Writers & Editors
The manuscript editors and proofreaders posted on this site specialize in numerous fiction genres and nonfiction topics.
Have your book professionally edited before submitting to a literary agent, publisher, or book printer.
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MICHAEL ANDERSON helps authors write and publish nonfiction books. He helps people with stories to tell create books that further their professional careers. To get your thoughts into print, he offers a full range of publishing services:
- Ghostwriting (from notes, partial manuscripts, & dialogues)
- Concept Development (from rough manuscripts)
- Manuscript Rewriting & Restructuring
- Technical Illustration (diagrams, charts, drawings, & graphics)
- Digital Photography Enhancement (Photoshop expert)
- Book Layout & Design (internal text and cover design)
- Print-On-Demand Publishing Guidance
- Book Promotion & Marketing Consulting
Michael has been a professional technical and business writer for over thirty years and has written over 200 book-length documents. In 2006, he published a book that explores forecasts for human science, spiritual culture, technology, media, economics, and governance. In 2008, he delivered a presentation on The Impact of Advanced Media Technology to the World Future Society conference in Washington, DC.
His educational background includes studies at Harvard University (Social Relations), Temple University (Technical Writing), and Villanova University (Computer Science), plus a wide array of seminars and continuing education courses in psychodynamics and spiritual psychology.
Read Michael's article: People DO Judge a Book by Its Cover: How Your Book Cover Design Represents You
Award-winning writer and editor H. L. BELL is committed to helping other writers make their work the best it can possibly be. Intimately familiar with the thrills and insecurities of the writing process, she empathizes and works especially well with other writers. Clients have praised her as an editor with an engaging manner, a meticulous attention to detail, and a consummate skill with language.
She has edited a broad range of acclaimed fiction and nonfiction titles, including Bonnie Jo Campbell’s American Salvage, finalist for the 2009 National Book Award in fiction. Her own fiction and book reviews have appeared in Jane, Salon, The Women’s Review of Books, and the Chicago Reader.
Services
- Manuscript evaluation
- Proofreading, copyediting, developmental editing
- Ghostwriting, rewriting
- Fiction: action/adventure, children’s/young adult, crime, historical, horror, literary, mystery, romance, science fiction/fantasy
- Nonfiction: alternative health, biography, education, film and television, how-to, memoir, parenting, self-help, medical, psychology, true crime, women’s studies
JEANNETTE BOUVIER can help your ideas soar, dazzle, and rise above the ordinary. She is passionate about language and concerned about its correct usage (to the point of mentally correcting the grammar on public signs!). She brings a multicultural background and approach to every project, offering diverse viewpoints and an expression encompassing many different perspectives. She holds two masters degrees and a doctorate, so brings a strong background in academia to bear on projects as well.
As a freelance writer and editor, she blends grammatical correctness with scintillating prose for projects as diverse as documentary and educational videos, articles and magazine columns, business plans, press releases, patent applications, technical documentation and business manuals, marketing collateral, Web site copy, brochures, advertising campaigns, and academic work. Edited fiction projects include mainstream, historical, mystery, romance, and speculative fiction manuscripts.
Whatever your project, she can help you express it with words that will make a difference.
- Business copywriting and editing
- Advertising, public relations, websites
- Technical writing and editing
- Fiction: historical fiction & nonfiction, mystery, romance, speculative fiction
Literary Contracts: Contracts Not Optional
How Long Does it Take to Write a Book?
Words and Writing: Fictional Genres
DEANNA H. BRADY is a highly versatile freelance writer and editor with more than two decades of experience. Known as an "editor's editor," she ghostwrites, rewrites, develops, and copyedits a wide range of material, including self-help/how-to books, novels (both literary and genre fiction), creative nonfiction, biographies/memoirs, proposals, cover and query letters, articles, essays, scripts, business communications, and Web content. She has written and edited marketing and advertising copy for Fortune 500 companies and is adept at editing ESL and translated text, as well as scientific/technical material. In addition, she specializes in projects concerning spirituality, ecology, Native American Indian culture, psychology, allopathic and complementary medicine, and health, and she particularly enjoys working with& fantasy, science fiction, historical, romance, adventure, mystery, and young adult literature.
Deanna spent more than a decade as a magazine editor. She also taught at California State University for a dozen years, has written several children's textbooks, and is an award-winning author of short fiction and poetry. Her many happy clients greatly appreciate her expertise, gentle guidance, and ability to preserve their individual voices and help make their manuscripts shine.
BETH BRUNO is a columnist, author, and book editor. Hundreds of her articles have been published in print and online, and her first book, Wild Tulips, came out in 2001 and went into a second printing in 2002. Beth's proximity to New York and her position as President of the CT Authors and Publishers Association give her unique access to literary agents and publishers in and around New York City. Several of the authors whose manuscripts she has edited have been published in the mainstream, thanks to her referrals on their behalf. Beth's editing interests are eclectic and include a delicious mix of fiction, nonfiction, young adult, and children's works.
- Developmental editing
- Writing assistance
- Fiction and nonfiction: adventure, children's books, contemporary, education, humor, memoir/biography, mystery, romance/women's fiction, historical, creative nonfiction, literary fiction
"I want to thank Beth for the spectacular job she did editing my book, which has just been published. When Beth first*** received the manuscript, she understood what was missing and recognized the changes needed to improve the flow, characterization, plot, etc., of my novel. She had a keen eye for small details. Beth was also always very available to discuss suggestions, and she quickly came up with alternatives to solve the problems we encountered along the way. She guided me through the particulars of my novel to the final polished product. The result: A published book." Oscar Medina
D.J. BRUNO works closely with authors to develop, liven, and perfect their books and articles. She provides manuscript critiques that offer extensive feedback on every aspect of a narrative, as well as ghostwriting, developmental editing, copy editing, proofreading, and marketing (proposal, query, and synopsis development and agent contact).
A fiction writer herself, she was an editorial assistant and reader at Ploughshares, had her fiction published in various literary magazines, taught literature and grammar, and edited a range of material from memoir to erotica, biography, short fiction, poetry, travel writing, personal essays, and literary and commercial fiction. She specializes in film and photography, food and wine, nutrition, travel, psychology, memoir, and literary fiction.
- Copyediting, proofreading, developmental editing
- Ghostwriting
- Manuscript critiques
- Mentoring and writing instruction
- Submission materials: book proposals, query letters, synopses, agent/publisher research
- Non-fiction: marketing & business communications travel, creative nonfiction, cookbooks, psychology, diet/nutrition, health, memoir, biography, self-help, alternative medicine
- Entertainment: photography, film, art
- Poetry and screenplays
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Read your manuscript and write or edit the materials required for submitting to agents and publishers, including proposals, queries, synopses, and bios.
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Research agents or publishers that are appropriate for your market, provide resources, and offer guidance.
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Research the legitimacy of agents or contacts you've already made. (Don't ever take for granted that anyone calling themselves an agent actually is one.)
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Prepare your manuscript for submission (i.e., format according to industry-standards).
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Review and critique the manuscript to determine if it's ready for submission.
Manuscript Submission Services:
Your initial contact with an agent or publisher is your first impression; therefore, it's crucial that you put your best foot forward when drafting a letter. What I can do . . .
"Thanks for your flexibility, great attitude, and hard work. It was a pleasure working with you on this project." - Sarah Yezzi, Senior Technical Editor, Prentice Hall
FAITH HICKMAN BRYNIE has two specialties:
- assistance to nonfiction book authors on works related to science, medicine, health, psychology, education, and related fields. Brynie provides substantive and developmental editing, rewriting, and ghostwriting of manuscripts and assistance with proposals and query letters.
