Sarah Anderson is a freelance editor and writer, experienced in fiction and nonfiction. Her work has been called outstanding, and she was solely responsible for editing the three most successful romances published by Banbury Books and distributed by Dell. Her recent nonfiction projects include A Loving Guide to These Shifting Times and Biography of A Time Traveler: the Man behind the 2012 Phenomenon. Recent fiction projects include The Apprentice and Sisters of War. Sarah is an acknowledged contributor to The Wisdom of The Enneagram, published by Bantam. She has self-published a relationships handbook, Relationships Made Easy: How to get along with all kinds of people, and has written articles on the psychology of personality.
Clients are particularly impressed by her ability to make their text sparkle while maintaining their voice. She is flexible, personable, and highly proficient. As one client noted,
Sarah is clearly a gifted, disciplined editor. It was obvious that she took great care to preserve my voice, and not to change meaning when structure needed adjusting. Her art is subtle – at first glance, I wondered what she'd done . . . but the changes added power, conviction, and flow to my thoughts. I am so glad I found my way to Sarah!
NONFICTION A Loving Guide to These Shifting Times, Alice Inoue, 2008 (line edit) Be Happy: It’s Your Choice, Alice Inoue, Fall of 2009 (line edit) Biography of a Time Traveler: The Man behind the 2012 Phenomenon, Stephanie South, Career/Press, New Page Books, Volume I Spring 2009 (line edit) Come to the Secret Garden, M.R. Muhaiyaddeen, The Fellowship Press (rewrite from transcripts of spontaneous oral translations) Conscious Communication: A Language of Connection, Miles Sherts (line edit) Conversations with Jerry and Other People I Thought Were Dead, I. Kendig, October 2009 (line edit) Finding the Way Home: A Journey of the Spirit, Locke Rush, PhD, Infinity Press (develop/structure/rewrite) God's Natural Wisdom Psychology, M.R. Muhaiyaddeen, publication pending (structure and rewrite from transcripts of spontaneous oral translations) The Golden Words of a Sufi Sheikh, M.R. Muhaiyaddeen, The Fellowship Press (rewrite from transcripts of spontaneous oral translations) The Handbook of Marriage & Marital Therapy, G.P. Sholevar, MD, Spectrum (proof) Illuminations: A Road Less Traveled, Christmas Miller (rewrite, content edit) It's Not Your Fault: The Destiny Program for Curing Post-Divorce Trauma, Raj Paode, Ph.D. (line edit/structure/rewrite) Managing the Mommy Years, Judy Myers (rewrite, content edit. restructure) Maps & Metaphors of the Human Heart: 1, 2, 3 – Mystery, Damian Vraniak, PhD (content edit) The Promise of Rolfing Children, Transformation News Network (write, rewrite) River of Diamonds: Spiritual Gems for Living, Isobel Aura, (line edit) RX: Radiant Love, Gil Burgstede, M.D., (content edit) Show Me Your Way, Howard A. Addison, Skylight Paths (acknowledged contributor) Sunology: A Guide to Source Connection (using Astrology’s Amazing Sabian Sun Symbols), Sharon Moore, Brightstar Small Press (line edit/rewrite) The Return: To Holding Hands Again, Edmond C. Hallberg, Ed.D, MFT (line edit) The True Marriage, L. Rush, PhD, Infinity Press (develop/structure/rewrite/write) Twelve Steps for Everyone, James McGovern (line edit) The Unabridged Edgar Allen Poe, Running Press (proof) Unicornis, Michael Green, Running Press (proof) The Windsor Style in America, 1730-1830, C. Santore, Running Press (copy edit) The Wisdom of the Enneagram, Don Riso and Russ Hudson, Bantam (acknowledged contributor) Womansong: Balance and Harmony in a Feminine Key, Gwen Suesse (line edit)
