Southwind Literary Services

At Southwind Literary Services, we empower authors, creatives, and businesses to refine their narratives and enhance their online presence. We encourage authors to build a business around themselves--around their books.

We offer expert Editing, strategic Social Media & Book Marketing, and insightful Consulting. With decades of experience, we collaborate closely with you to bring your creative vision to life and ensure your message resonates with readers and clients alike.

TESTIMONIALS

"I am writing to give my highest endorsement to Clayton Jones for his work as an editor.  I had the recent pleasure of using Clayton on a book project where he demonstrated not only his exceptional editing skills but more than that, his skill at listening and understanding what the story and message was that we wanted to convey.  That was so important to us as he helped us take our stories and work and turn it into a manuscript that will be readable and hopefully helpful to many others.  Too often, an editing process can feel like the old "red pencil" of  the old high school English teacher where it is all marked up but no real helpful feedback or understanding of our point of view is there.  Clayton does not do that - he makes our words and stories better, he helps our words ensure that the meaning is there, and he listens to the purpose behind our words.  

His work is truly with us and not against us.  If you are looking for an editor like that, one who will make your words and story better, you have found the right person.  Clayton does just that.  I give him my highest recommendation as an editor.  He will make your words work. " 

—Debbie Rickey

"Clayton was great to work with  on editing the content of my book. He gave great insight on plot and character development. Clayton was responsive and professional which was extremely helpful in the writing of my first book."

—Gayle Sims

"Working with Clayton elevated my novel to the next level.  He was not only dependable and timely, but did a great job on my content edit, which greatly improved my story structure. When I thought I was getting an editor, I got so much more. I’m very thankful for Clayton."

—Chuck Carr

“Clayton is an experienced editor who is very personable with his clients. He works hard to cater to my needs and is always available. I’ve worked with him on two books and would highly recommend him."

--Dawit Muluneh

“Clayton was easy to work with; forthright in his dealings; professional in operation; and produced a good product.”

—Gil Gadzikowski

“I’m very impressed with Clayton Jones. His suggestions are right on target. This version of my book is so much better thanks to Clayton’s attention. Thanks for recommending him. He is great to work with.”

—R. Wisehart

"Clayton Jones was recommended to me as an editor from my publishing company. I’ll be honest, I was not sure what to expect initially and I was even a bit skeptical about someone slicing and dicing up my work. But with Clayton, that was not the case. From day one we connected, and we were in sync throughout the entire editing process. I thought I knew how to write a little, but after working in with Clayton, I quickly realized I had a lot to learn. His insights, suggestions and edits were spot on. The initial manuscript was a little over 30,000 words and I thought it was a fairly good book. After the final edit, we sat at 54,000 words and I knew it was a really good book. He challenged me to dig deeper into the characters, scenery, and emotion of the story I was telling.

Clayton was always encouraging and prompt in his replies. The depth and value he helped me add to my book even surprised me. I left out way too much description in my first draft, things I didn’t even think about. I am grateful for his talent and his sincere concern for my success. He pushed me to become a better writer, and in turn I was able to write a better book."

--Todd Howey