it’s time to TELL YOUR STORY
You’ve got a story worth telling.
Maybe your friends have been urging you to write it down for years.
Maybe you’ve been carrying the bones of a novel in your head for a decade.
Maybe you have a manuscript that needs a sharper eye—or you’re ready to take your project to market and need someone who knows how the publishing world actually works.
That’s where I come in.
HOW I CAN HELP
Portrait by Molly Pan
I’m a Pushcart Prize-nominated writer, WGA member, and Fulbright scholar with an MFA in creative writing and a decade of experience across newsrooms, TV writers’ rooms, university presses, and independent literary magazines. My work has appeared in the Los Angeles Review of Books, Literary Hub, and The Brooklyn Rail, among others.
I bring genuine literary credentials and real-world publishing experience to every project. I know how to shape a story—whether it’s a novel, a memoir, a book proposal, or a magazine-style profile—and I know how to get it in front of the right people.
I’m also a practiced interviewer. Through careful, thoughtful conversation, I’ll help you unearth the material you’re looking for—the arc of your life story, the plot mechanics of your novel, the argument at the heart of your nonfiction book—and help you turn it into something worth reading.
And unlike a lot of what’s out there right now: I’m a heck of a lot better than AI.
SERVICES
Professional Manuscript Review. I’ll read your raw manuscript with a critical editorial eye, annotate it with constructive feedback, and deliver a detailed written assessment—covering narrative structure, voice, pacing, and audience. This is the fastest way to understand exactly what your project needs.
Developmental Editing. The next step after a manuscript review. I work with you directly to implement the changes, delivering a fully refined manuscript that’s ready for submission or publication.
Copyediting. Meticulous grammatical and syntactical proofreading to a chosen style guide. A professional manuscript is error-free and internally consistent—this service gets you there.
Interviewing & Story Development. Not sure how to get your story on the page? We’ll sit down—on Zoom or in person—and I’ll guide you through the broad strokes and fine details of your narrative, giving you the raw material you need to get started.
Ghostwriting. Full, anonymous writing services from the ground up. I’ll write your project in close consultation with you, capturing your voice, your tone, and your vision—with complete discretion.
Magazine-Style Profiles A polished, long-form narrative essay about a person or a life—ideal for retirements, festschrifts, memorials, weddings, or family keepsakes. A meaningful, beautifully crafted alternative to a full memoir, at a fraction of the cost.
Query Letters. A strong query letter is your first impression with a literary agent—and most aren’t good enough. I’ll write yours, research agents who specialize in your genre, and help you build a targeted submission list.
Book proposals. Nonfiction books are often sold on proposal, rather than full manuscripts. I’ll help you develop and build the required materials (including comparative titles and samples) that are essential to selling a book with a traditional publisher.
Book Proposals. Nonfiction books are sold on proposal, not finished manuscripts. I’ll help you develop all the required materials—overview, competitive titles, sample chapters, and market analysis—to give your project the best possible shot with traditional publishers.
Book Design & Self-Publishing Consultation From interior layout and cover design to printer research and Kindle Direct Publishing formatting, I’ll help you navigate every step of the self-publishing process—or connect you with the right professionals to do it.
specialties
Literary and genre fiction. Memoirs focused on business, health, and resilience. Stories rooted in the Middle East and Mediterranean world — a region I know from years of research, reporting, and a Fulbright fellowship in Cyprus.
PAST CLIENTS
Past clients of my editorial services include:
Sillyboy: A Novel by Peter Vack (Cash 4 Gold Books, 2024), a “tragicomic deep dive into modern romantic dysfunction where jealousy, ambition, and Instagram threaten relationships, and the technologies we trust to validate us only fuel suspicion, humiliation, and ruin.” See Q&A with Vack, TV actor-turned-novelist, in the Los Angeles Review of Books.
My Fight for Survival by Fady Rizk (SALT Books, 2024). From publisher: “Fady A. Rizk’s inspiring memoir takes us from his thrilling youth fighting in the front lines of the Lebanese Civil War, to the cutthroat world of Wall Street, culminating in his most challenging battle yet—overcoming cancer and COVID.” Debuted as #1 bestseller in “Middle-Eastern Memoir” on Amazon.
A Journey of a Lifetime by Youcef Mikhail Rustum (Self-Published, 2025). “The world that Helani built, the world that I was born into, was a world apart.” The autobiography of esteemed cancer researcher Dr. Youcef Rustum, this book tracks his grandmother Helani’s humble origins in a Syrian village at the turn of the century to his remarkable pursuit of the American dream as a first-generation immigrant.
Hesitation Wounds by Amy Koppelman (Re-issue, 2023). The Independent-Publishing award-winning novel returns, this time in Kindle edition.
TEStIMONIALS
“Working with Harrison on my father’s memoir was one of the best decisions I made. He had an extraordinary ability to listen deeply, ask the right questions, and translate scattered memories and disorganized stories into a coherent, compelling narrative.
“Throughout the process, he was thoughtful, organized, and cost-conscious. The final manuscript exceeded my expectations — honest, engaging, and beautifully written. I’m profoundly grateful for his dedication, and I recommend him without hesitation to anyone considering telling their story.”
– Mike Rustum on Youcef Mikhail Rustum’s A Journey of a Lifetime
“Harrison helped me translate my dramatic life story into prose with the needed pacing and emotional reflection to make my manuscript a gripping, powerful read. His attention to detail and sympathetic, collaborative personality made a challenging project a highly rewarding one.
“That goes without saying — Harrison’s deep knowledge of my region of the world (the Middle East) was an added bonus in a terrific partnership.”
– Fady Rizk, bestselling author of My Fight for Survival
AI POLICY
I don’t use AI to write or edit anything. But I do use AI as a tool in transcribing interviews and other support functions. Whether we like it or not, LLMs are here to stay, and there are key ways AI can improve workflow and make the writing and editing process more efficient and affordable. That’s why my philosophy is that though AI systems may assist, they can never replicate or replace the human voice.
Get started today
Ready to get started? Reach out at hb.batonentertainment[at]gmail.com with a brief description of your project. I’ll assess your needs and we’ll put together a quote.