testimonials list | paula derrow

testimonials

"At first, I was not telling the right aspects of my story, but Paula's notes, edits and questions prompted me to go deep within and get real, resulting in an essay that was ultimately published in New York Magazine's The Cut. I feel as if a new phase of my writing career has now begun. "

—Lauren Brown West-Rosenthal

"Paula is able to tackle complex and sometimes arcane business concepts and turn them into compelling stories that we've been able to consistently place in industry publications. She is fast, easy to work with and responsive to our needs. I highly recommend her for corporate ghost writing and white papers."

—Craig Sender

Director of Public Relations, Copyright Clearance Center

If you're lucky enough to do an essay with Paula, you'll see just how tough and brilliant and emotionally real she is: She won't let you be glib, and she's amazing at both the craft and the heart of writing -- she will not ever let you descend to cliche or maudlin crap. She immediately knows which questions you forgot to ask, let alone which ones you didn't answer. She's blindingly fast and decisive. She returns calls immediately. She's collaborative in the best way -- you always feel as though you're on the same team. If you have never worked with Paula, I feel sorry for you.

—Marjorie Ingall

columnist, Tablet; author, Mamaleh

"For Gorge, Paula Derrow served as my mentor and muse in her amazing Connecticut glass-bottom gazebo retreat."

—Kara Richardson-Whitely, author, Gorge & The Weight of Being

"I was nervous about tackling my first book-length project, but with Paula in my corner, I knew I'd end up with a manuscript I'd feel great about. She's smart, efficient, and her editorial instincts are unerring, but she's also remarkably kind and supportive throughout the writing process. In short, Paula is any author's dream editor."

--Bettina Elias Siegel

author, Kid Food

Paula Derrow is the most insightful, talented, nurturing editor I have ever worked with. I wrote dozens of articles for her at Self Magazine. Without fail, she made huge improvements on the surface, asked the right questions that forced me to go deeper and find the emotional core of each story.

--Valerie Frankel, New York Times best-selling author

Immeasurable thanks go to my editor, Paula Derrow, who turned my words into what I really wanted them to sound like. More importantly, she tapped into what made this project a meaningful thing for me to do, and translated that into what might make it meaningful for other people to read. Along with her editing ability, I very much appreciated her encouragement and good judgment.

–David Graziano, author, Toward Happiness and Fulfillment

I’ve worked with Paula on a number of different articles for [NY Presbyterian-Weill Cornell’s Health Matters website], and every time has been wonderful. A true writing professional, Paula has a gift for distilling down complex information into a narrative that is both informative and compelling to a consumer audience.

–Jordan Reed

"Paula is a passionate and inspiring teacher/editor whose goal is to ensure that her clients have everything they need to accomplish their dream of being published. With her years of expertise and impressive connections, that dream becomes a reality for many clients."

—Katherine Dagenhart

marketing manager, Knoll

Working with Paula turns an intimidating blank page into an intellectual adventure with solid, effective results - and makes me want to take this challenge again and again. Every interaction reaffirms that she is one of the absolutely most enjoyable people I have ever worked with.

—Amy Stokes, founder/CEO of the nonprofit Infinite Family

I know I’ve earned it when Paula writes one word: lovely. Both encouraging and provoking, she demands that every multi-layered, messy complication be expressed with authenticity and clean prose. Through the process, I’ve learned to keep the words close to the bone because that’s where a memoir writer has control. Still, it takes Paula’s feedback to know I’m there. I trust her and that says everything.

—Christine Barker

As a first-time book author, Paula kept me on point, added to my voice, and helped me bring out the true essence of what I wanted to say. Throughout the process, Paula was supportive and encouraging, and, above all, believed in me and my message. She communicates what has to be done (whether revision or re-do) that is intelligent, kind and thoughtful. It was important to me that she “get” me, and I truly felt that she was attuned.

–Laurie Goldey, MFT, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist

Paula has been a dream editor! She helped me edit both a self-help book that earned a "best of" from a major women's magazine as well as polish an essay that appeared in The New York Times! I feel as though I earned a graduate degree in writing in working with her.”

–Dr. Jenny, clinical psychologist