FICTION 7 Days From Darwin, John Buckland (line edit) The Apprentice, Jana Barkley (line edit) A Frozen Grave, Brian Frederiksen (line edit) Broken Promises, The Hopewell Saga, D. Campbell, Banbury/Dell (line edit/rewrite) Empire Builder, Westward Rails series, P. Rothweiler, Banbury/Dell (rewrite) Here I Go! April Beverly, short story, (line edit) Lumpy: A Baseball Fable, Tug McGraw, Running Press (copy edit) Margarita & The Master, Marina Osipova, (line edit) Parallels, Bob Gallawa, short story (line edit) Perhaps George's Ghost, Debbie Lee, short story (line edit) The Rogue, Kirsten Kelly (line edit) Silent Dreams, The Hopewell Saga, D. Campbell, Banbury/Dell (line edit/rewrite) Sisters of War, Kirsten Kelly (line edit) Splinters to Love, Lawrence R. Fisher, Pangean Sun (line edit) Squash Blossoms, Debbie Lee, short story (line edit) Troubled Empire, Westward Rails series, P. Rothweiler, Banbury/Dell (rewrite) A Woman of San Francisco, L. Erickson, Banbury/Dell (line edit) Without Wings, Derek E. Ladd, (line edit)
Feedback
AWARD-WINNING BOOKS
Sarah edited my 352-page manuscript, Conversations with Jerry and Other People I Thought Were Dead. It's won two national awards within thirty days of its April 2010 release, and its success is due in part to Sarah's skill as a finely-tuned wordsmith. A good editor makes a writer shine, and that's what Sarah certainly did for me! I am grateful to this award-winning editor for her contribution to the success of my book. I highly recommend Sarah.—Irene Kendig, Silver Medal, 2010 Independent Publisher Awards in Aging, Death & Dying. Finalist, 2010 National Indie Excellence Awards in New-Age Nonfiction.
Sarah is clearly a gifted, disciplined editor. It was obvious that she took great care to preserve my voice, and not to change meaning when structure needed adjusting. Her art is subtle – at first glance, I wondered what she'd done . . . but the changes added power, conviction, and flow to my thoughts. I am pleased to say that the publication of Womansong will soon be a reality. I am so glad I found my way to Sarah! —Gwen Suesse, Womansong. Winner, 2010 National Indie Excellence Award in Women's Issues. Bronze Medal, 2010 Independent Publisher Book Awards in Women's Issues.
There was an instant connection of trust after I spoke with Sarah, who instilled in me the security that my work was in the right hands, and so it came to be. Her work was impeccable, and her keen understanding of the ideas presented, which kept them true to their purpose, was sublime. Needing little intervention on my part, she masterfully sailed the waters of my ideas without disturbing the ocean of my revelations, crossing with perfect buoyancy all the way to the end. —Cyndarion, The AIniu: A Profound Story of Personal Power, Self-transformation, and Finding God. Finalist, 2011 National Indie Excellence Award in New-Age Fiction.
I just returned from Houston from a conference where I was announced a Finalist (second place) in a Romance Writers of America sponsored contest. I pitched two agents (who previously didn't pick up my submission from their slash piles) and both requested the manuscript. I am absolutely excited about it.
—Marina Osipova, Margarita and Her Master.
I will never do a book without Sarah! —Alice Inoue, Feng Shui Your Life, A Guide To Self-Empowerment And Environmental Balance, Winner, 2011 National Indie Excellence Award in Body, Mind, Spirit; Be Happy: It's Your Choice, Finalist, 2011 National Indie Excellence Award in Body, Mind, Spirit.
