Hi! I’m Shawna.
I’m an author, copywriter, developmental editor, and story coach. I believe in the power of story to open hearts, fuel imaginations, and sometimes even change lives for the better.
Over the past 15+ years, I’ve served in various roles within the publishing industry using my real name as well as two pseudonyms: Serena Chase and Vanni Shaw. My first novel released in 2013. Since then, I’ve written and published several additional novels, composed countless articles and blog posts, created author bios and book descriptions/back cover copy for dozens of books, and have provided developmental, line, and copy editing services for both fiction and nonfiction authors.
One thing that sets me apart from other editors is my experience as a professional book reviewer. I cut my book-reviewing teeth in the heyday of the book blogging boom, before readers went to Instagram and TikTok to discover their next read. As the co-blogger at a popular niche fiction blog, I learned to critically analyze the books I read and report those findings to our blog’s audience. Eventually, my work on that blog caught the attention of an editor at USA Today who was launching a new romance fiction blog for the online Lifestyle section. She recruited me to be a contributor to USA Today‘s (now defunct) Happy Ever After blog.
Using my Serena Chase pen name as my byline, I spent six years as a paid reviewer and occasional feature writer for the Happy Ever After blog at USA Today online. That opportunity allowed me incredible access to books and their authors while growing my own author platform and online presence. I had the honor of interviewing authors such as A. G. Howard, Shannon Hale, Tamara Leigh, and Lisa Bergren, as well as actor/director/writer Corbin Bernsen, among many others. During those years, quotes from my reviews graced the covers and appeared in the front matter of many books, including several New York Times bestsellers that still top the sales charts. Several years have passed since the Happy Ever After blog ended, but it still gives me a little thrill to see my words and my (pen) name on the front covers and in the featured blurbs of those big-time bestsellers!
I’ve served as a fiction and nonfiction editor under several banners, including Reviewer’s Eye View Critique Service, which I changed to Serena Chase Editorial & Creative Services when I was no longer working as a professional book reviewer, but still wanted to capitalize on the name recognition of that pen name. I’ve also worked as an independently contracted editor and copywriter for a hybrid publishing house. When it came to the official business forms and filings, however, all of my editorial, copywriting, and authorial business had to be filtered through my LLC publishing business. What a pain! To better separate my multi-pseudonymous author presence from my editorial and copywriting work (and to simplify my internal business paperwork), I recently rebranded my editorial and creative service offerings under that LLC’s business name, Candent Gate. Now, I can interact with my clients using my real name, avoiding the awkwardness and payment confusion that would sometimes arise when a reader of my books would become a client of my editorial or copywriting services.
Writing is often a solitary, isolating endeavor. It’s incredibly common to hit a creative wall that upends your progress toward publication. Utilizing developmental editors and story coaches, however, can help you break through those walls, increase your story crafting skills, and help you achieve your dream of publication. As authors, putting our work in the hands of an editor is one of the most vulnerable things we can do, but taking a story from an initial concept or draft to a finished product of excellence often requires a full team of specialists willing to invest their unique skills in that story’s success. From developmental, line, and copy editing to proofreading, cover design, book formatting, and marketing, getting a quality book into readers’ hands is a team effort.
As a developmental editor or story coach, I become a member of your team, partnering with you to improve your story crafting skills while helping you discover ways to bring your book more fully to life. When serving as a copywriter on your team, I create sparkling promotional copy that engages potential readers with your books and your author brand, converting book browsers into book buyers, and readers into fans.
I hope you’ll check out all the services I offer, which are listed under the Editorial & Creative Services tab. When you’re ready to seek an editor or copywriter who is invested in not only the success of your book but the growth of your storytelling skills, please reach out! I look forward to hearing from you and helping you make your story and your author brand shine!
With you and for you,
Shawna
