Want to make your readers feel like you’ve grabbed them by the hand and pulled them into your adventure?

Kia ora, I’m Deborah, and I help travel writers publish their adventures with confidence.

A classic introvert who overthinks everything? That’s me.

But I also I love words, and I know you do too. You wouldn’t have had the dedication to write a whole book if you didn’t love words, right? 

Reading, especially travel and adventure, is my escape.

And yes, I’m a word nerd.

Choosing the right words, untangling tricky sentences, nailing the details, setting the story’s tone – that’s what gets me up in the morning.

I love getting to work with people like you – people who have gone on adventures that I would be far too scared to go on, people who go on cool trips in their own backyards, and people who love getting out there and exploring.

Maybe you’ve walked Te Araroa or the Pacific Crest Trail. Perhaps you’ve cycled from Alaska to Argentina, or kayaked from source to sea. Or maybe your adventures are closer to home.

Whatever you’ve done, wherever you’ve travelled, it’s been an adventure.

You kept a journal and documented every moment, and you’ve written (and likely rewritten) your manuscript recounting the journey.

And now you want to share your adventure with the world.

You know your manuscript needs something so you can publish the best version of your story. You may have already had beta readers or friends read your story, but you know that professional feedback will make a difference.

That’s where I come in.

You started this journey to share your adventures. Now it’s time to make that dream a reality.

Let’s make it happen, together.

What makes me qualified to help you?

Let’s start with my outdoor education

Mum took me on my first tramp when I was 16 – the stunning Milford Track (though we didn’t see a thing. It rained the whole time). I’ve also tramped the Routeburn and Kepler.

I’ve been tramping all around the southern half of the South Island. Aspiring National Park and the Hopkins Valley are two of my favourite areas.

Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park is where I feel most alive and energised. I just love the mountains. Get yourself up to Mueller Hut and experience an Aoraki sunrise – you won’t regret it!

An incomplete list of tramps tramped and huts slept in:

• Welcome Flat Hut on the West Coast
• Huxley Forks Hut in the Waitaki
• Milford Track (twice!)
• Mueller Hut in Aoraki/Mt Cook National Park
• French Ridge Hut in the Aspiring National Park
• Jubilee Hut in Otago
• Hump Ridge Track in Southland
• Big Hut in Otago

I’ve also got the bits of paper that show my professional education

That overthinker you’ve been reading about? I’ve always been like that. Maybe that’s why I studied philosophy with a bit of political studies and Old Testament thrown in for fun – yes, really! 

I graduated with a BA(Hons) First Class philosophy degree from the University of Otago, Aotearoa New Zealand. (For the philosophers out there, my dissertation was on feminist epistemology.)

Following a late-20s existential crisis, I enrolled in Whitireia’s publishing diploma – New Zealand’s only (and highly regarded) tertiary-level publishing qualification. We edited books, designed books, managed the book production process, and marketed books.

I’ll forever be grateful for finding my home in publishing at Whitireia.

I’m also a professional member of the Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd), and in 2022 I passed their tough accreditation exam. Studying for that was like being back at uni. I loved it!

What editing with me looks like

✅ Constructive, kind feedback that goes far beyond just catching typos and fixing grammar.

✅ Suggestions to fix issues like plot holes,  flat dialogue, or dull descriptions.

✅ Suggestions that enhance your voice and personality so your story sounds like you.

✅Encouragement to bend the “rules” when it works

Take the next step: apply for a free sample edit of your manuscript.

“Without Deborah’s amazing help my book Chasing Tigers would never have been as good. That’s a fact. She’s so damn good that I’ve already hired her awesome services for my future book projects.”

Stu Tripney, author of Chasing Tigers and Out Come the Dogs.