About Us
Meet Our Editors
Melissa Burnham
Melissa loves how the technical and creative aspects of writing work together to make magic. She believes that the unique way these two sides of writing are utilized is what makes a piece special. Her time is spent retreating to the serenity of nature, trying to keep her New Mexico jungle alive, and fighting with her cat over the pillow at 3 a.m.
Rachelle Clifford
Rachelle enjoys the growth that happens in every story. From the first word written to the last edit made, she is honored to be a part of others’ creative journeys as well as her own. Her other work as an English and American Sign Language interpreter emphasizes her love-hate relationship with all the little quirks of languages as well as her belief that we improve our skills through the feedback and guidance of others. You can find her snuggling with her German Shepherd and wishing coffee went with chips and salsa.
Tracy Jones
Tracy writes because she loves to read, and she edits because she doesn’t want anything to distract a reader from the story. She started editing professionally in college, and though it’s not officially in her job description now, all the editing projects at her other job get sent to her. She is grateful for the opportunity to continually improve not just her technical skills, but her ability to offer useful feedback to anyone. Don’t ask her about the differences between the dashes, because she’ll stop whatever she’s doing and tell you.
Madeleine Mozley
Madeleine is fond of saying “first master the rules, and then you can break them.” She’s passionate about analyzing manuscripts to ensure they follow the rules of storytelling and grammar and, if they break the rules, that they do so successfully. If she’s not editing or writing, she’s probably baking green chile cheese bread or cleaning the highchair for the twelfth time that day.
All four of us have degrees in either creative or professional writing from UNM, where we all graduated summa cum laude with various writing accolades. After college, we decided to start our own lit mag; we served as both editors and publishers of our lit mag Embers Igniting for five years, working with dozens of authors on everything from science fiction to memoir. Some of us have been or are currently technical editors in our day jobs, and because all of us are writers ourselves, we know the pain and pleasure of editing. Above all, we know how to write well and how to teach others to do the same. Helping people grow as writers and improve their creations is our passion, and we can’t wait to work with you!
Our Story
Embers Igniting started out as a literary magazine in 2013 that was invested in the growth of its submitters as writers and artists. Our desire from the very beginning was to not just say “yes” or “no” to submissions, but to provide detailed feedback for each submission and help each creator improve their craft. We put out a total of five magazines over five years, and each year was a journey of learning and editing with contributors, culminating in the celebration of finished volumes with their own unique heart and style.
Over time, our Embers staff grew eager to work with writers of longer works, and we officially launched Embers Igniting Editing in April of 2019. Our little magazine will always have a place in our hearts, but though our method has changed, our desire to help people improve their projects and grow in their craft will always remain the same.
We provide high-quality editing at an affordable price for writers who take their craft seriously but also have a desire to be fiscally responsible. If you’re a new writer wanting to receive coaching as you explore the world of storytelling or a seasoned writer looking to prepare your project for publication, we would love to hear from you.
No matter the length of your project—from flash fiction to full-length novels—our goal is to partner with writers through the editing process, protecting and strengthening their personal style while encouraging their growth as writers. We will come alongside our clients and explain the “why” of our proposed changes, rather than shouting only the “what” from above them. After all, real writers want to grow; we want to help them.
