Caroline Tolley

“Caroline Tolley was a pleasure to work with and she was particularly helpful in identifying two important weaknesses with my manuscript. Her advice and the rewrites that followed played a huge role in Déjà vu All Over Again winning a national award for romance fiction.”

—Larry Brill
Author Déjà vu All Over Again

International Book Publisher Association (IBPA) Benjamin Franklin Award program Gold Medal winner in the Romance Fiction category.

Pocket Books, Division of Simon & Schuster

Executive Editor

A long career at this top notch New York publisher involved extensive contact and interaction with literary agents and substantial negotiation work on multi-book and multi-faceted, contracts. I worked with New York Times bestselling authors as well as scouted new talent and lured potential authors from other publishing houses. Included were all aspects of editorial work starting with story development and ending with final pages;short and long term goals; career planning and scheduling; growth from paperback to hardcover.

Knowledge of and participation in publicity, sales, marketing, subsidiary rights, audio, promotion, distribution and art direction involved with all levels of book publishing.

Assisted Editorial Director in overseeing junior staff; ie. wrote performance reviews, attended staff meetings, oversaw projects, coordinated special projects. Multi-tasking and keen organization and time management were key components of a work day.

Contributed to development and launch of Sonnet Historial Romance line in 1999 to expand Pocket Books’ paperback program.

Worked with New York Times bestselling authors, including travel to sales meetings, tours.

Increased Hardcover acquisitions. Focused primarily on fiction, but some non-fiction experience at this level.

Avon Books, HarperCollins Publishers

Book Editor

Content editing and evaluations. Projects predominantly African-American women’s fiction, mysteries and historical romance.

Bookspan/Direct Brands, Division of Bertelsman

Reader/Evaluations

Provided written evaluations of contracted manuscripts from assorted publishers for Book Club editorial panel (Book-of-The-Month-Club, The Literary Guild, Mystery Book Club, Doubleday Book Club, Rhapsody Book Club). She wrote opinions and plotsummaries. Emphasis was on women’s fiction.

Doubleday Book and Music Clubs

Assistant Editor

Assisted editor-in-chief in evaluating manuscripts, completing reader reports, obtaining publishing rights and permissions.

Assisted with production of monthly mailing to Club members.

Books Edited

“You don’t get any better than Caroline. I researched many editors on line in my quest to take my writing to the next level. Everything that I read about Caroline, fit exactly what I was looking for. In the end, she exceeded my expectations in every way. I can’t speak highly enough about my experience. I have learned so much over the last year as she guided me through the process. I have rewritten chapters, developed stronger conflict, scrapped ideas that no longer worked, and learned that every line needs to be moving the plot forward. Most importantly, she forced me to think, rework the areas that were weak, and find solutions to make it better. She makes suggestions; however, she allows you to figure out how to get there. She is encouraging and kind, yet she will give it to you straight. I feel much more confident and hopeful with my manuscript now. Her words are pretty much embedded in my head, and even when I read for pleasure now…I find myself critiquing every word. Her wisdom and experience are a gift to anyone who has the opportunity to work with her. She pushes you to work hard, be diligent and thoughtful about every word you write, and take pride in your work.” Laura Pavlov

“I’m the author of three published novels, and can honestly say that I have not experienced ‘being edited’ until now. My developmental edit with Caroline helped me in so many ways, not only as regards nuts and bolts issues with my writing — which I was delighted to address — but also with helping me discover things about my characters that, while I had laid the groundwork for them, hadn’t yet come to light and needed to push of an outside perspective to help me tease them out, making for a richer reading experience. Caroline’s expertise at succinctly communicating plot development, pacing and focus issues allowed me to get out of the story’s way. That’s what a true edit does: as self-evident as it may sound, it makes the story better. My story’s the better for having worked with Caroline!” – Susan C

“Caroline edited my manuscript and helped me understand my own story. It’s so true that sometimes, we writers, get so close to our own characters and plots that we lose sight of the big picture. Caroline helped me to re-focus. She also had suggestions for revisions that clarified my intended meaning in pivotal passages. She provided instruction without being preachy. I’ve used other editors on previous projects. Now, I wish I had used Caroline instead.” – Michael M. Pacheco

