YOUR BOOK. YOUR AUTHORITY. YOUR LEGACY.
You don’t need to disappear into a cabin in the woods to write your book.
I help entrepreneurs take their ideas from someday to strategic, polished, and ready to make an impact.
Self-publishing a nonfiction book is one of the best ways to build credibility, attract premium clients, and create an evergreen asset that fuels your business long-term. But that doesn’t mean writing one is easy.
Heck, most people who dream of writing a book don’t even consider themselves writers.
Many entrepreneurs have invaluable insights to share but aren’t sure where to start — or how to turn their expertise into a book.
I help busy entrepreneurs refine their ideas, clarify their messages, and structure their book for maximum impact. Whether you’re still shaping your concept or already drafting, you don’t have to do it alone (and shouldn’t).
The first step? Creating a plan that makes writing your book realistic, strategic, and worth the effort.
Sage House Editorial exists to make sure your book is the best it can be so you can feel confident when you say, “I’m a published author, a leader in my industry, and my book changes lives.”
Ellen Polk
Founder, Nonfiction Book Editor, & Strategic Consultant
There’s always a moment when the editor thinks, This is it. This is the heart of the book. These words are going to create an immense impact on someone’s life.
Those are the moments I live for.
As a nonfiction book editor, publishing strategist, and former corporate project manager, I help entrepreneurs and industry leaders turn their expertise into high-ROI books that build credibility, expand influence, and serve as powerful business assets.
I’m a strategist, a sounding board, and a content architect. I combine editorial expertise with analytical thinking and creativity to help entrepreneurs craft books that are:
Strategically positioned to fit seamlessly into your brand and business.
Compelling with clarity, structure, and engaging storytelling.
Leverageable, so your book isn’t just words on a page — it’s a business asset that builds credibility, authority, and long-term visibility.
WHAT I KNOW TO BE TRUE
Every entrepreneur has a book in them.
Unfortunately, too many business owners, creatives, and thought leaders rush to publish something that doesn’t align with their business or, worse, doesn’t live up to their name. When you put your name on a book, it should be a strategic asset you’re proud to share for years to come.
Since 2017, I’ve worked with independent publishers and self-publishing programs, helping entrepreneurs and industry leaders refine their ideas, structure their manuscripts, and create books that connect, inform, and inspire. Because the right book doesn’t just share your ideas, it becomes your biggest lead source.
Here’s the long and (not so) short of it
I’ve always been obsessed with how words shape influence.
I didn’t always know I’d become a book editor. But looking back, it makes perfect sense. From devouring books to earning perfect scores on AP English exams to (briefly) dreaming of writing for the president to secretly offering editing services to my college classmates, the signs were there. But figuring out how to turn that passion into a career? That took some trial and error.
I tried the structured “real-world” path suggested by counselors and teachers alike, but after failing microeconomics and calculus (twice), I accepted my real strength wasn’t in numbers and stopped trying to fit a square peg into a round hole.
I gave in to the inevitable and earned a degree in English with a specialization in public and professional communication. For a moment there, I thought I would continue on to law school. I even completed an abbreviated master’s program and earned a Graduate Certificate in Public Health. But I was itching to put my skills to work.
Armed with a bachelor's and a master’s, I took my liberal arts skills straight into corporate, working as a project manager and process specialist in cybersecurity. While I was optimizing workflows and managing million-dollar projects, I realized that a lot of my work boiled down to helping incredibly smart leaders download their thoughts, ideas, frameworks, and experiences into assets that drove people to action and created change.
At the same time, I started my editing business as a side hustle that quickly became the most fulfilling work I’d ever done. What started as cleaning up manuscripts for anyone and everyone narrowed into the nonfiction niche, helping entrepreneurs shape books that establish authority, attract premium clients, and create long-term impact.
Eventually, I had to make a choice: climb the corporate ladder or go all in on my own business. When I found out my intern was being paid more than me (true story), the decision became obvious.
In 2022, I took Sage House Editorial full-time, and I’ve never looked back.
MY CORE BELIEFS
ABOVE ALL, DO NO HARM
INTEGRITY // SERVICE // EDUCATION // EMPATHY
Go beyond Grammarly and endless Google searches
SAGE HOUSE EDITORIAL MIGHT BE FOR YOU IF…
You have a book idea but aren’t sure how to shape it into something strategic, valuable, and worth writing.
You’re ready to position yourself as a go-to expert, but you need a clear plan to turn your insights into a book that works for your business.
You want to create an evergreen asset that extends your reach, builds credibility, and drives real business growth.
You know a book can help you scale beyond 1:1 work, but you need guidance to structure and position it effectively.
You want to craft a high-quality book that reflects your expertise — not a rushed, forgettable project (that you ultimately regret publishing).
You value honest, strategic feedback over sugar-coated niceties.
You’re committed to doing this right by hiring an expert to help you refine your ideas, build a strong foundation, and make the writing process more efficient.
The SparkNotes Version
BACKGROUND //
BA in English and MS in Public Health. Corporate experience in healthcare management, cybersecurity, tech and government services.
EXPERIENCE //
4+ years in corporate project management and 7+ years helping nonfiction authors self-publish books that transform lives and drive business growth.
STRENGTHS //
Strategic thinker, structure-obsessed, self-publishing specialist, and deeply invested in making your book a true business asset.
READING STYLE//
A mix of personal development, narrative nonfiction, and sci-fi duologies. Always floppy paperbacks.
RECENT BIZ INVESTMENT //
Noise-canceling headphones (because deep work requires deep focus and I have a lively toddler at home).
PERSONALITY TYPE //
INTJ, Enneagram 1, and 3/5 Generator — a.k.a. meticulous, big-picture thinker, and obsessed with refining ideas.
You’ve had the idea(s). Probably even jotted down notes, saved voice memos, or sketched an outline, but turning that into a book is where most entrepreneurs get stuck.
Partnering with an expert who can help you shape, structure, and streamline your process so you’re not wasting your time on Google (we both know you don’t have time for consuming free information).
Let’s turn the process into a clear, bite-sized process so you can move your book from “someday” to now.