writing structure. Wow!
I appreciate how easy she is to work with, her clear communication, and especially her timeliness in returning a manuscript. When she suggests a change, she briefly explains why. She works with both traditional and independent authors and has a proven track record backing up her work with many other authors.
It has also been quite fun during the editing process to hear her feedback on my story when I discuss nature, wildlife, or animals because of her additional background in animal communication.
It goes without question that I will team with Pam as I continue my writing journey and as long as she will have me. My previous two books have 4.5 and 5 stars in online stores and I am currently working on my third book under her “wings” with more to come.
Pam will help you fly as a writer!
Stephanie DosSantos
Author of Talin and the Tree—The Legend
Talin and the Tree—The Elimination
Link to e-books: https://books2read.com/u/3LYNQ1
Paperback editions also available
In 2015, I embarked on a writing journey to recount the stories that I had gathered as a wildland firefighter and wildlife biologist. With many scientific publications under my belt, I thought that writing a memoir would be a walk in the woods. But my first draft lacked a strong narrative structure and rambled down many forest and desert paths. Thankfully, I was referred to Pam Sourelis via a contact with SW Writers, an Albuquerque-based organization that helps writers become authors. As a horsewoman with a strong understanding of animals, Pam was the perfect fit to help me hone my manuscript. Not only are her editing skills truly outstanding, but she made me think about how other animal enthusiasts might perceive certain parts of the book. Laboratory research, veterinary medicine, and wildlife biology sometimes require undertaking difficult procedures with animals; I wanted to portray these honestly but to also emphasize the care and dedication involved. Pam helped me find that balance. I will always be grateful for her thoughtful guidance that greatly improved both the content and syntax of my book.
Joan Berish
Fire and Fauna, Tales of a Life Untamed, Texas A & M University Press, 2019
After getting no traction from agents for my novel Terrraformed Earth—New Millennium, a labor of love I’d worked on for decades, I hired Pam Sourelis to perform a developmental edit on it. She quickly zeroed on issues of pacing, data dumping, and lack of adequate description. More importantly, she gave me suggestions for how to move from a plot-driven to a character-driven story. Once I’d digested her comments, I asked her to review the changes I’d made to see if they worked. Overall, I couldn’t have been happier with the results.
Once I self-published New Millennium, I asked Pam to do an edit of Terrraformed Earth—Creation, a short story prequel to New Millennium. She helped again with parts that lacked clarity, questions that weren’t answered, and language generally. She presented me with alternatives to illustrate the backstory of New Millennium in a variety of different ways. I was totally satisfied with the results.
No matter how much you’ve tweaked your story, how many friends and family reviewers have read it, a professional like Pam can add a lot of value. She gave me cost estimates up front and stayed within the limits she’d suggested. Her assistance was worth every penny.
Steven Fritz
Author of three novels, including Terrraformed Earth-New Millennium and Asteroid Gambit
Pam coached me in revising my book My Blue Lotus and Me: A Gentle Dance with My Higher Self. Having tried out some very “logical” book-coaching guidance from another coach a few years ago, Pam’s approach felt much more aligned with my way of working. Her guidance helped me venture into the deeper layers of my story I didn’t know existed. It felt deeply uncomfortable but satisfying once I allowed myself to see my story as a living thing and co-created with it.
Bingz Huang
Author of Empower Your Life with Gentleness: A Simple Guide to Feeling Safe
and Free to be You; From the Womb of Gentleness; and My Blue Lotus and Me: A
Gentle Dance with My Higher Self
https://www.bingzhuanghealer.com/
Pamela Sourelis is an extraordinary editor and a wonderful human being. I’ve had the pleasure and the privilege to work with Pam on several books, and it has always been a beautiful experience for me watching her take my writing to new levels. Pam’s light-handed editing style preserves my writing style perfectly but gives it the focus and clarity it would otherwise lack. She is the perfect advocate of both author and reader.
Patrick Pfeiffer
Performer and Teaching Artist
Bestselling Author
Pam helped me write a book! I had no idea what I was doing when I started writing. I knew that I had a story to tell but I underestimated the size of the project, and I was unaware of the all of the steps that would go into refining my work. Pam guided me through the entire process. She knew when there should be more revisions, when I needed beta readers, even when I should step away from the project and work on supplementary writing exercises. She knew the next step when I didn’t.
Pam helped me find my voice! When I started writing, I knew that my written tone was completely different from my spoken one. I had a tough time writing to my audience in my authentic voice. I had a really tough time writing a story that was relatable. Pam gave me the exercises that I needed to loosen up and find my voice.
With all of the help and guidance that Pam gave me, she never told me the answer. Often I knew that she had a solution to the challenge that I was facing in my writing at that moment, but she never told me what to do. She always guided me to my own solution, my own answer. And then, once my project was finished, Pam took my writing education one step farther: She had become so familiar with my writing and my grammatical challenges that she was able to tell me what rules I routinely break. Pam taught me to be a better writer.
