I’m Alexis Miller, and I believe everyone has a unique perspective worth sharing.
As a professional editor, I am committed to helping writers effectively, creatively communicate their messages. I offer several types of editing services, from developmental editing to proofreading.
Fiction is my first love as a reader, writer, and editor. I’ve pursued training and experience to transform that love into expertise. I understand which grammar “rules” and style guidelines are optional for creative work, so I won’t trample on your style. At the same time, I won’t hesitate to edit or comment when I find true errors, awkward phrasing, inconsistencies, and other problems that hold your story back. I suggest improvements and corrections out of respect for you, your story, and your audience.
I have also trained in editing nonfiction books and articles. I specialize in memoir, Christian living, and spiritual growth. Additional topics I’ve worked with or have a special interest in include grief, abuse, neurodivergence (ADHD, autism, dyslexia, etc.), and the ex-evangelical experience.
My main speciality, however, is not topic-specific: I am skilled at seeing subjects from multiple angles and helping others do the same. If your work crosses demographic lines to offer fresh perspectives, I may be the editor for you.
My Editing Philosophy
I believe language, down to the last punctuation mark, is meant to serve people, not the other way around. No matter how passionate I am about a particular grammar convention, I always put the human element first. Style guides and grammar conventions are there for good reason: they promote effective communication. That’s why I enforce them. But I understand the need for flexibility and variety across different genres and styles.
Some people assume editing is about rules and restrictions. Both exist. But so does freedom, and that is my favorite part. I titled this website “Words Unbound” because I want my fellow writers to experience the same freedom I have. So many things can hold back your words and ideas:
- misguided or overly strict grammar “rules”
- repetition and tangents that weigh down your points
- awkward or unnecessarily complex phrasing that obscures your meaning
- punctuation errors that trigger negative assumptions about your expertise
- muddied logic
- your own negative beliefs about your writing
I find freedom from rules and misconceptions through education. I experience freedom from awkward phrasing and errors when a colleague reads my work and offers fresh solutions. I delight in helping others find the same freedom.
My Experience
I’ve been in the book business since 2014, when I joined the team at Deep River Books as a summer intern and freelance editor. I would later become an editorial assistant and the author relations coordinator. While there, I learned the ins and outs of the editorial process, from manuscript submission to the final proofread before printing. I’ve edited copyright pages, back cover descriptions, and everything in between. From the fall of 2017 to the end of 2018, I coordinated typesetting and proofreading. In this role, I ensured manuscripts were ready for typesetting, worked with authors and typesetters on design decisions, and checked proofreaders’ work.
From 2015 to 2018, I volunteered for a website that explores the intersection of spirituality and anime. In 2016, I stepped into a leadership role as content editor. I worked with writers to hone their work, approved guest posts, and wrote articles on other websites as a representative of our team.
Education and Training
In 2015, I graduated from Corban University with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing and a minor in biblical studies. Since then, I have taken the following courses through the Editorial Freelancers Association: Developmental Editing for Nonfiction, Developmental Editing for Fiction, Copyediting Fiction, and Editing for Conscious and Inclusive Language. I have also taken courses on developmental editing and coaching writers. I continue to pursue professional education through industry conferences, books, webinars, and more.
Personal
I’m in the word business because I love ideas and stories, both of which are often communicated through words. This means I read a lot—but I also enjoy watching videos by people with different experiences and beliefs than mine. My other leisure activities include solving sudoku, playing video games, and walking in the Oregon outdoors.
Words Unbound 