- critiques of novels for fiction writers working in the genres of mystery; science fiction; action adventure/thriller; literary; contemporary/mainstream; detective/crime; horror; and children/juvenile/young adult. (No romances or fantasies, please.)
Brynie is the author of 25 nonfiction works. Her latest, Brain Sense (Amacom, 2009) explains the latest advancements in neuroscience for general audiences. She has won numerous awards for her juvenile and young adult nonfiction, including “Best of the Year” from the American Association for the Advancement of Science and “Best for Teens” from the International Reading Association.
She has a Ph.D. in science curriculum and instruction, and she is an experienced editor of science activity books, trade books for middle school and high school, and textbooks K-12. She has worked for major publishers as writer, substantive editor, developmental editor, copyeditor, and fact checker. She excels at communicating complex ideas clearly and simply. Over the last eight years, she has assisted more than 20 authors with preparation of their nonfiction proposals and development of their manuscripts. Several have gone on to achieve publication and commercial success.
Brynie loves fiction, and she has written three novels, all published by Geneses under a pseudonym. She has won several contests and awards for her short fiction, which has been published in such magazines as Thema, Alfred Hitchcock Mystery Magazine, Midnight Zoo, Aberrations, Over My Dead Body!, Haunts, and others. She critiques novel manuscripts, helping authors develop their characters, plot, dialogue, voice, and style. Over the last eight years, she has critiqued more than 30 novels. Her advice has led to publication and commercial success for several novelists.
- Nonfiction: assistance with the development of manuscripts, proposals, and queries; developmental/substantive editing; rewriting, ghostwriting
- Fiction: novel critiques: mystery; science fiction; literary; action adventure/thriller; contemporary/mainstream; detective/crime; horror; children/juvenile/young adult (no romances or fantasies, please)
Note: Faith is not taking submissions until March 1, 2012.
CARLY CANTOR is a publishing industry veteran who has worked in-house at a New York publisher as an acquisitions editor and is a two-time published author (history books). Most recently, she has worked as an independent consultant and project editor for Random House, Prentice Hall, and iUniverse. She also represents authors as an agent with a well-established NYC agency. Her extensive experience includes critiquing, organizational and development editing, and line editing of fiction and nonfiction projects. She is a meticulous hands on editor who “becomes one” with every project, paying close attention to both the big picture and the small details.
She has often worked with academics, psychologists, and medical doctors on high-level material in the social or life sciences and has helped them make their writing more accessible to a trade audience. One thrilled client, a doctor, said of her, “She is a consummate wordsmith, with the facility of not only understanding and integrating scientific and technical material but also illuminating arcane and otherwise opaque descriptions. She expertly shapes the structure of a presentation for better narrative flow, simplifying complex material to make it reader-friendly.”
Carly also edits fiction, with an understanding of the importance of subtlety and nuance. She approaches fiction with an appreciation for how the brain works and for the idea that a reader likes to pick up clues and figure some things out for himself rather than be told everything directly about how characters are thinking and feeling. One novelist client said, “I have been guided by a number of different editors throughout my career. Without any hesitation, I can say that [she] is the best editor I have ever worked with.
Services offered:
- Manuscript evaluation / critiquing
- Development editing
- Line-editing and writing assistance
Articles
“Carly was indispensable for the birth of my memoir. She helped me to not only tighten my writing but also improve the structure of the narrative to make it more thrilling. I found a very effective, inspirational guide in her ability to culturally translate my experience in Korea for American audiences.”
—Jid Lee, author of To Kill a Tiger (Overlook, 2009)
“My personal experience in working with Carly has been very rewarding. She has the grit to drill down into the material so that nothing is taken for granted. She also demonstrates an intuitive skill to help add an overarching structure to the work that helps expand its scope, further increasing the book’s accessibility to those audiences we wish to reach. Her persistence in getting the content to seamlessly flow from one technical subject to the next is a true gift.”
—John W. Cassidy, MD, author of Mindstorms: The Complete Guide for Families Living with Traumatic Brain Injury (Da Capo Press, 2009)
MICHAEL CARR has edited or copyedited 300+ fiction and nonfiction titles for major publishers and authors. Notable nonfiction authors include Bernard Goldberg (NY Times best-seller Arrogance), CNN anchor Lou Dobbs (Exporting America), Rev. Al Sharpton (Al on America), and CNN Crossfire host Tucker Carlson (Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites). Michael edits most fiction genres but specializes in literary and historical, crime/mystery, drama, fantasy, and science fiction.
Notable fiction authors include Brad Meltzer (#3 NY Times best-seller The Zero Game), NY Times Notable Book of the Year author Archer Mayor (The Surrogate Thief, Gatekeeper, The Second Mouse), crime grandmaster Donald Westlake (the Dortmunder series), and the fantasy master Michael Moorcock (The White Wolf’s Son).
Michael has also edited eight published volumes on world affairs and some twenty self-help books (medical, psychological, personal growth, and business) and has translated a dozen novels and other literary works from Spanish to English.
- Substantive editing, copyediting, rewriting, ghostwriting
- Fiction and nonfiction: literary, how-to, psychology, self-help, crime fiction, adult, young adult, drama, fantasy, sci-fi, true crime, international relations, current affairs, nature and science, military history, forensic science, travel
KATHRYN CLAPPER is a writer’s editor. She is passionate about partnering with both nonfiction and fiction authors to bring their ideas and stories alive. With 10 years of experience editing more than 300 titles and textbooks for major publishers such as National Geographic, Candlewick Press, Scholastic, Prentice Hall, Pearson Longman, and Blackwell-Wiley, Kathryn knows what it takes to convert an idea into a bound book. With every manuscript, she acts as an advocate of the reader while holding true to the author’s style. Her talents do not stop at developmental editing, however. As an eagle-eyed copyeditor and proofreader, she relentlessly perfects details while keeping the big picture in mind.
Kathryn is a certified English teacher with a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University (anthropology) and a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education (teaching and curriculum). Her areas of expertise include literary nonfiction, YA fiction, biography, general interest nonfiction, scholarly works, children’s nonfiction, and instructional content in the humanities and social sciences.
Kathryn offers the following services:
- Copyediting and proofreading
- Developmental editing
- Project management
- Nonfiction: literary, scholarly, children’s, textbooks, other instructional content, Web content
- Fiction: YA, mass market, literary, historical
- Manuscript critiques and writing assistance
“Thank you for a truly excellent job in editing my nonfiction book. Before retaining your services, I interviewed a number of editors for the job. All of them were highly credentialed editing professionals. However, I was looking for additional qualities in selecting my editor: intellectual integrity, sensitivity, encouragement, and someone that truly enjoys working with writers. I found these qualities and more in working with you. I also found an inspirational guide. You did an outstanding job!” Henry Dahut
"If I were to build my dream editor from scratch ... Kathryn Clapper. She's everything an author needs and wants: highly skilled, thorough, professional, dependable, kind, and cool under fire. With more than 70 books in print, I've worked with plenty of editors in my career, but very few are in Kathryn's class. I can always trust that in her capable hands my work will shine. She is, simply, the best!" - Trudi Strain Trueit, children's fiction and nonfiction author
"I worked with Kathryn Clapper on a book a while back and found her approach refreshing after a couple of not-so-wonderful experiences with other editors. Entirely professional, she was relaxed and friendly without losing focus on the job at hand, demanding of high standards without making either one of us crazy, and forthright about business matters without being cold. I would work with her again anytime. A thoroughly pleasant professional." - Stephen Peters, writer/storyteller
ROSANNE CORNBROOKS CATALANO specializes in children's and young adult books, fantasy novels, and Christian/inspirational manuscripts. Prompt and professional, Rosanne works well with any author's voice, providing clarity and punch while respecting the integrity of the work.