Constance Watkins
Author of Remote First: A Manager’s Guide to Building Remote Culture
Finally, [thank you] to our editors at IDG and especially Pam Sourelis. Franchising For Dummies would not have been possible without Pam’s patience, her clarity of language, and her understanding of what you, the reader, need to know. If you enjoy reading Franchising For Dummies, Pam is responsible for that.
Michael Seid, from the Authors’ Acknowledgments in Franchising For Dummies
Pam edited my first book, when I was just getting starting writing in 2001. The experience I had with Pam taught me so much of what I know today about writing; I’ve since gone on to write seven additional books. As a result of Pam’s fine work, all of the rest of my manuscripts were delivered as more complete and polished works. I am so appreciative of the hard work Pam put into my book, the high quality she made me live up to and her tremendous patience in working with a new writer.
Pam is the queen of clarity. She has provided me with invaluable support in areas of editing and writing. She is very easy to work with, fast, efficient and very fair. Pam is a great colleague and a true delight to work with on projects large and small.
Lauri Alpern, president, Open Door Advisors
Workshop Participants/Students
For years, I worked with Pam Sourelis and her writing group on a weekly basis. Not only did working with Pam make me amazingly productive, but I learned an amazing amount. Pam considers each author’s piece of writing as its own, without trying to force her (or anyone else’s) style onto the piece. She is able, through her review of the class’s writing, to teach everyone an extraordinary amount about technique and most of all, how to make your writing sing.
Laura Caldwell
Author of 14 novels, including Red Hot Lies and The Rome Affair
Editor of Anatomy of Innocence: Testimonies of the Wrongfully Convicted
Author of The Long Way Home: A Young Man Lost in the System and the Two Women Who Found Him
Tragically, Laura passed from breast cancer several years ago.
Pam is an excellent facilitator in the art and techniques of journaling. Pam’s course helped me create a discipline for identifying, exploring, and creating space for powerful reflections and exciting new beginnings.
Merida Johns
I was always interested in writing, but I never knew how to get started. Pam’s introductory [fiction] course taught me so much, opening my mind and my heart to the world of creative writing. A group of us enjoyed the writing exercises so much that years later, after being in the process workshop for some time, we took the introductory course again. In the process workshop, I learn something every week from my own efforts and from listening to the work of the other writers in the group. Pam has created a space where we can all reveal our most heartfelt work, knowing that we will be supported and guided along our paths. Although we are serious about our craft, the evening is often filled with laughter and enjoyment as we listen to each other’s stories. I have found that by making a commitment to a weekly workshop, that I am also making a commitment to my writing.
Jean Diamond
Several years ago, I enrolled in a six-week, introductory class on writing fiction at Ragdale [a nationally known writers retreat] in Lake Forest, IL, because I wanted to write a novel. Trained as a journalist, I had written nonfiction most of my adult life. Since I was almost sixty-five, I knew I had to get started learning the art of fiction if I was to realize my dream. The teacher was Pam Sourelis, a person who, I soon discovered, truly understood the rights and wrongs of good fiction writing. During those few weeks, she changed the way I thought about fiction. The transition was challenging and exciting. Wanting to learn more, I joined her process of fiction writing workshop. Since then, Pam has taught me to be a much better writer and a much better reader. I have not only learned to create character-driven stories but have benefited from the creative energy which emanates from her workshop. The whole process has been extraordinary and enriching.
Joyce Newcomb
The feedback I have received that was surprising to me came from my professor when she suggested I should re-write the story from the viewpoint of the antagonist. I was surprised because I had never really thought of Rose as more than a villain until this class. However, after the lesson where I deepened her character and gave her a backstory, I found the notion of re-telling the story from her perspective a brilliant one. I tried to keep the story parallel with the previous story, so many scenarios were the same, but the story was retold through the lens of Rose.
Implementing this suggestion of re-telling the story made for a richer plot and deeper character development. When Greg was the protagonist, the story was an action story. However, Rose’s perspective touches on a real issue in society and gives a purpose to the character’s actions–more than just to slake her thirst for blood.
Student in Southern New Hampshire University Masters in Writing Program
Pam’s writing group is the highlight of my week, as it has been for the past five years. When I started, I had a vague idea for a book. And now, with the help of Pam’s impeccable guidance and the feedback of the smart, kind and dedicated writers who comprise the small group, I have finished a draft of a novel and have started another.
Each week, without fail, I take away something new, whether it be about the writing process, story development or about myself as a writer. I consider myself lucky to have found this special group of people.
Francie Arenson
Professor,
As our time together draws to a close, I wanted to extend a heartfelt thank you. . . . know that your time and mentorship has been of great value to me. You have my gratitude and respect. I was floored by your review of my “final” draft. I truly expected you to hate it. Maybe it is just a lack of confidence in my own ability. Again, thank you for everything. I can’t say it enough.
Respectfully,
Student in Southern New Hampshire University Masters in Writing Program