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Testimonials

Writing Coach

"Ann Aubrey Hanson has been my critique partner for more than a decade. Her editorial judgment is first rate. She has a sharp eye, a clear head, and a wealth of knowledge about what makes for gripping fiction. Working with her is a pleasure."

"Writing is exciting and wonderful. It gives you a kind of power and glory. Editing, on the other hand, is destructive. It is painful. It forces you to face the ugliness you’ve attempted to cover up and hide from. It brings you face to face with your weakness and frailty, and all that is less than you hoped. In other words, editing just plain sucks. But if you have the courage to let Ann show you how much stronger your work can be, then you will once again experience excitement, wonder, and perhaps even find genuine glory; because by then she will have helped you write something more than you ever could have alone."

"There are many qualified editors who can make a project better, but it's how they help you, the journey, that makes a difference. I am a new writer, and I believed I had done a pretty good job with the first draft of my novel. However, many beta readers disagreed, so I asked Ann to take a professional look. Not only did she point out where the book could be improved, but she also gave me specific examples and showed me to how to be a better writer. I am not fast, and while I spent months working on the rewrite, Ann was always available whenever I needed her help. She didn't have to do it, but she became my teacher. I often questioned if my book was worth the time I was putting into it. Ann saw something in it that I did not. Throughout my rewrite, I felt I had an unofficial writing partner cheering me on. By the time she edited my book completely, she had masterfully captured my voice and helped me tell the story I had intended to write all along. I truly believe I might have given up if I hadn't had her support. For me, writing a novel has been a long journey. With Ann's encouraging support and expertise, I reached my final destination."

"Ann always makes my story a thousand percent better. I work for weeks writing and rewriting, trying to improve my story, and she blinks her eyes a couple of times and makes it a world better."

"I'm so glad that I have Ann in my corner! Her idea of a 'skeleton' is a great way to build a story. She always sees the crux of a situation and improves on it. Her insights are amazing."

"Ann's Memoir Writing class has given me an inlet, an outlet, and a new purpose to my life in retirement. The prompts she provides, the constructive criticism she gives, and the enthusiasm with which she approaches each class have given me an opportunity to take a fresh look inward at my life, both past and present, an outlet in the wonderful world of writing, and a new purpose to my life -- the hope of publishing my memoirs to help others reflect on their lives. Do no miss an opportunity to experience the tutelage of this phenomenal woman of letters."

"Ann has been an instructor in UC San Diego Extension's Writing Program since 2009 and has taught courses in creative writing, specifically in scene and character development, including a very fun course called Vile, Evil Villains. She has consistently received high reviews from her students. I highly recommend Ann as a creative writing instructor."

"Ann Aubrey Hanson really deserves my gratitude for patience, guidance, and professionalism in writing and editing this manuscript. She put forth an extraordinary effort to help me understand the things I missed in my narration of the stories."

Developmental Editing

"As a writer of fiction, my first venture into popular Catholic nonfiction (A Case for the Eucharist) required me to find an expert editor in this arena. With a narrowed-down field of three potential editors, I went for not the least expensive, but the one whose responsive follow-up, constructive review of my sample, and just plain likability led me to select her … Ann Aubrey Hanson. I am certainly very happy that I did! Once selected, I gave Ann not only free rein when it came to correcting grammar and the like, but also leeway in suggesting better word choice options, massaging sentence structure, and even adding to what I had written if she felt it would add value to the project. While I would, of course, review any such additions/edits, most of her content additions were retained due to their positive impact on the manuscript. While most clients may not ask for or want this level of collaboration from an editor, know that Ann is most capable in going above and beyond in these areas, and is, of course, expert in the basics of copy editing. Bottom line, Ann helped to elevate by project to a level higher than I could have achieved on my own or through the use of any other editor. I give Ann Aubrey Hanson my highest recommendation."

"In October 2020, I had finished writing a Catholic nonfiction book and was looking for a professional to edit it. I wanted someone Catholic who knew the faith well. The thought of searching online for someone to send my manuscript to made me uneasy, to say the least. Eventually, my search led me to Ann Aubrey Hanson, and she promptly replied, making me feel much more at ease. Through a few email communications chats with her, I felt confident that she was the right choice. Ann accepted my manuscript and got to work editing. She skillfully accomplished all one would expect from a professional editor. Also, without changing the meaning of what I was saying, Ann cleverly restructured sentences and wording where needed, making my book read much more smoothly. If the book were a road, she fixed some cracks, filled some holes, and smoothed out the bumps—making it a pleasure to navigate. Since then, I have contracted Ann's services for another small editing project and would not hesitate to hire her in the future, if I am inspired to write another book."