Rosanne's love of the written word began with her passion for books, but her knowledge of punctuation, grammar, diction and style comes from a lifetime of exceptional training. A poet herself, Rosanne understands the blood, sweat and tears that go into writing.
She gives each author's work the care it deserves, drawing on her diverse life experiences and knowledge in many fields like period clothing, genetics, all aspects of theater, Celtic legends, rustic camping, the martial arts, architecture and languages (Latin, French, Anglo-Saxon, Middle English, a little Welsh and Japanese).
Add that to the marketplace savvy she learned working in publishing houses, and you have an experienced editor who can polish a manuscript and get it past that crucial first reader!
Copyediting, developmental editing
- Children's/young adult
- Science fiction and fantasy
- Christian, inspirational
"I cannot say enough about how great working with you was. You read my work, could see my intent and did not try to comprise its integrity. Your willingness to not get in the way of the story and your professionalism helped make my book just as I had envisioned it! I would highly recommend you to anyone that has a special piece of work needing a special editor. Again, thanks!" --Cindy Pitta, Dream Catcher
ANNE CREAL is the author of eight published novels. Her books include contemporary and historical children’s, young adult, and adult literature.
Water at the Blue Earth, young adult historical fiction (Roberts Rinehart, 1998)
A Ceiling of Stars, middle grade contemporary fiction (American Girl, 1999)
Nowhere, Now Here, middle grade contemporary fiction (American Girl, 2000)
The Magic of Ordinary Days, adult historical fiction (Viking Penguin, 2001)
Under a Stand Still Moon, young adult historical fiction (Brown Barn Books, 2005)
Call Me the Canyon, young adult historical fiction (Brown Barn Books, 2006)
Nicki, contemporary middle grade fiction (American Girl, 2007)
Thanks to Nicki, contemporary middle grade fiction (American Girl, 2008)
She has seen one of her novels made into film (for Hallmark Hall of Fame Productions) and has won numerous literary awards. She believes that even in today’s tough publishing climate, it is still possible for new writers to enter the business and succeed. Second to writing her own novels, she loves to mentor others to help them achieve their goals. She knows firsthand how writers benefit from the help and support of others writers and/or editors.
Specialties
- Developmental editing, manuscript critiques/evaluations
- Fiction query letter writing/synopses
"Anne has provided expert level editing assistance to me in the writing of my manuscript. Her ideas and creativity have been invaluable to me." Kandi Hofmeister, author of the memoir, Held.
"Anne's insight and original input helped improve my novel and matched my expectations beautifully." Andrea Kolub, author of The Lady in the Cape.
Writing Historical Fiction that Sells
ESTHER DAVID-ROLANDis a writer and editor whose experience includes writing and editing in technical and non-technical subject areas. She has worked as a journalist, writer, and editor for more than 25 years and brings her many years of experience to each project. As a freelance copyeditor, Esther has worked with major publishers, businesses, and individuals, and has worked extensively with authors whose native language is not English.
- Rich Dad Poor Dad (Robert Kiyosaki), reissue, The Rich Dad Company (2011).
- Cashflow Quadrant (Robert Kiyosaki), reissue, The Rich Dad Company (2011).
- Unfair Advantage (Robert Kiyosaki), The Rich Dad Company (2011).
- Finding Peace after a Life of Sexual, Mental, and Physical Abuse (Tena Williams), forthcoming (2010). Client was the author.
- The Mystery of Predestination: According to Scripture, the Church, and St Thomas Aquinas (John Salza), TAN Books (2010).
- Victims and Perpetrators: Public Memory of Slavery in the South Atlantic (Ana Lucia Araujo), manuscript first draft (2010).
- Making It All Work: A Pocket Guide to Sustain Improvement and Anchor Change (John Roland Schultz), Praeger, forthcoming (2010).
- The Making of a Yoga Master: A Seeker's Transformation (The Yoga-Sutra Sequence Decoded) (Suhas Tambe), forthcoming (2010).
- Whose Little Girl Is This? (De Quien Es Esta Nina?) (Maria Flores-Sperling), 2009.
- Surreptitious Software (Collberg and Naga), 2009.
- The Project Manager's Guide to Making Successful Decisions (Powell and Buede), 2008.
- Memories from Bosnia (Nadzija Gajic-Sikiric, M.D.), 2008.
- Framework Design Guidelines, 2nd ed. (Cwalina and Abrams), 2008.
- Enterprise Master Data Management: An SOA Approach to Managing Core Information (Dreibelbis), 2008.
- Tracing the Economic Transformation of Turkey from the 1920s to EU Accession (Tevfik F. Nas), 2007.
- Incentive Pay Programs: Opportunities and Challenges (2007)
- Excellence at Work (2007)
- American Education, Democracy, and the Second World War (Dorn), 2007.
- Missing Data: A Gentle Introduction (Figueredo, McKnight, McKnight, and Sidani) , 2007.
- Domain Specific Development with Visual Studio DSL Tools (Cook, Jones, Kent, Wills), 2007.
- Federal Agents (Bumgarner), 2006.
- Commercializing Great Products with Design for Six Sigma (Perry and Bacon), 2006.
- Pattern Languages of Program Design 5 (Manolescu), 2006.
- ASP.NET 2.0 Illustrated (Homer and Sussman), 2006.
- Advanced Technologies in Biopharmaceutical Processing (Dutton and Scharer), 2006.
- Extrusion Detection: Security Monitoring for Internal Intrusions (Bejtlich), 2005.
- Core Security Patterns (Steel, Nagappan, and Lai), 2005.
- The Linux Enterprise Cluster (Kopper), 2005.
- The Feline Patient: Essentials of Diagnosis and Treatment, 3rd ed. (Norsworthy), 2005.
- Cisco Routers for the Desperate: Router Management, The Easy Way (Lucas), 2004.
Other projects include editing of:
- Journal articles
- Book proposals
- Memoirs
"Esther coached, edited, commented, and offered constructive suggestions. Her ideas and comments were more helpful than those I received from colleagues. " John R. Schultz, consultant, writer, retired professor
"Esther was great! She was very informative and clear as to the reasons for changes she suggested. Very bright and intuitive, it was a pleasure working with her and hope to do so again soon."
"I am completely satisfied with her work, and the extra effort she made to understand what I needed. It felt like she was around the corner in regards to how quickly she responded." —Maria Flores (substance abuse counselor)
"Esther was very involved and enthusiastic editing my book. It was a pleasure working with her." —Nadzija Gajic-Sikiric (retired surgeon)
"I was VERY pleased with the whole experience from start to finish! I will definitely use this service again. The copyediting was very constructive and helpful. It was very easy to ask questions and get in contact with my consultant. Esther turned a stressful situation into a fun one. Thanks again!!!!"
For 35 years KAREN DAVIS has produced award-winning writing and editing, prompting one of many loyal clients to call her his "secret weapon in attaining communications supremacy." She has repaired and revitalized 500+ fiction and nonfiction manuscripts for authors, publishers, and corporations in New York, Boston, Los Angeles, London, and throughout the world. Clients value her meticulousness, intelligence, honesty, reliability, creativity, and warmth.
Karen was the editor of choice for master crime writer John Gilmore (Severed: The True Story of the Black Dahlia Murder). Several encyclopedic works she edited won American Library Association Outstanding Reference Source Awards. Nonfiction clients have included Walt Disney Company, Penn State University, the State University of New York, Comic Relief, and March of Dimes.
Karen has world-class journalism credentials from London's Times and Regional Newspapers and has written hundreds of features and articles. Her book, Santa Anita Morning Rhapsody, was the first to document mornings at a thoroughbred racetrack. Lyricist and composer, she recorded a CD, Someone Loves, that airs internationally.
