Flawless editing
for the perfectionist in you.

I’m Susan Grant

Editor, proofreader, and coach with a lifelong passion for clarity. Over four decades, I’ve shaped high-stakes writing for government, business, and academia. From White House briefings to faculty manuscripts to fiction novels, I bring the same promise: precise, polished, purpose-driven work.

Signature Strengths

• 27 years editing for U.S. government agencies, including the National Security Agency

• Ph.D. in Organizational Communication; taught at the University of Illinois, Purdue, Kent State

• Expert in deep editing, tone coaching, citation checks, and grammar precision

• Training as an International Coach Federation Associate Certified Coach—offering guidance for executive clarity, retirement transitions, and more

Clients say I'm a lighthouse in stormy waters. I bring them to calm spaces, I bring clarity to confusing drafts, I help them find their voice, and I show what's worth keeping.

Whether you’re publishing research, pitching clients, or printing your first book, I help your words shine with professionalism and purpose.

Who I work with

• Academics needing thoughtful, rigorous editing for publication

• Business and government teams preparing executive-ready content

• Writers bringing creative work to life with polish and care

• First-time clients unsure where to start—I'll guide you through the process

I believe editing is an act of respect.
Clear writing reflects clear thinking.
My role is to bring out your best ideas,
not overwrite your voice.

Ready to clarify your writing and explore next steps?

Share a bit about your goals here. If it’s a fit, I’ll send you a thoughtful response, possibly including a tailored estimate.

Not sure what kind of editing you need?

I abide by the Editorial Freelancers Association’s Code of Fair Practice, and it is my goal for you to feel you’re in great hands from our first exchange of messages onward.

Explore My Work

Whether I’m editing a national security brief or helping a client format their first book,
I bring the same care, clarity, and strategic mindset to every project.

Recognized for Editorial Support
During National Crisis

Member of team which received a group award from the National Intelligence Professional Awards program for work on a classified terrorist threat targeting U.S. airliners.

As part of the SIGINT team, I edited numerous Presidential Daily Briefings and National Security Council papers, ensuring accuracy and clarity during high-stakes decision making. I also prepared leadership briefing books for senior NSA officials throughout the crisis.

Demonstration of KDP Formatting

Many authors come to me with a Word document that looks fine on screen—but breaks down when it's uploaded to Amazon. In this demonstration, I rebuilt Pride and Prejudice from an unstyled text file to show how professional formatting turns a basic draft into a clean, platform-ready product. I manually formatted the manuscript in Microsoft Word, applying consistent paragraph styles and organizing front and back matter, before importing it into Kindle Create to demonstrate correct layout and export a validated EPUB file. This example reflects the process I follow to help self-publishing authors avoid common formatting issues and deliver a seamless, reader-friendly experience on Kindle and in print.

Real Client Transformations

This executive messaging project began with an AI-generated draft and ended with a sharply focused memo for real-world stakeholders. The slideshow below walks through each stage—from the unedited version to the final transformation. For best results, start at slide 1 or download the full walkthrough as a PDF.

Editing Transformation
in Action

Download the full writeup

You can get a PDF download of the slide show here

Or watch these slides

Style Sheet
Your Editorial Compass

My style sheet shows how I work with clients
for copy editing, line editing, and sometimes proofreading.

It helps track details like:
• multiple voices
• technical terms
• shifting formats in larger manuscripts

I also use it to log:
• spelling, punctuation, and capitalization choices
• voice and tone consistency
• any document-specific quirks

There’s even a space for client preferences.

Whether I build it from scratch or refine what a client starts, a good style sheet helps:
• keep versions clear
• smooth co-author or contractor collaboration
• speed up revision cycles

The Quiet Power Behind Polished Writing

Editing builds clarity, trust, and impact.
Without ever shouting.