"Ann Ann Aubrey Hanson is an amazing editor. Ann was integral in helping me to edit my art history and criticism book on the late Cuban American artist Ana Mendieta, entitled Radical Virtuosity: Ana Mendieta and the Black Atlantic (MIT Press, Fall 2019). I don't think it would have turned out as beautifully as it did without Ann's help. She assisted me in all aspects of the book, from critiquing my pitch to various academic presses, to editing content and carrying out formatting during every phase of the process. Ann was always patient, prompt, and accurate with her work, meeting very quick turnarounds when they were demanded of me. I found her to be intuitive, knowledgeable, precise, and elegant when it came to smoothing out the way I said things. I always had the sense that she understood where I was going with my writing and pushed back when I was unclear or making statements that were not quite the right fit. It is so important to have faith in your editor, and I truly did, always appreciating her not only for her exacting work, but for her encouraging attitude. During the book project, Ann also assisted me with shorter articles and I will continue to call upon her for help as I embark on new writing projects. She's wonderful!"

"I cannot thank Ann Aubrey Hanson enough for all her help in editing and proofreading my manuscript. Ann took my 400-page PhD dissertation and helped me turn it into a 300-page book published by SUNY Press. She read my manuscript a number of times, paying attention to grammar, syntax, and content. My manuscript had a glossary of foreign words that I had defined. Ann, of course, found words in my manuscript that I myself did not realize I had missed. That shows her wonderful attention to detail. Plus, she finished editing my manuscript two weeks before the deadline I gave her. She is an excellent editor and she is incredibly efficient and professional. I wholeheartedly recommend her to everyone!"

Copy Editing

"I would like to commend Ann Aubrey Hanson for her excellent skills as a copy-editor, and for her professionalism. Ann worked with me on the copy-editing for my volume Hellenisms: Culture, Identity, and Ethnicity, published by Ashgate, UK. This is an interdisciplinary work with fifteen chapters written by a distinguished group of historians, classicists, anthropologists, ethnographers, and cultural studies and comparative literature scholars on the variegated mantles of Greek ethnicity and the legacy of Greek culture for the ancient and modern Greeks in the homeland and diaspora, as well as for the ancient Romans and the modern Europeans. Ann read the 500 pages of this volume not only with an eye to inconsistencies in style but also with special sensitivity to issues of grammar and syntax. She read the whole document a number of times and also paid attention to content, a rare quality in copy-editors. Ann was also instrumental in the creation of a glossary of foreign words and an extensive index, a task she quickly developed the necessary skills for. I recommend Ann Aubrey Hanson unreservedly."

"Ann Aubrey Hanson balances a variety of distinct disciplines with fluidity. Of the various manuscripts we have worked on, both monographs and edited editions, Ann has navigated tight deadlines with professionalism and ease."

"Working with tight time constrictions, Ann Aubrey Hanson delivered both of my manuscripts with detailed corrections. She cast a legion of typos out of my books and helped correct errors that had been for me unseen. I appreciated her professionalism and alacrity in getting my editing work done. If I had my way, she'd work full time for my university, helping me with all my other projects as well."

"Working with Ann Aubrey Hanson has been a pleasure. Her work is accurate and thought-provoking, exactly the kind of editor that peer scholars should have to refine and develop further their ideas. Ann has edited an article of mine which will appear shortly in my field's leading peer-review journal hosted by Harvard University and published by MIT Press. I warmly recommend her."

Indexing

"Ann did an outstanding job in creating a very thorough, complex, and lengthy index for my 450-page book on the history of US national security strategy. Her index met my requirements and expectations for the book, and it will play a significant role in encouraging the public sale of the book. This is my 20th published book in the national security field, and I have worked with many editors and indexers at RAND, the Department of Defense, and for-profit publishers. I can say, without qualification, that Ann is at the top of her profession for editing and indexing. I plan to use her for future books and I encourage other writers and researchers to do the same."

"Ann, I wish I had hired you as my initial editor. Your indexing was great. I cannot wait to have it part of my book, and I would recommend your services to anyone."

"I had the good fortune of finding Ann Aubrey Hanson as an editor for my art history book Radical Virtuosity: Ana Mendieta and the Black Atlantic (MIT Press, 2019). I then hired her to index the manuscript. Academic books require strong indexes, and Ann's rigorous indexing skills and knowledge of the subject matter were critical to the project. She streamlined and organized the unwieldy data for the 300+ page book into a clear index that hit all of the major subjects without the clutter of too many subfields. Not only was Ann skilled in creating this efficient template, but she was able to generate it very quickly to meet the publisher's aggressive deadline. I feel confident that readers will be able to use the index not only to navigate to certain areas of the book with ease, but also to identify subjects for further research of their own."

"Ann indexed a very long, very dense book on a very tight schedule. She did a fantastic job, including catching errors within the text that we missed. The index was thorough and professional, and increased the value and usability of the book. We will absolutely contact her again for her services in the future."

"Ann worked tirelessly with me to complete a thorough index at the required scholarly level. I recommend Ann Aubrey Hanson unreservedly to anyone working with tight deadlines."

"No matter the subject and jargon, Ann's eye for detail procures the most important elements needed to compile a thorough index, regardless of time constraints."