Steve Woodward

Creative Director

I am a flexible and discerning designer and editor with a sharp eye for typography and a knack for helping artists. From award-winning authors and publishers to indie musicians and literary magazines, I have led creative projects of all stripes.

 

Years of experience in the book publishing industry have given me a keen ear for voice and tone, which translates to catchy, on-brand copywriting. Impeccable taste, artistic flair, and a penchant for bold, innovative style are hallmarks of my trade.

 

Browse my portfolio below for a sample of recent work. Need a dedicated collaborator for your next project? Send me a note and let’s create together.

Portfolio

Services

Awards

Booker Prize Winner

MILKMAN by Anna Burns won the 2018 Booker Prize, the most prestigious award in the UK literary world. 

National Book Award finalist

A LUCKY MAN by Jamel Brinkley was a finalist for the 2018 National Book Award in Fiction.

Pulitzer Prize finalist

TELEPHONE by Percival Everett was one of two finalists for the 2021 Pulitzer Prize in literature.

NBCC Award winner

MILKMAN by Anna Burns won the 2019 NBCC award, given by a board of critics to the best novel of the year. 

Whiting Award winner

WALKING ON COWRIE SHELLS by Nana Nkweti won a 2022 Whiting award, presented annually to ten emerging writers.

Testimonials

  • I had two reactions to working with Steve. Thank God. And: where have you been all my life, Steve? His insightful comments helped sharpen and trim my book proposal. Even better, they pushed me to think about writing in entirely new ways. I often think of his feedback, not only when I am writing, but when I am reading and teaching, too. I hope every writer gets a chance to work with an editor as sharp, compassionate, and supportive as he.

    Zahir Janmohamed, author of the forthcoming THE PERMITTED HOURS

  • Steve not only helped me with developmental and line edits on my query letter, book proposal, and sample pages, he also offered me excellent editorial and professional advice as I looked for an agent. For me, Steve’s help was a fundamental step toward signing with a spectacular agent and selling my book to a major publishing house at auction. I highly recommend his services!

    Stephanie Krzywonos, author of ICE FOLX (forthcoming from Harper)

  • My editor was very patient and good to me, bless him—it was chaos that he helped me order. But I’m so glad the story grew and I could talk things out with him, that I felt my ideas and vision were trusted and encouraged.

    Khadija Abdalla Bajaber, author of THE HOUSE OF RUST

  • When I was deciding which publisher I wanted for my collection, my priority was to have patient and careful editorial attention, and with Steve as my primary editor at Graywolf, I got exactly what I had been craving, and more. Working with him was honestly a dream. . . . Steve is a phenomenal reader and a most capable guide. I can’t imagine that he isn’t one of the best editors in the country.

    Jamel Brinkley, author of A LUCKY MAN

  • Not every writer can say that they absolutely look forward to working with their editor, that they enjoy meetings about punctuation, that they can call anytime to get help with a single stubborn sentence they’ve been staring at all week, but I absolutely can say this, and I’ll be forever grateful for Steve’s generosity and patience and the utter seriousness with which he has approached my projects at every stage of the process.

    Susan Steinberg, author of MACHINE

Partners

Contact

Want to collaborate?

Drop me a line.