Her many areas of expertise include literary works, history and historical fiction, British language and culture, drama and screenplays, children and young adults, crime and mystery, nature and the environment, science fiction, fantasy, music, poetry, romance, and travel.
- Copy Editing & proofreading
- Technical editing
- Business, marketing, and advertising writing
- Screenplays
- Journalism and reporting
- Writing instruction
- Fiction: historical, mainstream, literary
- Nonfiction: history, creative, literary, business
"You are a magician with language. The ms. reads much better now, which is amazing because it had already been revised at least thirty times and professionally edited. I've learned a great deal from you and it's been a pleasure working with someone so pleasant, extremely talented, and knowledgeable.... Now I don't think I'd want my agent to see anything you haven't seen first! Thank you for doing such a marvelous job. Don't be surprised if you get some referrals. You're brilliant."— Linda Dennis Richmond, author
ALICE DAY has been an editor since 1988. After earning a graduate degree in creative writing at Brown University, she has worked at the book publishers Henry Holt and Company and Carroll & Graf Publishers. Writer Don Smith, whose awards include 19 regional Emmys, said of Alice Day, "She's the kind of editor every writer should be so lucky to have." Alice Day is an award-winning writer with four collections of poetry and a novel that have been published by nationally-recognized publishing houses. Kathleen Wakefield, whose novella won the 2008 Cleveland State University novella contest, said "that [Alice] has been an editor at a major New York publishing house gives her insight into that complicated world; that she is a poet, I believe, gives her the sensitivity to find the beauty of a writer's individual work." Alice Day has the skill and experience to focus on a writer's vision and help the writer realize it. She's a hands-on editor who's not afraid to cut words and offer insights. And she has a poet's sensitivity to language.
Fiction editing specialist
Fiction editor for numerous award-winning authors--Pulitzer Prize, National Book Critics Circle Award, and the PEN/Faulkner Award--and first-time novelists.
She does detailed manuscript evaluations, as well as developmental/substantive editing, and is also a skilled copy editor.Her fiction specialties include short stories, novellas, literary fiction, historical fiction, commercial fiction, women's fiction, chick lit, thrillers, mysteries, and detective/crime novels.
"After researching many, many book editors, I chose Alice because
I was impressed with her extensive list of accomplishments, both as an editor
with top publishing houses and as a poet and author in her own right. [That
she] actually managed to exceed my (already sky-high) expectations was quite
a feat! She took a manuscript that had completely gone off the rails in terms
of pacing and focus, and put it squarely back on track – somehow she was
able to see through all the extraneous, meandering subplots and envision the
work as it was meant to be. As my editor, Alice not only extracted (read: rescued)
the core story from its runaway cast of supporting characters and sub motifs,
but went on to cultivate the roots of that core story until it transformed into
a road map of the simply but poignantly plotted, character-driven literary novel
I had sat down to write more than two years before. In addition to several such
fundamental plot fixes, Alice also provided a meticulous list, complete with
page numbers, of every chronological inconsistency, every mix-up of a character’s
name or background, and every oversight in which I had unintentionally and prematurely
revealed plot twists and other information to the reader. I was blown away by
how thoroughly she knew every detail of each and every character and minor event
of the novel inside out, in just two weeks – in this way too, she had
become more versed in my own novel than I was at that time. Throughout the editing
process, Alice was very generous and patient with me in answering my millions
of questions about her invaluable feedback and suggestions. I feel confident
that I’ll not only be able to rewrite the novel in accordance with the
new, cogent outline Alice helped me create, but also, to use this restructuring
to push the narrative, and the writing, to its fullest literary potential."
- - Carrie Wharton-Hanford, first-time novelist
"As a novice, writing my first novel, I was amazed by Alice's ability
to visualize my entire novel and make succinct comments that were specific to
a particular sentence while referring to the structure and narrative of the
entire work."
--Erik R. Brown, first-time novelist
"Alice is very professional, knows writing, knows the business. I hope she’s available for my next project. I not only received a professional editing of my piece, but peace of mind as well."” - Barbara Wade
"Alice Day is a clever, intelligent, thoughtful, and thorough editor.
She is nurturing yet highly professional, with keen eyes and ears. She hones
in on the heart and matter and delivers the goods…a goldmine for any
writer."
--Taylor Barton, author of Hotheaded Saints and lyricist
"Alice Day is a joy to work with and someone I recommend most highly
to other writers. She is a skillful, sensitive editor with excellent judgment
and tremendous respect for an author's voice. Whether she's commenting on the
overall arc of a story or zeroing in on a specific phrase or line of dialogue,
her comments are always insightful and instructive."
--Amanda Filipacchi, author of Nude Men and Vapor
Before STACEY DONOVAN became a professional editor more than 20 years ago, she worked in a literary agency where she learned how to say no more often than yes, and include reasons why. A stint in advertising followed, teaching her to tell it short and sweet, meet deadlines, and most important: never give up.
Donovan is a six-time published book author of both fiction and non-fiction. She has edited or ghostwritten more than a dozen published books for her clients. Two became New York Times Bestsellers, and another nominated for Best First Novel by International Thriller Writers. She is experienced in many genres: Contemporary/Mainstream; Caper/Detective; Erotica; Gay/Lesbian; Literary Fiction; Mystery; Psychological Thriller; Suspense; Women's Fiction; Young Adult; Memoir/Autobiography; Creative Nonfiction.
Specialties
- Detailed critique/evaluation of your manuscript
- Developmental/structural/stylistic edit of your manuscript
- Complete revision of your manuscript
- Collaborate with you in a mentoring capacity as you edit your manuscript
- Collaborate with you on a query and/or synopsis when the manuscript is ready for publication
- Determine with you which literary agent would be suitable for representation
- Determine with you whether to pursue mainstream, small, or self-publishing
- Consultation on your initial and/or ongoing Social Media strategy
Donovan is a writing coach, mentor, collaborator and ghostwriter. She has published dozens of non-fiction articles on design and art, and specialized in celebrity interviews with experts in their field. She is also a Publishing and Social Media strategist.
JOAN DUNAYER has been a professional editor for more than two decades. She has edited research papers, dissertations, journal articles, magazine articles, and books on a wide range of topics, including psychology, language, literature, education, politics, and medicine.
THESIS AND DISSERTATION EDITOR
APA FORMAT EXPERT
A graduate of Princeton University, Joan has master’s degrees in psychology, English education, and English literature. She has taught writing to high school, college, and university students. At the University of Pennsylvania, Joan taught classes on preparing psychology reports in APA format. In addition to being an expert in APA style, Joan is thoroughly familiar with Chicago and MLA styles.
Joan also has written professionally. Her articles and essays have appeared in magazines, journals, textbooks, and anthologies. Most of her writing has focused on literature, language, psychology, philosophy, and politics. For example, she has written the commentaries for new editions of twenty-one literary classics.
"My committee chair suggested that I have my dissertation professionally reviewed to insure that its formatting complied with the latest version of APA standards. Luckily I found Joan Dunayer. She was easy to work with, provided quick turn-around, realistic pricing, and suggestions that made my dissertation stronger. Her work made me confident that my dissertation would not be held up by the university’s APA police . . . And it wasn’t! I am pleased to say that I have now completed my doctoral journey." -- Edward Lisi, Northcentral University
"Joan has been very helpful with clarifying concepts throughout the whole chapters that she worked with me. She always made sharp comments which helped me to re-shape my thoughts and writings. Joan attended my request on specific things, and helped to make the whole documents in better shape. She was never late with giving me feedback. She is the best editor that I have ever worked with, and I am truthfully recommending her." -- (Contact information on request)
"Joan was excellent. She replied very quickly to my emails, and she was extremely helpful. Her knowledge and experience were invaluable to me. I think I received a wonderful value for the cost of the service. I would recommend her to anyone without reservation. Her honesty was helpful as well as her insight. I would have loved to have her as my graduate advisor." —Scott Carey
"Joan is an outstanding editor. She is timely, sincere, and honest with the work she provides. Before contacting Joan, I was frustrated and felt as if I was not going to meet my deadline for my proposal. Now, thanks to her professional consultation, my proposal is definitely on the right track."
