About the Author
Melissa Harris is the founder and CEO of M. Harris & Co., a Chicago-based marketing agency dedicated to making its clients unforgettable. A former journalist with 15 years at the Orlando Sentinel, Baltimore Sun, and Chicago Tribune, Harris spent her media career as a metro reporter and business columnist and was twice a finalist for the prestigious Livingston Award for Young Journalists for her work covering the Pritzker family and earthquake recovery in Haiti.
Since founding M. Harris & Co. in 2016, Harris has led the agency to win numerous marketing awards, including a Silver Anvil Award, an Anthem Award, a Viddy Award, and a Golden Trumpet Award. Her team, composed of top-tier creatives and former journalists, has worked on several award-winning campaigns, including those for Cards Against Humanity, earning distinctions such as the Clio Award and Reed Award.
In addition to her agency work, Harris is a co-owner of Mary & Melissa Productions, which is currently developing a podcast series in partnership with PRX.
She also serves as an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence at the university’s Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation.
Harris is the coauthor of Everybody Needs an Editor: The Essential Guide to Clear and Effective Writing, a witty and practical guide to transforming everyday communication—from emails and social media posts to website copy and holiday cards.
In this game-changing book, Harris and coauthor Jenn Bane teach the WTFF technique: Writing, Topping, Formatting, and Fixing. Through decades of experience in journalism and marketing, they offer tools to help readers become sharper writers, craft must-click subject lines, cut jargon, and write emails people actually want to read.
Harris frequently speaks at events and hosts writing workshops, covering topics such as effective storytelling in marketing, the art of persuasive writing, brand-building strategies, and the evolving relationship between media and public relations. She also draws from her journalism background to discuss the importance of credibility and authenticity in content, offering actionable advice to help brands connect more deeply with their audiences.
Harris holds an MBA from Booth and degrees from Johns Hopkins and Northwestern universities.
Raves and Reviews
Harris and Bane … present a concise and effective manual for improving writing in professional settings.”
—Publishers Weekly
To write something that makes someone do something … is a magic trick, turning black marks into fluttering thoughts, real emotions and actions. Everybody Needs an Editor can help you do that.”
—The Chicago Sun-Times
Tightly written. Every delightful page will make you a better writer.”
—Mignon Fogarty, New York Times bestseller and creator of the Grammar Girl podcast
Clear-eyed and razor-sharp, this book is a must-have for any writer aged 17 to 70.”
—Jonah Berger, Wharton Professor and Bestselling Author of Contagious
This book is about more than how to be a better writer at work. It’s about how to be a better human at work. It will stop you from making stupid mistakes that will get you fired.”
—Michael Muser, co-owner, two-Michelin-starred Ever, and host of the podcast, Amuzed: A Podcast for Geniuses
This book will make you a more confident and compelling communicator, and it might just make you a more successful boss, employee, teacher, student, or friend. Everybody Needs an Editor should be on everybody’s bookshelf.”
—Tim Franklin, Senior Associate Dean, Professor and John M. Mutz Chair in Local News at Medill
God I love this book. I’ve been teaching editing classes since the dawn of time. And one of the first things I teach my college students is how to write an email to a professor or boss. Writing professionally is such a valuable skill, and this book is the best tour guide.”
—Mike Reilley, journalism professor and author of The Journalist’s Toolbox and Data + Journalism
In the Media
“‘Everybody Needs an Editor’ always has been true, always will be”
September 8, 2024
“5 Tips for Sharpening Everyday Writing Skills”
September 5. 2024
“‘Everybody Needs an Editor’: Expert Tips to Instantly Improve Your Writing”
August 19, 2024
“The Next Big Idea Club’s September 2024 Must-Read Books”
July 2, 2024
“Everybody Needs an Editor: The Essential Guide to Clear and Effective Writing”
June 14, 2024
“Write right: ‘Everybody Needs an Editor’ transforms everyday communication”
June 12, 2024
