Karen & Steven Hunter, Let There Be Light (2024)
“We hired Payton Hayes as an editor for our self-published photography book. It was definitely a learning experience for us, not having need of an editor for our three previous books. Payton endured through us not reading the entire packet of information she first sent, misunderstandings (due to both of us communicating to her but not with each other), us sending changes to her before they were actually ready (in the wrong format), delays for a variety of reasons, and our stubbornness or lack of compliance. She was probably quite frustrated with us, but Payton adapted and adjusted for us over and over again. She sent new communications and re-sent information, including the first communication, several times to be sure we understood why she was doing the edits she was doing. She explained and expounded on where she was coming from with the edits and on what she wanted us to know. And in the middle of it all (when we switched horses in midstream, so to speak, on what we wanted from her) Payton never missed a beat, smoothly reorienting herself and forging onward. Let There Be Light: Images of Oklahoma is a better book due to Payton Hayes’s editing help. She did more than edit our work and words; it was vividly apparent that she did massive amounts of research into the animals and locations in Steven's photographs.” —Karen & Steven Hunter, Let There Be Light: Images of Oklahoma (2024)
“We hired Payton Hayes as an editor for our self-published photography book. It was definitely a learning experience for us, not having need of an editor for our three previous books. Payton endured through us not reading the entire packet of information she first sent, misunderstandings (due to both of us communicating to her but not with each other), us sending changes to her before they were actually ready (in the wrong format), delays for a variety of reasons, and our stubbornness or lack of compliance. She was probably quite frustrated with us, but Payton adapted and adjusted for us over and over again. She sent new communications and re-sent information, including the first communication, several times to be sure we understood why she was doing the edits she was doing. She explained and expounded on where she was coming from with the edits and on what she wanted us to know. And in the middle of it all (when we switched horses in midstream, so to speak, on what we wanted from her) Payton never missed a beat, smoothly reorienting herself and forging onward. Let There Be Light: Images of Oklahoma is a better book due to Payton Hayes’s editing help. She did more than edit our work and words; it was vividly apparent that she did massive amounts of research into the animals and locations in Steven's photographs.” —Karen & Steven Hunter, Let There Be Light: Images of Oklahoma (2024)
Scott Smith, Debut Children’s Book Author and Podcast Consultant (2024)
“Payton is an absolute pleasure to work with, especially because she puts the concerns of her clients—and even potential clients—at the forefront .Payton responded to a TikTok video my daughter posted about a book I’m writing. I’m a veteran writer, but a novice book author. Payton immediately asked thought-provoking, insightful questions to determine the exact scope and intention of what I was doing. She then forwarded my project to contacts she felt were better aligned to help me. She also gave me frank insights on what to expect, the publishing process and the publishing industry. And never—never!—did she ask for anything in return or any commitment to working exclusively with her. I felt my interests always took precedent for her. That unsolicited commitment to me—a total stranger—and my project is why I recommend her to aspiring and veteran authors alike. Payton will take the time to get to know you and your book and determine the right course of action for it, even if it does not involve her. I found her to be a voice of experience that I could trust. Thank you, Payton!” —Scott Smith, Debut Children’s Book Author and Podcast Consultant (2024)
“Payton is an absolute pleasure to work with, especially because she puts the concerns of her clients—and even potential clients—at the forefront .Payton responded to a TikTok video my daughter posted about a book I’m writing. I’m a veteran writer, but a novice book author. Payton immediately asked thought-provoking, insightful questions to determine the exact scope and intention of what I was doing. She then forwarded my project to contacts she felt were better aligned to help me. She also gave me frank insights on what to expect, the publishing process and the publishing industry. And never—never!—did she ask for anything in return or any commitment to working exclusively with her. I felt my interests always took precedent for her. That unsolicited commitment to me—a total stranger—and my project is why I recommend her to aspiring and veteran authors alike. Payton will take the time to get to know you and your book and determine the right course of action for it, even if it does not involve her. I found her to be a voice of experience that I could trust. Thank you, Payton!” —Scott Smith, Debut Children’s Book Author and Podcast Consultant (2024)
