CAMERADO Editing and Coaching Services

“David Hicks is a brilliant and wise editor who can pinpoint exactly what needs to change to make a piece of writing resonate. His wealth of experience, expertise, and finely honed instincts allow him to improve any type of writing, and his generosity, good humor, and positive communication style make him a joy to work with.”

“With a wealth of knowledge and a clear eye for detail, David is one of the best editors I’ve come across. He is tactful in his responses and great at brainstorming fixes. He has been instrumental in helping me craft my messy drafts into finished products.”

“I hired David to help me get over the fear of writing and start producing after a break of several decades. He was always encouraging and enthusiastic and acutely sensitive to my fears and insecurities about resuming what I had abandoned out of fear of rejection. He started with bite-sized, manageable exercises, creating ‘small wins’ for me and building my confidence. His edits were concise, insightful, and positive. His sense of humor and intelligence made the time spent with him enjoyable. I highly recommend him as an editor/coach.”

“Proclaiming that David Hicks has a ‘talent’ for editing is a gross understatement. The skills he applies to any given page, no matter its state of accomplishment (or lack thereof), are as sure as they come. His vision is generous, his manner empathic, his story IQ in the hundredth percentile. David accepts another’s work on its terms and labors shoulder-to-shoulder with the writer–patiently and with gentle-but-sure emphasis—to build, from the inside out, that work toward its greatest potential. And he works with such ease and grace on all levels of accomplishment, from that of the young writer just entering the literary conversation, to the most seasoned veteran. I have been writing for many years and David remains one of the most prized “go-to” readers of my own works-in-progress. His participation in bettering my work has been a gift that I cherish, and I have absolutely no doubt that any writer working under his guidance would cherish his gifts as well.”

“David has been instrumental in getting me published and achieve better quality writing. Be prepared to work! He has a knack for correctly pointing out weaknesses in stories and thereby raising the bar for your writing project. I highly recommend David and hope to work with him again on future projects.”

“David is an expert in the field of writing and editing; his education speaks to that, but mostly, his deep knowledge of writing, storytelling, clarifying, finding one’s voice (or story line) and editing is what becomes most apparent when working with David. In addition, he is one of the most warm and personable professors/editors I have encountered; he is honest, full of integrity and very inspirational, which I believe is crucial for writers.”

“David Hicks has edited my fiction for over five years. He is incisive, yet provides an atmosphere of safety and collaboration that leaves me free to take risks. I look forward to our meetings–and my publication rate has increased dramatically.”

“David has been my editor for years, and I put my full trust in him to perfect my grammar and organization, provide insightful perspectives, and help me refine my focus.”

“David is a gentle, thoughtful teacher who has a gift for sharing his knowledge and for encouraging others to pursue their passion.”

“I have hired David twice to edit my novel. Both times the investment was well worth it. I liken David’s manuscript editing to taking a master class in novel writing. He is professional, intelligent, experienced and kind. I recommend him to anyone who wants to make their novel shine.”

“David not only restructured paragraphs and chapters, but also recognized when a topic needed additional explanation, insight or a personal anecdote. He re-phrased sentences—to read more smoothly, without changing the personality or tone of our words. Without David’s expertise, we would not have confidence that we “gave it our very best.”

“David’s approach to writing is refreshing. He is able to show, just by connecting to yourself, you can be a much more natural and effective writer. The other thing I really liked about David is his honesty mixed with compassion. He told you the truth about your writing, but at the same time, he gave you suggestions and encouragement. David is a wonderful writer, editor, and workshop leader. I would highly recommend him.”

“If you are crazy enough to put pen to paper, then be smart enough to have David guide you through the process. David is generous with his time, knowledgeable in his craft, and full of never-ending, patient, positive support. His enthusiasm for writing is contagious, and this enthusiasm will see you through to THE END.”

“David is an excellent editor. He identifies where a writer might improve, and offers clear and valuable tools for moving forward. His approach is always creative and presented with kindness and humor.”

“David’s depth of knowledge regarding the writing craft, as well as his ability to see what my writing needs, is invaluable. He offers constructive feedback in a direct but gentle way. He has insight into what a story wants to be and inspires me to write it. I consider David’s encouragement and friendship essential in my development both as a person and as a writer. His support and editorial guidance have strengthened my writing over the years. I’m so grateful he’s on my team – every writer should be so lucky!”

“As a student, having teachers return my papers with a sea of red ink did little to improve my writing or confidence. Years later, working with David Hicks, I came to appreciate his personable style, as a writing coach and editor. David offers a rare combination of focused and accessible instruction, editorial comments that build-up rather than tear-down, and a sensitive appreciation for the writer and his/her journey.”

“At first I needed a writing coach, so I sent David chapters of my novel as I wrote them, and he sent them back to me with ideas and reflections. When I finished my novel, I had him line edit as well, and he cut my page count by about 30,000 words. (Fabulous!) What’s remarkable about David is that he’s great at any stage of your writing process. If you need a coach to support you and keep you on deadline, he’s great for that. If you need someone to take a knife to your prose, he’ll help you there as well. He also gave me feedback on my publishing process when I began to send my novel out to agents and helped me craft my query letters. I also ended up looking at my writing much differently as a result; I’ve used his editing comments to guide my own self-editing, a tool I consider priceless.”