"A fair price for high-quality work. I would highly recommend her to others seeking assistance for their dissertations. Thank you so much. Money well spent!")
"Joan did a very thorough review of my dissertation. Her expertise in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure, and most importantly APA formatting was invaluable to me. I would definitely use Joan again."
"Joan’s assistance with my dissertation proposal exceeded my expectations, and went beyond the reason for which I had originally contracted her services. Her comments and suggestions were on-target, insightful, and helped me to craft an even better document that was tighter, smoother, and more acceptable to my academic review board. I intend to ask for her services again prior to my dissertation submission."
"Joan did a very thorough review of my dissertation. Her expertise in grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and, most importantly, APA formatting was invaluable to me. I would definitely use Joan again."
“I consider myself a skilled writer, but I admit that after this experience I realize I have much to learn. I have never had my writing so effectively edited. Joan’s suggestions and revisions were masterfully crafted to retain and enhance the meaning of my writing. I will certainly ask Joan to help me craft future projects. I feel very fortunate to have found her.” —W.B. Elder, University of Utah
MARLO GARNER is an editor, children's author, and illustrator. She has been editing children's books and teaching writing for children since the late 1990s. She is on faculty at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Continuing Education and teaches ‘Writing for Children's Books.’ Her first book for children Let's Visit Space was recently released in 2007 by Macmillan McGraw-Hill, and her second Author at Work, Dr Seuss is forthcoming. Marlo’s middle grade chapter book Ginny Giles series, is due for release mid 2009 from Clean Slate Press. She is currently writing a YA novel, a middle grade fantasy, and innumerable picture book texts (which spring forth at the most inopportune times). Marlo is a member of the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) and the Guild of Natural Science Illustrators (GNSI).
Marlo believes in not only editing the work of her clients, but in teaching them to become better writers, equipping them with knowledge they will need as they continue on their journey, while keeping the integrity and unique voice of each author’s work. Marlo is passionate about all sub-genres of children's books and finds it almost impossible to choose which she prefers editing, reading, or writing. She will happily tackle texts in rhyming verse and is a wizard with a rhyming dictionary and her mental metronome.
She provides:
- Copyediting & proofreading
- Developmental/substantive editing
- Cover letters, query letters (free with contracted service)
- Correct formatting & understanding the submission process
- Critiques, writing instruction & mentorship
- Children's books: picture books, poetry, magazine submissions, chapter books, young adult, children's non-fiction.
- Literary fiction, crime, fantasy
- Illustration, illustration critiques and advice for aspiring illustrators.
"Marlo ... is a far greater editor than any I have ever worked with. She did far more than simply read and comment upon my text, as others have done. Marlo worked with me extensively to develop my characters and plot into something of incredible beauty and fluidity. She dedicated her time to my novel, often working late into evening and in the early hours of morning to complete her task. Marlo took my book beyond the extraordinary. She has an instinct and passion for the fine and poignant; a talent for enriching even the most ordinary of text. She breathed new life into every word, every line, every striking sentence!" Michelle Izmaylov
VALRIE (VAL) GERARD, MA, PhD in Biology
Val serves as advisor/mentor to graduate students; teaches scientific writing courses;
and edits scientific, biology, ecology, and and medical research papers.
- Science and medical editor and writer since 2001. Editing, copyediting, and writing of manuscripts, books, dissertations, grant proposals, etc. Topics range from ecology to epidemiology, from biochemistry to biomechanics, from environmental policy to paleontology, from natural products to swine nutrition. Focuses on organization, interpretation, and clear presentation of complex information.
- Past clients include professionals and students from Australia, China, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Thailand, Uganda, Venezuela, even the U.S.! Goals are successful completion of specific writing project, and helping clients improve their own writing skills for future projects.
- Val’s own work includes more than fifty publications in ecology, botany, zoology, physiology, biochemistry, and mathematical modeling (see her publication list), and one million dollars worth of successful grant proposals.
- Over thirty years of teaching experience, including scientific writing courses. Served as advisor and/or mentor to many graduate and undergraduate students.
- Past experience as associate editor, editorial board member, and/or reviewer for over two dozen scientific journals, including Science, and government funding agencies.
------------------------------ Writing and editing: life sciences
- Grant writing
SHERRY GERSHON has performed developmental and intensive line-editing for over 250 books, primarily novels by new authors, and she contributed the chapter entitled "The Book Doctor is In: The Seven Most Common First Novel Problems and How to Avoid Them" in THE PORTABLE WRITERS' CONFERENCE (Quill Driver 2007).
A former bookstore owner, Sherry knows what sells: Her own books have been published by Forge/Tor, Viking and Warner; her first book was nominated for the PEN West USA Literary Award for Nonfiction, and her first novel was aired as a TV movie. Some of her editing clients have subsequently sold their books to major publishers, including Knopf, Harper-Collins, Berkley-Putnam, St. Martin's Press, Greenleaf Book Group Press, and Jossey-Bass.
She particularly enjoys working on mysteries, thrillers, adventure novels, and speculative fiction/science fiction, but has also had experience with young adult novels (two YA novels she edited were published by Knopf), memoirs, and both contemporary and historical fiction (including an historical published by St. Martin’s Press).
“THE BLOODIEST QUEEN will be my thirty-third published book; I've grown lazy and jaded and had thought there was little anyone could teach me, but I wound up being blown away by Sherry’s editorial acumen. She understood all the nuances of the scene in question better than I did — and pointed out exactly what wasn't working, and why. She then gave me a suggestion which was nothing short of brilliant in terms of making the whole thing work beautifully.
Trust me, Sherry is an honest, top-notch professional editor. Whether you're an aspiring writer or an established professional, if you're writing a novel and could use some help, please consider Sherry.” — Jeanne Kalogridis
“Sherry worked with me on my manuscript for my novel Glint, published by St. Martin's Press. I do not hesitate to say that without her help and suggestions, I might still be trying to figure out what I should be doing. In other words, her editing accelerated my learning curve by at least a year, if not more. I don't know how to put a value on it, except to call it immeasurable. I am grateful for having had the opportunity to work with her and I hope to work with her again in the future.” — Joseph Valentinetti
The Seven Most Common Novel Problems and How to Avoid Them
ANNE GREENBERG was an in-house editor of children's books for 16 years at Simon & Schuster/Pocket Books, specializing in fiction for readers 5–8 (but not picture books), 8–12, and young adult. Now she is a full-time freelance, doing developmental editing, editing, and copyediting of adult fiction and nonfiction, in addition to children's books. Known for her thorough yet sensitive work, at Pocket/S&S she edited more than 550 books (including all-new Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys titles) and worked with more than 40 writers, including first-time authors. Honors for her list include The Queen of Everything by Deb Caletti, a teen novel that garnered two starred reviews and the cover of the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books; Why Do They Hate Me?, a nonfiction compilation that was named a VOYA Nonfiction Honor Book; and Violet Eyes by Nicole Luiken, a teen science fiction novel that was a YALSA Quick Pick nominee. As a freelance she has edited Walking the Line by Mike Lude with Bill Knight (sports autobiography), Sniper Shot by Barry Ozeroff (adult thriller), Spider Riders: The Shards of the Oracle by Tedd Anasti and Patsy Cameron-Anasti with Stephen D. Sullivan (children's sf), and Defender: Hyperswarm by Tim Waggoner (sf).