Chance Whinnery, Dreaming Leaves Psychology Practice in Edmond, OK (2024
“Payton assisted me editorially in the development of my marketing materials for my medical practice and I was very impressed with her work. She took the time to research the related topics in order to address the content from an informed position and it showed. At times, Payton would touch base to clarify more nuanced perspectives in order to develop an idea to its potential. She was flexible and communicative throughout the process. I feel her services are a wonderful value and I plan to work with her again soon.” —Chance Whinnery, Dreaming Leaves Psychology Practice in Edmond, OK (2024)
“Payton assisted me editorially in the development of my marketing materials for my medical practice and I was very impressed with her work. She took the time to research the related topics in order to address the content from an informed position and it showed. At times, Payton would touch base to clarify more nuanced perspectives in order to develop an idea to its potential. She was flexible and communicative throughout the process. I feel her services are a wonderful value and I plan to work with her again soon.” —Chance Whinnery, Dreaming Leaves Psychology Practice in Edmond, OK, (2024)
Rachel Allen, Tulsa Artist Fellowship (2024)
“I had the pleasure of working with Payton Hayes on editing and polishing some crucial documents for me. I can confidently say that her expertise and professionalism exceeded my expectations. Her keen attention to detail and dedication to ensuring the documents were representative of my voice and error-free were truly impressive. She not only provided valuable insights and suggestions that significantly improved the quality of the documents but also demonstrated a genuine desire for helping me achieve my goals. Her timely responses and clear communication made the entire editing process smooth and efficient. Thanks to Payton’s assistance, I was able to effectively convey my message with my intended audience. I would recommend her services to anyone in need of editing and writing support. I am thankful for her insight and support which helped make my writing experience much easier and less stressful. I would most definitely work with her again in the future.” —Rachel Allen, Tulsa Artist Fellowship (2024)
“I had the pleasure of working with Payton Hayes on editing and polishing some crucial documents for me. I can confidently say that her expertise and professionalism exceeded my expectations. Her keen attention to detail and dedication to ensuring the documents were representative of my voice and error-free were truly impressive. She not only provided valuable insights and suggestions that significantly improved the quality of the documents but also demonstrated a genuine desire for helping me achieve my goals. Her timely responses and clear communication made the entire editing process smooth and efficient. Thanks to Payton’s assistance, I was able to effectively convey my message with my intended audience. I would recommend her services to anyone in need of editing and writing support. I am thankful for her insight and support which helped make my writing experience much easier and less stressful. I would most definitely work with her again in the future.” —Rachel Allen, Tulsa Artist Fellowship (2024)
Eric Reese, Sins of the Son: Book 1 of the Frank Lucianus Mafia Series (2019)
“Payton Hayes has an excellent set of eyes. My book was edited by Payton and I have to admit that her editing prowess was what it needed. I followed up with a call to ask about her methodology for editing and she gave me more sound advice. As a writer, I value creating a good, captivating story and Payton’s editing service no doubt, has enhanced my storyline. Payton kept me abreast throughout the process and was a wonder to work with. She is the real deal and I strongly recommend using Payton for your next writing project.” —Eric Reese, Sins of the Son: Book 1 of the Frank Lucianus Mafia Series (2019)
“Payton Hayes has an excellent set of eyes. My book was edited by Payton and I have to admit that her editing prowess was what it needed. I followed up with a call to ask about her methodology for editing and she gave me more sound advice. As a writer, I value creating a good, captivating story and Payton’s editing service no doubt, has enhanced my storyline. Payton kept me abreast throughout the process and was a wonder to work with. She is the real deal and I strongly recommend using Payton for your next writing project.” —Eric Reese, Sins of the Son: Book 1 of the Frank Lucianus Mafia Series (2019)