“You don’t get any better than Caroline. I researched many editors on line in my quest to take my writing to the next level. Everything that I read about Caroline, fit exactly what I was looking for. In the end, she exceeded my expectations in every way. I can’t speak highly enough about my experience. I have learned so much over the last year as she guided me through the process. I have rewritten chapters, developed stronger conflict, scrapped ideas that no longer worked, and learned that every line needs to be moving the plot forward. Most importantly, she forced me to think, rework the areas that were weak, and find solutions to make it better. She makes suggestions; however, she allows you to figure out how to get there. She is encouraging and kind, yet she will give it to you straight. I feel much more confident and hopeful with my manuscript now. Her words are pretty much embedded in my head, and even when I read for pleasure now…I find myself critiquing every word. Her wisdom and experience are a gift to anyone who has the opportunity to work with her. She pushes you to work hard, be diligent and thoughtful about every word you write, and take pride in your work.” – Laura Pavlov

“I’m the author of three published novels, and can honestly say that I have not experienced ‘being edited’ until now. My developmental edit with Caroline helped me in so many ways, not only as regards nuts and bolts issues with my writing — which I was delighted to address — but also with helping me discover things about my characters that, while I had laid the groundwork for them, hadn’t yet come to light and needed to push of an outside perspective to help me tease them out, making for a richer reading experience. Caroline’s expertise at succinctly communicating plot development, pacing and focus issues allowed me to get out of the story’s way. That’s what a true edit does: as self-evident as it may sound, it makes the story better. My story’s the better for having worked with Caroline!” – Susan C

“I was a published author prior to finding Caroline. Working with her put me on the map and took my series to new heights. She identified gaps in story and timeline around characters and plot. All of her recommendations enhanced the foundation of the story. I won’t use anyone else for any of my projects. I highly recommend her!” -d.d.marx

With A Heart For Any Fate:
Hazels Memoir by Sharon Atkins”Caroline was very patient with helping me to understand how to improve my book. I am delighted I found her and can’t imagine completing this project without her excellent skills and guidance. I have highly recommended her to fellow writers.” – Sharon Atkins, Hazel’s Memoir

“For starters, I had no idea a network like this existed. It’s amazing what Google can find, and double amazing that it lead me to Caroline! Because I’m a first time author with limited finances, I vetted several editors before making my decision. Many of them offered similar ‘deluxe packages’ around the $1000 area, and although their less expensive prices were tempting, I didn’t want to let that completely dictate my decision. So I did my homework.

“GET THE SAMPLE EDIT! I cannot stress enough how important this is–and if an editor says ‘I don’t do those’ or ‘I’ll send you one AFTER you sign,’ just move along–because once you have their samples, you’ll see how work like Caroline’s stands above the rest. She immediately saw the potential in my book, as well as the necessary improvements, and she definitely called me out on where the story or character development was weak–which is what a great editor does! Also, the lines of communication were always open, whether by phone or email, and I never had to wait more than a day to get a response from her regarding a question about the work or the business aspect of our contract.

“After Caroline’s first pass of my novel, her constructive criticism left me no choice but to scrap an idea I thought was central to the plot. It took me several weeks to get back to her with a second draft–I’m too thorough for my own good–but I cannot tell you how much better the story turned out because of it. Not only did my characters have more ‘life,’ but my writing had also soared to a new level. This better read enabled Caroline to finish the second pass with amazing speed, and her knack for catching the little snags in what I thought was a perfect draft reinforced my decision to have entrusted her with my work.

“My turnaround for her was equally expedient, and within one to two weeks, she completed her third read and gave me the go ahead to start the query process for book agents. (The entire process lasted about six months, mainly because I took my time in the revision process.)

“Truth be told, I had my heart set on self-publishing, but after Caroline made me realize the value in my writing, I’ve decided to aim for a traditional publisher–go big or go home. That’s the approach you should take when considering her as your editor: ‘Go BIG or go home!’ PS: And yes, it really is true. You do get what you pay for.” – Fernando Rivera

“This lady is terrific. My manuscript was fairly clean (grammatically), but it needed radical restructuring. Caroline helped me identify what portions I should cut so as to speed up the pacing of my novel. She pinpointed problem areas (parts that left readers confused, bored, etc.), and she was very savvy re: the expectations of my genre (commercial fiction/chick lit). Ifyou’ve proofed your novel so many times that your eyes are crossing, Caroline can gently guide you to whatever THE PROBLEM is and help youmake changes. She’s also wonderful on stylistic/grammar edits. The total package.” – Kathy Cooperman

Wolfe Island
“As a first-time author, I was excited but nervous about the editing process. I wanted my editor – my first real reader – to enjoy the book, but not pull any punches about how I could improve it. Caroline’s no-nonsense professionalism was at once encouraging and instructive. She provided me with the three crucial types of feedback I needed: a critique of my writing style, a willingness to brainstorm with me at the story-level, and bird’s-eye-view recommendations based on her twenty years in the industry. I am working on my second manuscript and look forward to working with Caroline again.” – Giulia Torre