Copyedited works include Winning by Jack Welch with Suzy Welch (business); Shine by Star Jones Reynolds; The Last Night of the Yankee Dynasty by Buster Olney (sports); Arthritis by John D. Clough, MD; One Stroke, Two Survivors by Bernice Kleiman with Herb Kleiman (health); The Van Gogh Conspiracy by J. Madison Davis (thriller); The Rare and the Beautiful by Cressida Connolly (biography); and Running Money: Hedge Fund Honchos, Monster Markets and My Hunt for the Big Score by Andy Kessler (business).
- Developmental/substantive editing, manuscript evaluation, copyediting.
- Young adult fiction; children’s fiction (chapter books and middle grade but not picture books); adult trade fiction and nonfiction, including self-help, how-to, diet and nutrition.
- Book list: childrens and young adult titles
TIM GRUNDMANN, is an author, playwright and TV scriptwriter and story editor with 25 years of experience. His books in the Doug Chronicles series are published by Disney Press. He was part of the creative team behind Pee-wee's Playhouse on CBS (for which he wrote the show "bible"), and developed the HBO comedy Norman's Corner with Seinfeld creator Larry David. As head writer and story editor for the Disney Channel's New Mickey Mouse Club and Nickelodeon's Doug, he guided scripts from concept to final draft. He's written episodes of Allegra's Window and Welcome, Freshmen for Nickelodeon, and was developmental writer for Mowgli and His Friends and WaysideSchool for the Disney Channel and ABC-TV. As house writer for Broadcast Arts in NYC, he wrote scripts, proposals, treatments and show bibles for TV shows starring Gilbert Gottfried, Madeline Kahn and others. Recently he wrote scripts for the PC game My Scene Goes Hollywood for Vivendi Universal Games.
BOOKS
Doug Chronicles: Lost in Space
The Funnie Haunted House
Winter Games
3 chapter books for kids (ages 7-12), published by Disney Press, 1998-2000.
WRITER-EDITOR
Pee-wee’s Playhouse - CBS Television. Wrote show bible, proposal, developed show with Paul Rubens and Broadcast Arts for CBS. 1985-86.
Norman's Corner, a Cinemax Comedy Special with Gilbert Gottfried, co-written with Larry David. 1987. Story Editor and writer. “Developed by” credit.
(The New) Mickey Mouse Club - for Disney Channel (Blue Wave Prods). Head writer, (1991-92). Duties included managing writing staff and scripts from concept to final drafts, as well as writing comedy sketches and interstitial material for a daily show. Also for "Mickey Mouse Club": writer for pilot (1988), 4 seasons as staff writer, 1989-91. Also wrote songs (music and lyrics) for several episodes.
Doug - cartoon series for Nickelodeon (Jumbo Pictures). Story Editor for 2nd Season (1991-92). Duties included managing writers, as well as working with executive producer and Nickelodeon story editor throughout the script-writing process from concept to outline to final draft. Wrote the episodes “Doug’s Secret Song” and “Doug’s Big News”.
Marx Madness - animated TV series for Gaumont (French TV) based on the Marx Brothers, co-produced and wrote development material, show bible; 1998-98.
The Misfits: animated feature for Good Times Video and Pop Inc. Prods., sequel to “Rudolph”; co-produced and wrote development material, show bible; 1999.
How My Body Works - writer for pilot segments for Reader's Digest CD-Rom, Aug. 1995.
How To Show Grown-ups the Museum - writer, for Roberts/Strong Prods. Educational video promotional script, Dec-Jan, 1995.
The Wheels on the Bus - for Good Times Video. CD-ROM for kids. Writer for 2 stories, June-Oct 1994.
My Scene Goes Hollywood – PC Game for Vivendi Universal. Script writer, 2005
Allegra's Window - for Nickelodeon. Writer for "I've Got a Secret" episode. May 1994.
Welcome Freshmen - for Nickelodeon. Head writer for five episodes, wrote two, 4th season (July-October 1993). Duties included managing staff writers, editing and rewriting scripts.
Greetings from Gilbert - HBO Video with Gilbert Gottfried featuring “Norman’s Corner” (writer). 1988.
Staff writer at Broadcast Arts, 1985-88, wrote proposals, bibles, scripts and developed several shows, among them: “Pee-wee's Playhouse” (wrote proposal, bible, developed show), "Norman's Corner", a Cinemax Comedy Special with Gilbert Gottfried, “Wayside School" for ABC (proposal, bible, draft), Mowgli and His Friends for unproduced Disney Channel series based on "Jungle Book".
SEGMENT PRODUCER
fX network (Fox cable channel - March ‘95-April ‘97). Duties included writing and producing 42 light and informative 50-second “channel hosting” hits per week for on-air talent. Content varied from background info on fX acquired programs, to promos.
NEWS PRODUCER
fX network from March ‘95-to March ‘96. Duties included checking news copy and supervising 8 live one-minute news breaks per day.
TINA HARDY is a professional copy editor and proofreader who specializes in the editing of scholarly works, specifically academic and student documents. Many of her clients are authors whose first language is not English.
She has edited hundreds of academic titles and has been involved with dozens of scholarly journals, primarily in the fields of psychology, scientific measurement, and communication.
Tina has been repeatedly recognized for her ability to grasp complex concepts and for expertly balancing between reader comprehension and instruction. She is an expert in Chicago and APA formatting.
* Copyediting, line editing, and proofreading (nonfiction)
* Specialties: scholarly/academic manuscripts, education, psychology, communication, and scientific measurement
* Website copyediting and proofreading
* ESL editing
* Developmental editing (nonfiction)
* Formatting: Chicago Manual of Style, APA 5th and 6th editions
If you are writing a scholarly article, academic essay, thesis, dissertation, or research paper, Tina will ensure that your grammar, spelling, punctuation, tense, and so forth, are 100% correct.
She will review your document and ensure total compliance with your style of choice, using her extensive expertise in Chicago or APA style as her guide. She will work to mold your document into the appropriate form, ensuring items such as headings, abbreviations, technical terms, citations, references, and so forth, all conform to the appropriate style.
She will work with you to ensure that your word choice and word form flow naturally, so that each sentence builds on the next to advance your argument in a logical, consistent, and cohesive manner, all while keeping your natural voice intact.
This will result in a document that is precise, exact, and
flawless in its message and presentation.
Recent books Tina has edited include the following:
- Collaborate, Communicate, and Differentiate! (Wendy W. Murawski and Sally Spencer), SAGE, forthcoming (2011).
- Homelessness Comes to School (Joseph Murphy and Kerri Tobin), SAGE, forthcoming (2011).
- Making ALL Kids Smarter: Strategies That Help All Students Reach Their Highest Potential (John DeLandtsheer), SAGE, 2011.
- Social Problems: Community, Policy, and Social Action (Anna Leon-Guerrero), Pine Forge Press, 2011.
- Encyclopedia of Religion in America (Charles H. Lippy, Peter W. Williams, Eds.), CQ Press, 2010.
