About Us
We agree with Margaret Atwood's assertion that "A word after a word / after a word is power." But writers are only as strong as their words, and that's where we come in. Word After Word provides valuable editing and writing services to help empower our clients in all aspects of text communication.
We work under the premise that while not all good writers may be good editors, any skilled editor must also be an accomplished writer. To help an author achieve the perfect voice, pacing, and sentence structure, we must understand the subtle nuances of language. We must have the ability to craft a satisfying and clear sentence—as well as a satisfying and clear story or argument. We must also sympathize with writers rather than view them as foreign entities.
Too many editors place themselves on a tier above their clients. We choose, instead, to work together as equals with our writers. If we maintain an open and honest dialogue with you, we can make far more progress toward perfecting your work and realizing your potential.
Kelsey Down—Founder, Managing Editor
Hailing from Franklin, Tennessee, Kelsey won her first creative writing contest at just nine years old with a story entitled, "A Lion in Lionville." Since then she has expanded her repertoire to include academic, creative, and professional writing and editing. Among other things, she has worked as a Brigham Young University Writing Fellow, a writing-focused teaching assistant, and the editor for BYU Women's Services and Resources. During summer 2014 she earned the BYU English Department Blessings Grant, enabling her to attend the prestigious Oxford University Creative Writing Summer School. Her original fiction and creative non-fiction pieces have placed in competitive contests and appeared in various publications.
Alec Down—Co-founder, Project Manager
Originally from London, England, Alec made his debut in the academic editing and writing world three years ago. Since then he has edited a number of publications, including the recently published book Sophie Discovers Amerika (Rob McFarland & Michelle James, Camden House). He served as an associate editor to the Sophie Digital Library and The Sophie Journal at McMaster University, Canada. In addition to being the recipient of multiple research grants, Alec has also written and published several original articles in peer-reviewed journals.