Amber K. Cox

The Short Story:

I have a BA and an MA in anthropology, and I completed all requirements towards a PhD except for my dissertation. I have taught at the undergraduate level, courses ranging from 30 to 120 students. I spent several years working in historic preservation at the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office and am a qualified architectural historian.

Formally trained in academic and professional writing, I’ve written fiction (unpublished) for over 25 years. After several years of beta reading and editing for free, I started my own business, Better Than an Editor LLC in January of 2023.

The Long Story:

Books and good stories have been a source of joy and comfort for me for as long as I can remember. I started writing short stories when I was nine years old and have since written a few novellas and one complete novel, Torsetu Arrival, the first book in a planned trilogy. I am currently unpublished and still considering whether I want to pursue traditional or self-publishing.

Growing up, I was always told I couldn’t “write” for a living, that it wasn’t lucrative. So, I decided to go into the field of anthropology (which, for the record, is also not what one would call “lucrative”). I completed all requirements towards a PhD in anthropology at the University of Missouri except for my dissertation. My funding and my research were halted in 2016 due to worldwide violence (specifically machete attacks against foreigners in Bangladesh, my research location). After 10 years of pursuing my dreams of fieldwork in Bangladesh, I was dead broke and rundown. When I was unexpectedly presented with full-time (with benefits) employment working in historic preservation, I dropped out of my PhD program and took the job.

I worked in historic preservation as a National Register of Historic Places and architectural survey specialist for the state of Missouri for several years. But my home state of Virginia beckoned me. I returned home to help with the caretaking of my elders and had two children of my own.

For years I read, reviewed, and edited novels for FREE. Then one day an author responded to my comments with a statement that I kept coming back to: “Your feedback was better than my editor’s!”

I realized my talents, built upon years of academic, professional, and personal learning, could be put to good use. However, I hesitated to move forward, fearful it would be a futile venture.

My toddlers dominate much of my current life, but they also inspire me. Just before my youngest was born, it occurred to me that I still wanted to pursue my initial dream of reading and writing for a living – the one I started with when I was nine. I want to show my children that dreams can be pursued and fulfilled.

Better Than an Editor LLC was created in January of 2023, five months before my second son was born.

I read across genres. My favorite genre to write is urban fantasy/sci fi.