NONFICTION TESTIMONIALS
My manuscript grew from a pretty good book into a great book under Sarah’s guidance. Her knowledge and sensitivity to my subject matter made the changes profound and painless. I would highly recommend her expertise to any writer seeking to make their book better—Fredd Lenn, The Three Hearts of Consciousness: A Guide to Practical Spirituality
This is amazing. I read the clean copy first and thought,"Hey, there's no changes here," and then I read the copy with the track changes and WOW! I felt myself in your clean copy, and that is really what I wanted. Another editor did a sample and made it sound like my personality was gone. I felt it was cold and sterile and not "me." —Alice Inoue, A Loving Guide to These Shifting Times; Be Happy: It's Your Choice (both available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble)
It was a great pleasure to work with Sarah. I brought Sarah a labor of love and she reciprocated. Writing a biography is a very sensitive process and finding the right editor is crucial. Sarah displayed a rare combination of sensitivity to the subject matter with confidence and thorough professionalism. It is clear that she really cares about her work. I would recommend her services to anyone and I would love to work with her again! —Stephanie South, 2012: Biography of A Time Traveler (The Journey of Jose Arguelles), New Page Books, 2009
I’ve reviewed your edits and comments. You were so right on with your suggestions. I’m lucky to have found you to edit my book! Thanks again for all your help. —Karen deGrenier, The Spiritual Novice
Wow! Sarah Aschenbach was amazing! She managed to keep my both my personal stlye and my voice while immeasurably improving the quality of my work. She polished and restructured my manuscript beautifully. I feel very grateful to have found her.—Judy Myers, Managing the Mommy Years
Sarah Aschenbach is a brilliant editor, who spins her web of beautifully crafted words with an elegance and a natural instinct that sparkles with her own individual hallmark. I will always use her for my work.—Isobel Aura, River of Diamonds.
I am SO PLEASED with what you have done with the edits. I barely changed or was concerned about anything. —Christmas Miller, Illuminations: A Road Less Traveled, a modern day seer's journal of the human experience
Thank you for editing the appendix (concerning how boys are and are not maturing into men) for my book. I found your suggested changes very helpful in making the text much more clean and clear. —Damian Vraniak, Ph.D., Maps & Metaphors of the Human Heart: 1, 2, 3 - Mystery.
Thank you for the exc ellent job. Your edits have made a vast improvement in the manuscript. I was touched by your sincerity, dedication, and attention to detail. —Raj Paode, Ph.D., It's Not Your Fault: The Destiny Program for Curing Post-Divorce Trauma.
In writing a book about the search for truth and meaning in our lives, it is valuable, if not essential, to have as editor someone who is personally involved in that search. Sarah Aschenbach is a person who has been on that search for most of her life. Much of the richness of this book is due to Sarah's work. Certainly, the experiences and the knowledge gained are mine, but the manner in which these adventures of body and mind are presented is Sarah’s gift. Her own life has afforded her the experience and wisdom to sort carefully through the basket of stones I presented, find the gems, and clean and polish them befitting their value. My deepest thanks goes to her for her kind and wise editing and her unflagging support for this project. —Locke Rush, Ph.D., Finding the Way Home
FICTION TESTIMONIALS
Sarah is a wonderful, talented editor with a light, deft touch and open attitude. She is precise, thorough, and very professional. She also makes herself available to listen, to advise, and to answer questions with both warmth and authority. Working with her has been a splendid experience, and I look forward to doing so again. Thanks, Sarah!—Angela Abboud, Let Us Not Live in Ignorance
I have had the opportunity to read every word of my edited manuscript, and I adore it. I had it read out loud, and I think that is where it shines. The flow and dialogue are so natural now. It is everything I had wanted. My agent is thrilled. It just began its opening tour of publishers. —Kirsten Kelly, Halith.
Sarah Aschenbach is an insightful and intuitive editor. She masterfully tackled the unusual subject matter of my novel—falconry—and was an invaluable resource when it came to keeping the rich yet archaic language of the sport understandable in my manuscript. The chapter breaks she inserted work well. I was very happy to read the clean copy and feel like it was still my voice I was reading. I will not hesitate to use her services again in the future.—Jana Barkley, The Apprentice.
This is an eye-opening experience for me. I self-published my first two books without an editor and they're full of errors and rough spots. Thanks for being so great to work with. I have to say, I'm very impressed. The little notes are a terrific help. —Derek E. Ladd, Without Wings.
I have signed with an agent! I am so excited. Thank you again for all the work you've done. You did a darn good job and I know I wouldn't have gotten as far as I did without your assistance. Thank you soooooo, soooooo much! (I can't say it enough.) --Monica Bouvier, In Search of Mr. Wonderful.
I loved your copy edit and the clarity you gave to the two interweaving dialogues. You did a wonderful job. Thank you so much. —Joyce Johnson, Sir Goodnight Ethan
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