Meet Susan Hopper

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Susan Hopper. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Susan, we’re thrilled to have you on our platform and we think there is so much folks can learn from you and your story. Something that matters deeply to us is living a life and leading a career filled with purpose and so let’s start by chatting about how you found your purpose.

I have always been an avid reader and love the written word. I enjoy reading and love helping others connect with books.
The clearer and more understandable someone is, the easier their message is to read and understand. I find great satisfaction in editing because I’m able to help others find their clearest voices to reach others with their words.

I come from a family filled with creative people and grew up with lessons from painting & drawing to writing & editing. I was supported in my desires and dream to write.

While I’ve not yet finished a manuscript, I have gathered bits of experience here and there over the past few decades editing on and off. I’ve worked on everything from non-profit communications to legal documents to fiction to newsletters.

Most of my adult life, editing work has come through word of mouth so I never launched an official business. I’ve often thought about it over the years, and then I met Desi Stowe.

Desi and I became good friends, in huge part thanks to our shared love of writing. She’s been a great encouragement, as well as a motivating inspiration for me to make things official.

That’s how Lightpress Edits came to be! Between Desi and another wonderful friend of mine who’s always encouraged me to go for it, I finally set things up and am ready to take on my mission of helping other authors in a professional capacity.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Lightpress Edits came to be due to my desire to help other writers produce their very best work. I’m passionate about assisting in making their words clear, concise, and easy to understand.

I offer several types of editing services. I recently helped one author flesh out her plot because she was stuck and needed something as simple as having someone to bounce ideas off of. I also do developmental and line edits, everything from checking for consistencies within the manuscript to final proofreads looking for typos. I hope to eventually offer other author support services, such as connecting with other groups for greater feedback and publicity.

I will say that what seems to make me a bit different from most editing services is that I prefer to check for everything at once – checking for flow and plot holes at the same time I also check copy for grammatical errors and punctuation typos. I suppose that’s usually a combination package most editors may offer and I do as well, but it’s definitely my favorite way to edit. To me, it’s easier to absorb the story as a whole while also being able to break it down into pieces for editing. Not all editing companies offer every option, instead choosing to focus on either developmental edits or only proofreading edits.

I would also say that I try to be as authentic as possible, maintaining high integrity in my work. I desire to give my very best to all aspects of my life, including editing. I tend to be a practical and realistic person, which I feel translates well to my writer feedback. I am a huge proponent of encouraging truth without attempting to break down anyone’s spirit. Writing is an extremely personal practice and I understand how scary it can be to begin the process of stepping out to share it with the world. I love walking side by side with my authors on that journey.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

I would have to say: support, integrity, and encouragement. I realize none of these has anything to do with editing or writing, specifically. I firmly believe those skills and talents can be learned and developed.

Support from loved ones makes all the difference in whether you try or not. Make sure you reach out and share your desires with those you love and are closest to. Allow them to walk alongside you as you chase your dream.

I’ve also discovered great support and learning opportunities may be found through finding like-minded people, such as Facebook or other social media groups or people you can follow.

Integrity is huge to me, as I’ve mentioned previously. In any group, there will always be the horror stories of the bad experiences. That doesn’t make the entire group of individuals terrible. I strive to be an honest but positive experience for my clients. This also ties in with my third word of encouragement.

To be encouraging to others is a wonderful thing as they pursue their dreams. I love being a part of my authors’ journeys! It, in turn, encourages me to continue in my own dreams of writing and editing.

Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?

My ideal client would be someone who genuinely wants help to make their work better, whether that’s an entire manuscript or a newsletter. I recently got asked to proofread someone’s application for their National Board certification in teaching. I’m looking forward to that since I haven’t done that specifically before.

I don’t mind the project, but I do limit my projects to PG-13 ratings and below. I don’t do well (personally) with a lot of violence or explicit sex, so I tend to avoid those.

I would love to connect with you further if you feel we could be a good fit!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://lightpressedits.com
• Instagram: @lightpress.edits
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lightpressedits/
• Other: My email address at is [email protected] if you’d like to get more information!

Image Credits

Desi Stowe