Founder & Editorial Director
Tia Ross
Tia founded WordWiser Ink and built the editorial standards every editor on this team works from—deep fluency in every major style manual, and a genre range spanning mainstream fiction, science fiction, historical, mystery, thriller/suspense, travel, business, and technology. Over more than two decades, she’s edited for Hachette Book Group, Avalon Travel, Moon Guides, Workman Publishing, Simon & Schuster, Adams Media, Penguin Random House, and several HarperCollins imprints, including HarperOne, Amistad, Muse, and Mariner.
Today Tia leads the firm’s editorial direction—reviewing and guiding the work across the entire team—and personally takes on a select number of manuscript clients each year. She’s also the author of So You Want to Be an Editor… But Can You Edit? , a guide for writers building their own editing careers.
Alongside editing, Tia consults in enterprise knowledge enablement, information architecture, and AI governance, a background she draws on directly as WordWiser Ink’s technical editing specialist.
Summa cum laude, Bachelor of Science in Information Science & Technology, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Associate of Applied Science (highest honors), Dallas College. Associate of Arts, University of Phoenix.
In Their Words
What clients say about working with Tia.
“Prolific, profound, prompt, professional and precise are just a few words I use to describe Tia. For over 26 years, Tia has been my go-to for her extraordinary writing and editing talents. She’s the teacher’s teacher when it comes to any and everything writing or editing.”
Rod Warner
“I hereby crown Tia Ross ‘Grammar Queen.’ Her copyediting expertise helped increase the pace and improve the flow of my novel, and her straight-to-the-point comments helped further enhance my manuscript.”
Yolanda Brooks
Industry Affiliations & Volunteer Activities
- Founder & Managing Director, Black Editors & Proofreaders Directory
- Board of Directors — Volunteer Liaison, Professional Editors Network
- Publications Committee, Editorial Freelancers Association
- Conference Planning Consultant, EFACON 2018–2023, Editorial Freelancers Association
- Co-Chairperson, EFACON 2018 Chicago
- Mentor, Professional Editors Network and The Young Writers Initiative
- Accountability Coach, Black Writers Collective
- Member, Independent Book Publishers Association and Women’s National Book Association
Tia in the Media
- “Journey of Words: From Teenage Editor to Thriving Entrepreneur” — Melio
- “Tia Ross Talks Editing, Diversity, Networking, and the Profession” — Outside the Book
- “Meet Tia Ross of WordWiser Ink and Boss Meetings & Events” — Voyage Dallas
- NaNoWriMo Interviews Tia Ross of Black Writers — NaNoWriMo
- “Tia Ross, Renaissance Woman” — JW Hill
- “Online and in the Flesh, Black Writers Commune With Kindred Spirits” — The New York Times
Beyond the Bio
Something people are surprised to learn
I’ve never had a cup of coffee or smoked anything—not even once.
Favorite bucket-list achievement
Starting a bachelor’s degree at age 50 and graduating summa cum laude from a Public Ivy while living in New Zealand, traveling to 18 countries, and proving it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.
Could give a 20-minute talk with no prep on
Personal credit building. I can happily talk for 20 minutes about reaching the 850+ club, optimizing credit, maximizing card rewards, and making your money work harder.
Favorite place you’ve ever traveled
That’s like asking me to choose a favorite child. It’s a dead heat between the Galápagos Islands, Colombia, and New Zealand.
Something I’m always learning
How people think, learn, and interact with information. Whether it’s AI, UX, knowledge architecture, editing, or business systems, I’m endlessly fascinated by making complex things easier to understand. Outside of that, gardening and home improvement now that I’m back stateside in my new home.
Favorite way to recharge
Curling up on my ridiculously comfortable couch in my hospitality room for an afternoon nap.
Personal motto
Never stop learning.
Meet the rest of the team.
Every editor at WordWiser Ink brings their own specialty to the table.
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