A Rogue’s Deadly Redemption
“Caroline was amazing to work with. From our first conversation, Caroline offered such an experienced eye and positive energy, I knew this would be a great fit. Throughout the process of developmental edits, she provided suggestions with actionable ways to make improvements, a sounding board for my brainstorming ideas and a great perspective on what my audience would need and expect from the story. Caroline’s detailed input helped me tighten the plot and create complex, human characters. I’m looking forward to working with her again on my next book!” – Jeanne Reusch

Roses Underneath
“Caroline is forthright and honest, and doesn’t beat around the bush when giving you feedback. For a writer this is a gift. After working with her, I have much more confidence in the quality/condition of my manuscript, even though I still have work to do. Caroline really understood the story of my novel, and pointed to where there were problems with plot and character. Then we discussed exactly how to fix them. I am so happy to have her in my corner and I look forward to working with her again.” – Canan Yetmen, author of Roses Underneath

“I was very lucky to choose Caroline as my editor. She is tenacious and professional and gave just the right amount of encouragement to make the editing process a successful one. I accepted the vast majority of her edits and great ideas for improving thin parts of the manuscript. I would use her again in a flash. Highly recommended, but not for the faint-hearted.” – PJ Skinner

Into Your Arms”
Working with Caroline is a sheer delight. She brings professionalism, enthusiasm, experience and insight to the editing process, and she gave my contemporary romance manuscript exactly the help it needed. Caroline was recommended to me by a historical romance writer, and in comparing our respective experiences, we were impressed by Caroline’s ability to work with writers in different genres and at different stages in their careers. I would work with her again without hesitation, and I recommend her wholeheartedly.” – Abigail Strom, Into Your Arms

“This was my first novel, and Caroline was very patient and clear with me during the editing process. She was a huge source of inspiration during the creative process, and my finished product is the result of the vision that she and I created together.” – Christopher A. DosSantos

“Caroline is wonderful to work with and is open to discussing points and ideas. I found her feedback and comments very helpful and I believe that my manuscript has really improved a lot under her guidance.”

“Caroline was professional yet personable. She delivered exactly what she said she would and when. She did a fantastic job and I learned a lot I wasn’t aware of, including procedures, genres, etc.”

“I hired Caroline to show me how to take my novels to the next level. Thanks to her recommendations on a particular manuscript, that story was then reviewed by a NY Times best-selling author who was so impressed she referred me to her agent. At that point I became agented and sold my first novel. There is no doubt in my mind that this was due to Caroline’s guidance, which advanced my skills.” – Tina Russo-Radcliffe

“Caroline was more than willing to work around my demanding schedule and educate me on the process of content editing without any note of condescension or impatience. I have a job that can call on me 24/7 for weeks at a time. Caroline understood that and worked around it. She was always willing to accept calls or e-mails and encouraged me to contact her more often.”

“I am a novice writer, and Caroline treated me with great respect. She was timely and really easy to work with. I appreciate all her feedback, and guidance she gave me on how to improve and drive my manuscript without pressure to change my work. I would love to work with her again!” – Stacey Kuhnz

“Caroline is a master at clear and constructive criticism that doesn’t sting while it honestly reveals what readers demand. I highly recommend her.” – Paul Markun

“Caroline’s attention to detail and candid comments improved my writing skills ten fold. She’s a seasoned veteran who knows technique in and out. Her ability to provide patient, thoughtful guidance and motivation kept me going through sticky times. I’m lucky to have her as an editor.”

“Caroline is superb at her job. I could not have asked for more in a consultant. Not only did she offer technical/content help, she is very approachable, answers emails quickly, and is very honest. Her directness about my work was handled in a manner that made me want to do better. I have asked Caroline to continue working with me already on the next phase of the project. Her intelligence and ability to see items in my work that needed to be addressed was beyond my expectations.”

