Orlo Otteson possesses the capacity to make long-term commitments, and his high professional standards and integrity—together with his tenacity and persistence—guarantee a successful writing and editing outcome. He's an invaluable asset to any writing project or creative team.

Stephen N. Barton, MD, PhD
Orlo's highly-honed research, writing, and editing skills ensure a well-organized, readable, and publishable product. He works smoothly and easily with a variety of individuals, and he approaches his professional responsibilities with a sense of dedication and a proper degree of good humor.

George Latimer (former mayor, Saint Paul, Minnesota)

I have co-authored three books with Orlo Otteson. Orlo's commitment to excellence, his collaborative abilities, and his unflagging dedication to the project at hand are exceptional. It's not only rewarding to work with him—it's a genuine pleasure!

James J. Pattee, MD

From our first conversation, Orlo Otteson captured the spirit of our project, and he worked diligently to maintain our voice and to faithfully tell our story. With his ability to use our informal notes and stories, along with his own research, Orlo provided an organized and cohesive account of our experience.

Marie Sykes and Michelle Stafford

Correspondence between former client, Pam, and potential client, Michelle, who later became a client.

Hi Pam:

Orlo Otteson has given us your name as a reference. We will be working with him on a story about our husband/father who passed away in April of a rare form of dementia. Would you mind answering a few questions for us?

Could you tell us about your experience working with Orlo? He said that you were a mother/daughter team. Did that work well?

Yes, we were a mother and daughter team. It worked really well for us. Our book was about our great uncle and his contributions to Los Angeles in the early 1900s. My mother and I worked on different chapters simultaneously. We would review each other's work and make corrections and additions. We would then email the chapters to Orlo, and he would edit them and provide additional writing. He would email the revised version of each chapter back to us, and we would review and return with changes, additions, and questions. This system worked extremely well for us. We did everything via email.

Orlo was wonderful to work with! He quickly picked up on the type and style of book we wanted to write, and he was very respectful of what we wanted to say and how we wanted to say it. We are first-time authors, and we really needed to have our work edited by a professional. Orlo really delivered. He is professional, responsible, and talented. He was a perfect match for us. He worked very hard to maintain the integrity of the work, while fixing problems and making the story flow. I highly recommend him!

How often were you in contact with him?

Almost everyday, from the first day we started work until the manuscript was completed.

Was there anything that could have made your working relationship with Orlo better?

Nothing comes to mind. Things went very smoothly.

Is there anything else that you can add?

Just that the writing process requires patience and persistence. It takes dedication, but it's worth it. It was a wonderful experience for us, one that I will always treasure. My mother passed away shortly after we'd completed the book, and I am so thankful that we had the opportunity to work on this book together. Best of luck with your book. Orlo really helped us develop and polish our manuscript. He was an absolute pleasure to work with.

Regards,

Pam

Response from client, Ricardo, to Michelle's request for information.

Michelle:

I am more than happy to share my experience of working with Orlo.

I worked on a project similar to the one you are considering, a tribute memoir for my father, who passed away several years ago. First and foremost, you are in the hands of a professional who FULLY understands the writing and editing process. I was concerned about how I'd be able to share some of the intimate details of my relationship with my father. I needed someone who would respect the story and my telling of it, since some of the topics are VERY sacred to me.

Orlo not only knew how to "walk in my garden," but he was instrumental in encouraging me to express my true feelings, and he was extremely respectful and helpful throughout the process. I found myself sharing things with him that I'd not shared with others. His approach was soothing, and his support of the project was unfailing and consistent throughout. I couldn't be happier with the work and the professionalism that Orlo demonstrated. I feel VERY lucky to have had him by my side through this journey, as I had never attempted anything like this before.

I was in contact with Orlo as needed, sometimes daily, sometimes weekly. It depended on where we were at with the project and what needed to be discussed.

We worked with several different tools. In the beginning, we worked with a lot of tape. I would "tell" my story, ranting and raving all over the place, trying to include all the relevant information. Orlo would transcribe the tape and return a draft via email. He would ensure that the draft had a good flow and that we'd not lost content or meaning. This is one of his strengths. I would read this draft and discover that there were additional details I wanted to include. I would make my changes and mail back the hard copy. Sometimes I'd make the changes on the email version and return to Orlo. This working strategy was VERY helpful to me. For me the process was exactly what I needed, and the end result was EXACTLY what I wanted. I can't think of a think I would have changed. Email worked great for me.

This was one of the MOST important endeavors of my life. I benefited from this experience so much. (I can't express it properly.) In many ways Orlo became almost a therapist for me, as I was still going through the grieving process. We have developed a friendship and a bond. He has helped me accomplish something important and great. I learned things about my father that I was not 100 percent aware of before. To have written this book with Orlo has been worth it, just for the therapeutic value alone. I got a lot out of the process.

Based on my first-hand experience, I can truly say that you couldn't find a better person to work with. Orlo is in my opinion the BEST in the business, and I feel very fortunate to have met him. Rest assured, you will be in good hands with Orlo.

Ricardo G. Lopez