Testimonials:
"You are so skilled at making recommendations, asking questions, and eliciting creativity from us. Your thoroughness and thoughtfulness in editing made our revisions easy and logical. We will ask for you again!" Margarita Calderón, Johns Hopkins University, coauthor (with Liliana Minaya-Rowe) of Preventing Long-Term ELs
"Tina Hardy's editing skills are outstanding. Her ability to revise in a way that captures the original intentions of the author is top-notch!" Maria Grant, Director, Secondary Teacher Education Program, California State University, Fullerton, coauthor (with Douglas Fisher) of Reading and Writing in Science: Tools to Develop Disciplinary Literacy
"Tina Hardy is a quality professional copy editor with an enormous understanding of the concepts and extraordinary attention to even the smallest details. I would confidently recommend her services to those who want their projects manicured properly. She's on my extremely short list of trusted editors for anything I'm involved with." Stephen Thomas, The Pioneer News
"I have worked with many editors. I have written 20 books. This is the best job I've seen to date. You have made what we said clearer with every edit and NEVER compromised the message we want to send. We accept everything you have done gleefully with no changes. Thanks so much. This has been a total pleasure for both of us." Peter Desberg, coauthor (with Jeffrey Miller) of Understanding and Engaging Adolescents
CAROL HEGBERG is an internationally published, award-winning writer and content editor. Her novel is entitled Pen Pals. Her poetry, scripts, short stories, and articles have been published in many magazines and books. Carol knows the endurance, tenacity, and patience a writer must possess to become published. Beginning writers, published authors, agents with needy clients, and publishers who need developmental editing for their writers use her services. She helps rewrite speeches, short stories or collections, articles, essays, and manuscripts. She helps develop inspirational, Christian, and picture-book manuscripts, children and young-adult fiction and nonfiction. She's available for writing help with manuscript submissions, query letters, and book proposals.
- Developmental editing, rewriting, mentoring
- Juvenile & young adult fiction/nonfiction, Christian topics
"Carol breathed life into my top-selling children's story with her wonderful way with words." Nancy S. Mure, author of Irregular Joe
Read How To Write a Non-fiction Book Proposal.
Read The Little Problems that Count in Writing.
For more information about Carol Hegberg, read her self-interview.
LINDA HINES critiques, rewrites, and edits novels, business manuscripts, self-help books, short stories, essays, articles, biographies, and literary fiction. She has edited over 100 fiction and non-fiction works and wrote and produced articles as managing editor of a subscription-based, B2B newsletter. She specializes in subjects such as humor, mystery, business, current events and politics, psychology, holistic healing, organic gardening, nature and the environment, weight loss, fitness, health, diet and nutrition, spirituality, alternative healing.
- Book editor, developmental critique
- Fiction: genre fiction, young adult literature, literary fiction, mystery, suspense, psychological, crime, supernatural, action, adventure, short story
- Nonfiction: business, self-help, self-improvement, how-to, memoir, personal essay, biography, alternative medicine, holistic healing, diet, nutrition, spirituality
"[F]riendly and professional. ... Any writer knows how important it is to have an editor who is approachable. Linda also displayed marvelous editing skills that enhanced my work and prepared it for the competitive publishing market. I used Linda's skills a second time, I was that impressed. It pays to have an editor who has updated knowledge about the publishing market. Most of all, I enjoyed working with Linda because she saw our partnership as a team."
SANDRA JUDD is an editor, proofreader, and indexer with more than 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. Her clients have included university presses, large, mainstream publishers, and smaller presses and professional organizations. She has edited or proofread over 300 published books, on topics that include politics, history, business, literary criticism, ethnic history, anthropology, science and medicine, industry manuals, memoirs, Christian and inspirational, parenting and relationships, humor, and fiction.
She has edited 20+ volumes in the Health Reference Series published by Omnigraphics, all published under her name as editor.
She has also edited professional journals and newsletters, business plans, scholarly articles being prepared for publication, economic plans to be distributed to the state legislature, and a number of dissertations.
She has prepared indexes for more than 30 published books.
She strives for precision in language and is devoted to making the author's voice heard.
- Proofreading and copyediting
- Stylistic editing
- Substantive editing
- Indexing
- Fiction: Thrillers, mysteries, Christian, historical fiction
- Nonfiction: Inspirational, self-help, business, science and medicine, ethnology, history, political science, memoirs, scholarly/textbooks
"While I have never met Sandy Judd face to face, I have used her services as a copyeditor since 1997. She is easy to work with, extremely competent, and has helped me improve my writing skills. I will continue to use her services as long as she is available." -- Lewis C. Forrest, Ed.D., technical writer and published author, North Carolina
"As senior editor of a book publishing company, I used Sandy Judd’s services for several years as a proofreader and copyeditor. Her detail-oriented skills and her unfailing ability to meet deadlines kept her at the very top of my list." -- Kathryn Deering, Ann Arbor, Michigan
"I kept Sandra Judd as busy as she’d let me while I was senior editor at Servant Publications (1995–2001). She produced high-quality work on time and at reasonable cost. I highly recommend her." -- Heidi Hess Saxton, former senior editor, Servant Publications
Jeff is a college English professor and an editor of poetry, creative nonfiction, biographies/memoirs, and martial arts books.
JEFF KARON is a writer, teacher, and consultant who has helped students and professionals for over twenty years. He has edited, revised, and proofread publications that include reports, theses, dissertations, textbooks, proposals, essays, stories, and articles. His Ph.D. is in English (MLA) with a specialization in Rhetoric and Composition, a choice that signals his devotion to clarity and power in language. Prior to his years as an English professor, he studied and taught philosophy, critical thinking, and logic, publishing in these fields as well as in literary studies. He also is a published poet and essayist; he was a finalist in the Sandhill Review/St. Petersburg Times 2010 essay contest. He has led writing and editing workshops for students, teachers, business people, and artists. Currently, he is leading creativity workshops and developing ways to build honor in the classroom and workplace.
As a writer and teacher, he believes that we should strive for excellence by practicing effective and fair techniques at all times. He has combined a life-long interest in the martial arts with writing: if you choose to work with him, he will ensure that your writing is powerful, not merely competent.
"I contracted Dr. Karon to copy edit my doctoral dissertation on philosophy and ethics. Not only was the quality of his work outstanding, his enthusiasm about creative writing and his encouragement carried me through very difficult times at the end of my program. I truly appreciated his comments and suggestions, many of which I will continue to work with as I am preparing a manuscript from my dissertation to be published as a book. Without reservation, Dr. Karon has my highest recommendations. He showed me how beautiful written language can be and reinvigorated in me the writing spirit that I had nearly lost in the strategic aspects of the dissertation process. It was a perfect fit both in terms of the topic and personality."
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JOHN DAVID KUDRICK (MA in Journalism, Professional Writing: Fiction).
You are sitting at your computer, smiling, with an incredible sense of satisfaction in your heart. After more hours than you can count, you've finally finished your novel – a story from deep inside your soul that you want to share with the world.But soon the questions start hitting your mind: Is it the very best that it can be? Will anyone even want to read it? Will an agent or publisher want to look at it?
With more than a decade of experience as an editor, John David understands the gamut of feelings that comes with getting your novel from your hard drive onto the shelf at your local bookstore. That's why he'd love to partner with you in getting your novel to the next level, whatever stage you may be at after you've written it …
Services:
- Manuscript Diagnostic – Get a big-picture look at your novel's strengths and weaknesses, with a general evaluation sheet and a list of recommended action steps to take your story from good to great.
- Developmental Editing – With a detailed evaluation document and page-by-page comments / suggestions throughout your novel, find out exactly how you can make your good story even better.
- Substantive Editing – Receive guidance and hands-on editorial help from John David in reorganizing and revising your story to take care of style, structure, content, plotting, character, story flow, and point-of-view issues. Also includes copyediting and proofreading.
- Copyediting – Got the big-picture stuff down already? Then let John David take care of grammar, word usage, tone, format, and more with a copyedit that will add a shine to your story. Also includes proofreading.