“I am a novice writer, and Caroline treated me with great respect. She was timely and really easy to work with. I appreciate all her feedback, and guidance she gave me on how to improve and drive my manuscript without pressure to change my work. I would love to work with her again.” – Stacey

“Book evaluation and developmental editing: “Caroline is an amazing coach, teacher, and editor. I feel fortunate to have found her through your website. I hired her initially to evaluate the first half of my manuscript. She did an amazing job, and through her recommendations, the main characters and primary plot are finally coming to life. She has been extremely supportive and encouraging, especially on the days when I am frustrated with my writing. Thanks to her, I’m still in the game. I highly recommend her!” – Elizabeth Martin

“Caroline was very easy to work with and explained a lot of the concepts/techniques, plot development that is used. I found it helpful and useful in developing my skills as a writer. I was able to contact her when needed and we spoke about the storyline and possible changes/additions throughout the project. I would highly recommend her.” (Contact info on request)

“This was my first time working with a professional editor so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Caroline was responsive and easy to reach. Her comments were right-on and helped to move the story forward without intruding on its direction or the author’s voice. I would definitely recommend her to authors looking to take their work to the next level.” – Lynn Wood

“Caroline taught me a lot and helped make my story a much better read. She was timely, readily accessible and I found her to be very pleasant in dealing with her.” – Rob Nieder

“Caroline was exactly the editor I needed. Someone who could see all the little pieces that needed to connect to push my work into the next exciting level.”

book editor, The Spyglass Project”
As soon as I heard Caroline was editing free-lance, I scrambled to contact her with a request to edit my first book in a new series. Her extensive (and need I say ‘impressive’?) background and list of successful authors is proof she knows what she’s doing. She’s a dream to communicate with–fast and honest–and I always felt she was on my level. As a published author of 16 books, I was honored to have her in my camp.” – Pam Crooks, The Spyglass Project (Book One, Secret Six series)

“Caroline was very helpful and had great ideas about improving. She gave me the real scoop in a professional and sensitive manner though I have more work to do. It will be a better product in the end.” – Bill Sanders

“Caroline was very prompt and helpful re: the feedback on the manuscript, as well as on the submission letter. She is currently helping me find an agent, for which I am grateful.”

No Other Love
“I was in need of an experienced developmental editor to take my book to the next level. Caroline’s feedback was spot-on and exactly what I was looking for. I had originally planned on spending much less on an editor and was nervous about paying so much money, but what I got was worth the cost. She didn’t try to re-write anything, for which I was grateful, she just pointed out how I could get more out of my characters and scenes. I think my future writing projects will also be better because of this process.

As for the network, it was great. Fast, efficient, and it put me in touch with the right people. I got responses from two editors within the day and was able to chose the one who fit my needs best”. – Isobel Marin

“Mired in a thick plot, I sought Caroline’s assistance. Understanding what I wanted to accomplish, she skillfully guided me through a demanding revise. As a result of our partnership, I now have the novel I envisioned. Caroline has remarkable insight into character development and the intricacies of plotting. She simply knows story structure. Suggesting rather than insisting, available after the last page has left her hand, Caroline T. is a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend her services.” – Alex Austin

“My writing was winning and finaling in many, if not most, of the prestigious publishing industry contests (a partial list of my contest track record is available on my website www.tinaradcliffe.com) but I could not sell. I hired Caroline T. to show me how to take my novels to the next level. Thanks to her reccomendations on a particular manuscript, that story was then reviewed by a NY Times best-selling author who was so impressed she referred me to her agent. At that point I became agented and sold my first novel. There is no doubt in my mind that this was due to Caroline’s guidance, which advanced my skills.” – Tina Radcliffe

“This is the best money I have ever spent. Caroline is forthright and honest when giving feedback. After working with her, I have more confidence in the quality and condition of my manuscript, even though I still have work to do. Caroline really understood the story of my novel, pointed to exactly where there were problems with plot and character. Then we discussed exactly how to fix them. I am so happy to have her in my corner and I look forward to working with her again.”

“I hired Caroline T. to edit one of my first manuscripts, and cannot overstate the value of the service she provided. What I appreciated most about Caroline was she did not tell me what I wanted to hear, but what I needed to hear to mature as a writer. Her comments and suggestions strengthened not only the manuscript she edited, but those I have written since. In addition, Caroline did not simply hand my manuscript back with her comments, but continued to answer questions and provide valuable input months after the edited manuscript was returned to me. I highly recommend Caroline T. for any editorial project.” – Kirsten Arnold

“Caroline isn’t just affordable and professional, but someone within the industry who brought to the table everything I had hoped.” Alaura Shouse

“Caroline is the quintessential editor. Her ability to direct the focus of the story, cutting out what doesn’t fit, analysis, and logical construction are her marquis of success. I have written several historical romance novels with significant wins in RWA chapter contests, yet the ultimate goal of being published has remained elusive. Recommended by another author, I took the leap and secured Caroline’s services. With Caroline’s thorough edit of my manuscript, I received an ‘Ah-ha’ moment, seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. Under her direction, everything fell into place and made sense. In addition, her accommodating attitude, easy camaraderie and sense of humor make her a pleasure to work with. I cannot recognize Caroline enough for her fine skill in editing. With her high degree of professionalism, she’s a credit to the publishing world. Her genius is cultivating the talents of writers.” – Elizabeth Bysiek