Julius The Robot, Hard Lessons in Modern Magic from the Midwest (2019)
“I have been writing for myself for quite some time and I have always been apprehensive about seeking editorial services. I was totally clueless and had no idea where to start. After getting a chance to explore my options I fell upon Payton's services. I was reassured from the start about the importance of the editing process to further my strength as a writer. She provided detailed notes and was very quick to get edits back to me with reliable correspondence when there was a delay. Her edits are very concise. She takes the time to explain the reasoning behind her suggestions which is great for refreshing one's knowledge of proper grammar and how your work is viewed from the reader's perspective. Overall, I am very happy with her edits and will continue to seek her advice as I explore writing with an audience in mind!” —Julius The Robot, Hard Lessons in Modern Magic from the Midwest. (2019)
“I have been writing for myself for quite some time and I have always been apprehensive about seeking editorial services. I was totally clueless and had no idea where to start. After getting a chance to explore my options I fell upon Payton's services. I was reassured from the start about the importance of the editing process to further my strength as a writer. She provided detailed notes and was very quick to get edits back to me with reliable correspondence when there was a delay. Her edits are very concise. She takes the time to explain the reasoning behind her suggestions which is great for refreshing one's knowledge of proper grammar and how your work is viewed from the reader's perspective. Overall, I am very happy with her edits and will continue to seek her advice as I explore writing with an audience in mind!” —Julius The Robot, Hard Lessons in Modern Magic from the Midwest. (2019)
Katie Owen, The Vampire Prophecies: The Turning (2018)
“Payton provided a beta reading service for the first few chapters of a story I am writing. The quality of her feedback was great, not to mention very useful. She was able to highlight areas where I could improve my writing and gave valuable suggestions about the genre I'm writing in, which were really helpful. She provided her feedback quickly and in an easy to digest, constructive way (something that is not always easy when you are critiquing someone else's writing!) I wouldn't hesitate to consider her for further editing work in the future.” —Katie Owen, The Vampire Prophecies: The Turning (2018)
“Payton provided a beta reading service for the first few chapters of a story I am writing. The quality of her feedback was great, not to mention very useful. She was able to highlight areas where I could improve my writing and gave valuable suggestions about the genre I'm writing in, which were really helpful. She provided her feedback quickly and in an easy to digest, constructive way (something that is not always easy when you are critiquing someone else's writing!) I wouldn't hesitate to consider her for further editing work in the future.” —Katie Owen, The Vampire Prophecies: The Turning (2018)
Dana Journey, The Apprentices, Book 1 of the Crimson Guard Trilogy (2018)
“I delivered Ms. Hayes what I believed to be a finished novel, and what I got back exceeded my expectations. She not only caught the issues that I knew of, but also ones that I either overlooked or hadn’t seen. Her comments about the overall novel were thoughtful and appropriate. Too many people who call themselves editors will just throw the prose into a program, but Ms. Hayes took the time to read the entire manuscript and was able to give excellent insight from an outside perspective. I have always been a believer in that you can’t edit your own work, and Ms. Hayes’ attention to detail proved my belief right. I can only speak to her ability to edit a fantasy novel, but from what I have seen about her abilities leads me to believe that she would be successful at other genres.” —Dana Journey, The Apprentices, Book 1 of the Crimson Guard Trilogy (2018)
“I delivered Ms. Hayes what I believed to be a finished novel, and what I got back exceeded my expectations. She not only caught the issues that I knew of, but also ones that I either overlooked or hadn’t seen. Her comments about the overall novel were thoughtful and appropriate. Too many people who call themselves editors will just throw the prose into a program, but Ms. Hayes took the time to read the entire manuscript and was able to give excellent insight from an outside perspective. I have always been a believer in that you can’t edit your own work, and Ms. Hayes’ attention to detail proved my belief right. I can only speak to her ability to edit a fantasy novel, but from what I have seen about her abilities leads me to believe that she would be successful at other genres.” —Dana Journey, The Apprentices, Book 1 of the Crimson Guard Trilogy (2018)