Our Team
Author's Helping Authors
S. D. Howard
Head of Publishing
Telling stories has been a part of Stephen's life since he was a teen. In 2018, he fell in love with developmental editing and started his own freelance business helping authors bring their stories to life. He added author coaching to the mix, working one on one with authors through their first and second drafts.
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When he published his first book in 2020, he saw the need for a publisher focused on Christian Fiction dealing with harder topics. After much prayer, he started Story-weaver Publishing, not only for his books, but to build a home for like-minded authors seeking to honor God through the art of storytelling.
Brianna DeMan
Lead Line Editor & Proofreader
From stapling construction-paper books together at eight years old to being in the publishing industry for the past three years, Brianna De Man has always been a lover of all things creative. She strives to amplify author's voices through her work and rekindle their passion for storytelling.
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Brianna currently works as an associate editor and project coordinator for Innovo Publishing LLC. She is also a freelance editor for the Christian Publishing Portal. Now, she's excited to join the team at Story-weaver Publishing! She has a Bachelor's in Professional Writing and Information Design, a minor in Editing and Publishing, and a minor in Biblical Studies from Cedarville University.
Emily Vest
Lead Developmental Editor
From playing make-believe with her backyard neighbors to now working on her own science fantasy trilogy, Emily Vest has always loved everything storytelling. She is thrilled to join the team at Story-weaver Publishing, and she aims to hone her passion for writing and editing by helping fellow writers polish their own stories and reach publishing success!
While in school, Emily worked as The Cedarville Review editor-in-chief, a workshop leader, and a writing center tutor before getting her start as a freelance editor with Honeycomb Author Services. Currently, she is working on her debut novel and her trilogy but also has published poetry and short-form prose in The Albion Review, Adelaide Literary Magazine, and The Cedarville Review. She has a Bachelor's degree in English Literature with three minors in Creative Writing, Editing & Publishing, and Biblical Studies from Cedarville University.
Cheyenne Van Langevelde
Lead Copyeditor & Cover Designer
Cheyenne van Langevelde has loved storytelling since she was little, making up tragic adventures with Playmobil and turning every playground into a sinking ship. Being a voracious reader as long as she can remember, she began writing her own stories back in 2014. Since then, she has successfully self-published two novels and has experience in both the traditional and indie publishing spheres.
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With over 5 years combined of editing, graphic design, and social media marketing experience, she is thrilled to help aspiring authors at Story-weaver Publishing!
The team here at Story-weaver Publishing shares the desire to see more Christian Fiction that tackles difficult topics from a Biblical worldview. In a world growing darker by the day, there is a need for more of these types of books, and we're grateful to have such a fantastic team helping authors publish their books.
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Our team is built upon freelance work, which means we pay them per job. This allows us to keep our costs down to the authors, but it means work can be inconsistent at times. Because of this, we encourage authors who may not be ready to publish to contact our editors and work with them outside of the publishing process.
Benita Thompson
Lead Formmatter & Co-Cover Designer
Benita Thompson has been writing since she was a five-year-old inspired by the Bobbsey Twins and Little House on the Prairie. During high school she self-published three books, discovering a love for book design in the process. She has been offering cover design and formatting services since 2016, with a commitment to providing professional-tier design on an indie author budget. Her specialty focus is in fantasy and speculative fiction.
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These days, Benita works as a legal assistant by day and a designer and writer by night. She is a book design instructor for Fiat Self-Publishing Academy and is delighted to now join the Story-weaver team! She lives in southern Ontario with her husband and infant son, but dreams of trading its hills and lakes for Alberta’s mountains in the near future.