“Caroline T. is an excellent editor whose professional evaluation and feedback not only improved the manuscript she edited, but also improved my writing and self-editing overall. She has a great talent for understanding the story and showing a writer how to bring out the best in any project. A first-class professional with industry knowledge. Highly recommended!” – MaryLee Woods

“Caroline is an exceptional editor. She is fast, wonderful to work with, and has an incredible talent for bringing out the best in a writer. She is adept at all sorts of writing. And like a great orchestra conductor, Caroline can help a writer see what needs more emphasis and where a character or plot
needs to be revised.” – Jill Shure

“For earlier versions of both of my novels (FOOD AND WORRY and SIX WORDS), I
benefited from Caroline’s critiquing and copy-editing. In addition, she was generous with advice and suggestions as I navigated my literary agent search. I wholeheartedly recommend her. Caroline helps writers to make book projects less scary, and most importantly, she has integrity, good intuition, and a sense of humor.” – Becky Wolsk

“Caroline T. is a seasoned editor who takes the care and time to evaluate the work. After I incorporated her suggested changes to my work, she re-read it at no extra cost to me. (If I could’ve checked four boxes above, I’d have also checked “good value.”) I consider Caroline’s input and suggestions invaluable!” – Ann Roth

“Caroline is a professional editor whose evaulation is geared to turn a manuscript into a best-sellng novel. She’s focused and easy to work with. If you want the best, contact Caroline. ” – Joyce Brennan

“Caroline gave me quick, professional, New-York level editing on a book I needed assessed to see if it was worthy of publication. Her feedback is invaluable and well worth the cost. While working in New York, she had a reputation at her publisher for being part of the reason so many writers became NYT bestsellers.” – Theresa Meyers

“I hired Caroline on two projects to see if I was going in the right direction. Her comments that I was as well as her input on what I might do differently, have made a significant impact not only in my writing but in my confidence as a writer. Too often people think they hire a book editor simply to fix things. I hired Caroline because of her background in the industry and I wanted to make sure my books were ready to submit. Fortunately, she said that was the case. Money well spent.” – Donnell Bell

“Caroline’s editing skills were first-rate. She was very professional in her critique and her comments were very helpful.” – Alan Behr

“A good editor is counselor, advocate, guide, parent, friend, and teacher. Caroline was my editor at Atria Books, a division of Pocket Books. With her determined guidance, I published three novels that were well-received, and of which I am still very proud. Writing isn’t done in a vacuum. Good writing is dependent upon the close relationship of an author with a professional editor. Caroline helped me to hone my writing skills – where I might have thought the story was being told well, she pointed out where it wasn’t. When I went off the rails, she set me back on track. When it was good, she was a cheerleader. Caroline held me to a high standard; and, in exchange, she shepherded my books through the publication process and out into the world. Any writer who is serious about his or her work would be lucky to have Caroline as an editor. She is professional, knowledgeable, and dedicated to working with writers to achieve their goals. I count myself incredibly blessed to have been one of Caroline’s authors.” – Susan Wilson, NY Times bestselling author of One Good Dog

“Caroline T. and I worked together as an author/editor team for a dozen years. She is, by far, the finest editorial partner I’ve ever had the good fortune to work with– a partner in the truest sense. Her commitment extends beyond the novels to the authors themselves. Her instincts about how to make the book the best it can be are dead-on, and her willingness and abilities to achieve that end (without making the author feel that the book is no longer his/her own) are amazing. She has experience in a broad range of genres, and she puts that experience to work whole-heartedly. There is no one I would more strongly recommend to you if you want to make your book the best it can be, and if you want the best chances of becoming published or further published!” – Andrea Kane, NY Times bestselling author

“Having Caroline as an editor was a pleasure, and I’m a better writer because of our work together. Caroline has the rare ability to get inside a writer’s vision, always with an eye toward improving the book. She’s straightforward, she listens and she loves books — all pluses in an editor!” – Carla Neggers, New York Times bestselling author

“I’m extremely grateful to have found your network, and Caroline exceeds my expectations. She’s been more than an editor, providing encouragement and constructive guidance for the continued development of my work.” – Lora Hilliard

“Caroline is a master at clear and constructive criticism that doesn’t sting while it honestly reveals what readers demand. I highly recommend her.” – Paul Markun