About Next Leaf
Next Leaf began as an idea that there must be a better way to offer editing and design services than working inside a company. When owner Abigail Wiebe left her previous position in Portland, Oregon, to move back east, working in a publications department or for a publishing company looked like the only option for her expertise. She was frustrated, however, that only large companies could afford to hire her. Then, like many before her, she discovered the possibility of freelancing, and Next Leaf was born.
Our goal at Next Leaf has always been to help our clients achieve their goals while looking and sounding more professional and polished. We focus on two main areas: nonfiction books and small to mid-sized companies. Publishing and publications are changing rapidly for both groups. More authors are self-publishing than ever before — and more successfully — or working with smaller presses. Even the larger presses are outsourcing more and more of their work. Small and mid-size companies are also gaining access to these skills, which used to be restricted to their bigger competitors who could afford to employ publications departments. By outsourcing and employing specialists on an as-needed basis, these smaller businesses can now compete with those big names while maintaining their flexibility.
This is where Next Leaf comes in. We have a passion for the word on the printed (or electronic) page. Now we can use that drive and skill to help authors bring their work to the world. We can help companies do more and better work that they are passionate about. As far as we’re concerned, using our passion to help others achieve theirs is like striking gold.
Owner Abigail Wiebe
Abigail Wiebe (owner, editor, designer) graduated from the University of Virginia in 2006 with a degree in English and a minor in biology. After working in labs and fieldwork for years during and after college, she went on to combine the worlds of language and science by working in the publications department of an environmental consulting company in Portland, Oregon. Upon leaving that position to move back east, she began freelancing. She has been working in the publications and publishing field for over 15 years now and loves the variety of clients she gets to work with as a consultant. With each client and project, she learns something new. She lives in Charlottesville, Virginia, and looks forward to using her passion and expertise to help others for many years to come.