An editor can help you see the shape of the argument and make the piece effective for the right readers. Work I've shaped or written has run in Forbes, Bloomberg, American Banker, Nasdaq, and CoinDesk.

Three ways to work

Essay or chapter edit

A substantive review of one piece of up to about 5,000 words: margin annotations throughout, and a detailed memo walking you through how to make the piece what it wants to become.

$650, back to you within a week.

Op-ed package

For one op-ed of up to about 1,000 words. I shape and edit your draft, give you headline options, build a target list of outlets with the angle for each, prepare the pitch letters, and lay out the order to send them in.

$950.

Editorial retainer

For people who want to expand their thought leadership. The retainer covers the op-ed work above for whatever is in motion, a review of an additional piece when it's ready, venue strategy and cover letters, and ongoing written exchange with turnaround under 48 hours, faster when a news cycle is live.

$1,750 a month, two-month minimum, invoiced at the start of each month.

How it starts

If you have a piece in progress, send it to me for a free sample assessment, returned to you in two business days.

Email stephen@slwebber.com with the draft attached, or book a short call if you'd rather talk first.

Common questions

Do you guarantee placement? No. Desks decide what they run. What I can do is make sure the piece and the pitch are ready for the desk, and that they go to the right ones in the right order.

Is this ghostwriting? It isn't. You write the draft and the byline is yours in every sense. If you'd rather have the piece written for you, that's ghostwriting, and it's priced differently.

What about a longer essay for a magazine? That's usually where the retainer earns its keep: the short pieces keep you in print while the long one takes the time it needs.

Is this confidential? Yes, by default, and under NDA if you'd like one.