Jill Dianne Swenson, Ph.D.
President
Jill Swenson is a developmental editor and literary consultant who established Swenson Book Development LLC in 2011. Previously tenured at Ithaca College as a journalism educator and media studies scholar, Jill lived off-the-grid for a decade in upstate New York. She has worked as a car mechanic, a Christmas wreath-maker, and a lifeguard at a women’s pool in Saudi Arabia. She’s taught writing workshops at the Loft Literary Center, Grand Marais Art Colony, and in Appleton, Wisconsin, where she lives with her dog Daisy. With a Ph.D. from The University of Chicago, 30 years of teaching, editing, and coaching writers, Jill is an author’s advocate.
Jenna Goodman
Editor
In addition to reading an average of 200 books a year, Jenna Goodman has worked in shiny L.A. ad offices, poured coffee in late night truck stops, and skated inside blocker on the roller derby track. She combines a sharp editorial eye with a supportive approach to help authors reach their goals while meeting the high expectations of the publishing world. Jenna also works as a pediatric occupational therapist, looks after her husband, author Shawn Goodman, and two daughters.
Sharon K. Yntema
Bookkeeper
Sharon K. Yntema is a bookkeeper, licensed massage therapist at Hands On Physical Therapy, and author (Vegetarian Baby series, More Than 100: Women Science Fiction Writers). She started bookkeeping at McBooks Bookstore in 1978, worked part-time for The Bookery since 1990, and started a Little Free Library in downtown Ithaca in 2013. She serves on the executive board of Buffalo Street Books, a cooperatively owned bookstore in Ithaca, NY. She is currently finishing up a book on a 200-year history of bookstores in the Ithaca, NY, area, and beginning a new book on the natural history of her backyard.
Audrey Arnold
Editorial Assistant
A UW-Green Bay graduate with her Bachelor’s degree in English and Arts Management, Audrey Arnold works as a library clerk at the Brown County Library in addition to her editorial work for Swenson Book Development. Ever since she was little, Audrey has had a passion for writing and reading, and her time as editor for Sheepshead Review during college led her to discover a love for the editing and publishing field. Her short stories have been published in a few small magazines and journals, and her dream is to someday publish a novel.
Swenson Book Development also collaborates with graphic designers, photographers, image editors, cover designers, illustrators and other professionals on specific projects as needed.To Blog, or Not to Blog

Six or seven years ago my advice to aspiring authors of nonfiction books was to build an audience platform by blogging. An example of how critical blogging could be to securing a publishing contract can be found in the case of Ann Marie Ackermann, author of Death of an Assassin: The True Story of the German Murderer Who Died Defending Robert E. Lee. After an initial assessment of her manuscript, I had recommended she start a historical true-crime blog, and she did. In fact, the editor of the ideal book series at Kent State University Press became a fan ofRead more…