- Proofreading – Don't let your story get tossed aside because of a misspelled word or misplaced punctuation. Get your novel as clean as can be by allowing John David to read through it and fix typos, inconsistencies, misspellings, and punctuation problems.
- Book Proposal Development – Novel ready for submission? Then you're ready to develop your book proposal. Together, you and John David will create a compelling, well-crafted document that's a necessity in getting published.
Genre Specialties:
- Christian Fiction (all genres – for both adults and young adults)
- Action / Military
- Historical Fiction
- Science Fiction (Sci-Fi) / Fantasy
- Contemporary / Mainstream
As an editor, John David has been privileged to work with some of the best publishers of fiction in the nation, including Whitaker House (where as senior editor he worked on James Byron Huggins' Nightbringer, a book that Library Journal named one of its annual top five Christian novels), David C. Cook, NavPress, Realms Fiction, and Marcher Lord Press.
"I confess… did a lot of investigation over the Internet… from half way around the world… received a many sample edits / quotes from different editors (~12!). My choice was perfect. On a scale of 1-to10 I rate John a solid (plus) 10! First and foremost for the English… past tense-present tense… grammer —use of the em dash… POV… the whole nine yards. Perfect.And next – for him getting into the story… making very good COMMENTS and suggestions all throughout. This includes checking things on the Internet… noting that the coca cola slogan – “The Real Thing” did not come out in the time period that I mentioned it… and many other excellent comments." Michael Weiss
FLOYD LARGENT specializes in history, natural history, anthropology and the sciences on the non-fiction front, and speculative fiction (science fiction, fantasy, horror, and allied fields) otherwise. He's published his own e-book on fiction marketing (100 Great Places to Sell Your Short Stories, Both On and Off the Web), and is intimately familiar with technical writing, having worked as a technical writer and editor for ten years. He's also been published in most of the popular American history magazines, including American History, America's Civil War, Old West, and True West. Mr. Largent can provide publishing assistance (especially with short stories and journal articles), content development, manuscript evaluation, and mentoring services, supplemented with advice concerning manuscript mechanics, query letters, book synopses, and proposals.
- Developmental editing
- Book proposals
"I handed Floyd my 65,000 word manuscript on June 6th and got it back, polished to within an inch of its life, on July 25th. Floyd did a fantastic job."
"I've been going through the story and I'm about halfway through the review.... So far, the work is incredible. I really like what you've done with it to say the least. Satisfaction would be an understatement."
"Floyd Largent did an outstanding job with my manuscript. [H]is attention to detail, knowledge, and professionalism surpassed my expectations. I could not have been happier with the final product, or picked a more qualified editor to work with."
JO-ANN LANGTREE writes and edits books, stories, and articles in the following fields: business, medical, insurance, health, holistic health, spirituality, religion, psychic phenomena, young-adult fiction, children's books, mystical experience, self-help, New Age, nutrition, diet, exercise, saints & masters, gurus, theosophy, Christianity, homeopathy, vitamins & minerals, herbs, and food supplements. She was a writer and editor for Aetna Life & Casualty. As editor of Life NEWS, she had sole responsibility for finding, developing, writing, editing, and proofing all articles. Topics included new products, sales campaigns, insurance-agent interviews, accolades, seminars, Company acquisitions and policies. Jo-Ann also edits personal and business sites.
- Proofreading
- Editing (Copyediting and Developmental)
- Spirituality, metaphysics, religion, theosophy, psychology, holistic health, food supplements, homeopathy, nutrition, psychic phenomena, lucid dreaming, mystical experience, self-help, saints, masters, and gurus
TOM GRANT LEMONS is a successful novelist, editorial consultant, publisher, ghostwriter, and managing editor. His historical fiction has won awards and appeared on bestseller lists, and his novels have been translated and published in Germany, Sweden, the Netherlands, South Africa, and Poland.
Tom is passionate about the written word, and he is eager to bring his passion and expertise to your writing project. Authors Tom has worked with include Oliver North, T.D. Jakes, Bob Hamer, Joe Moscheo, and Hamilton Gayden. The fiction and nonfiction books Tom has worked on both as developmental editor and ghostwriter have been published by major houses including Broadman & Holman, Warner Faith Publishing, Hachette/Center Street, and Greenleaf Book Group.
A skillful editor or ghostwriter can help you refine your words, create a flow that will pull readers in, and still leave the work stamped unmistakably with your unique literary voice. Tom has been able to do this for dozens of books and authors during his writing and editing career. One author told him, “It’s like you were inside my head.” Another wrote in the acknowledgments to his book, “…to Tom … who ‘got it’ immediately, and without whom this book would not have happened.”
- Developmental and substantive editing, both fiction and nonfiction;
- Line/copyediting (including scholarly/academic projects)
- Ghostwriting
- Coaching
- Manuscript critique
- Book proposal development
- Christian, historical fiction, memoir/autobiography, scholarly publications/textbooks, music, nonfiction (general)
“Tom is simply one of the finest men I've ever known and one of the best writers I've ever encountered. His combination of creativity, craftsmanship, integrity, and intelligence puts him at a level I've rarely seen.”—Gary Terashita, Executive Editor, B&H Publishing Group
“Tom is an exceptional editor. An author himself, Tom is meticulous and creative in his work as he expertly brings a writer's best ideas forward. Not only are his editorial abilities outstanding, he is also warm, patient, caring, and thus a joy to work alongside. I recommend him wholeheartedly!”—Edwina Barvosa, Associate Professor, University of California at Santa Barbara
Evaluation and Critique of a "Spiritual Thriller" Novel By Tom Lemons
HERBERT M. LEVINE is a freelance writer and editor (nonfiction). His publications include 36 books and more than 75 articles. Subjects include: American government, state and local government, world politics, terrorism, arms control, state and local government, public administration, civil liberties, gun control, illegal drugs, chemical and biological weapons, and immigration. His articles have appeared in newspapers, magazines, journals, and reference books (including an encyclopedia). He served as a consultant for book projects on counterterrorism and evaluated and edited the work of academics and former government officials for that project.
He holds a Ph.D. in public law and government from Columbia University. He taught political science for 20 years at the University of Southwestern Louisiana. He has edited numerous doctoral dissertations. He advised dissertation writers on the substance and style of their work and directed them to publishing markets. Dr. Levine is an expert in APA and Chicago writing requirements.
- Copyediting, developmental editing
- Academic and scholarly topics
- Book proposals
- Young adult nonfiction
"Herbert Levine was outstanding. His editing comments made it very clear that he spent a great amount of concentrated effort on the project, and he is clearly an exceptional scholar. He returned his comments 3 days before the deadline. I could not have asked for a better experience!" Laurie Sandefer
LORNA LYNCH has over twenty-five years of developmental editing experience and has worked on more than a hundred books to date. She also co-owned a monthly newspaper and wrote hundreds of articles. She has a tremendous instinct for what "works" and what doesn't in both fiction and non-fiction, and has guided numerous authors to publishing success. Her primary goal is to see that writing with some potential becomes writing with great potential, and she works closely with authors to achieve that goal.
Her area of expertise is character-driven fiction; however, she has edited books of all stripes, including political commentary, how-to books, humor, mysteries, romance novels, children's books, young adult fiction, detective novels, and psychological thrillers.
- Developmental editing
- Fiction: young adult, contemporary/mainstream, detective/crime, humor, literary fiction, mystery, romance, women’s fiction, short stories, thriller/espionage
- Nonfiction: creative nonfiction, memoir/biography, self-help/how-to, psychology, politics
"I was very happy with the job Lorna did for me. The edit was very sharp and the critique very detailed. She broke down the manuscript from top to bottom and all of her points were excellent. She not only focused on technical structure, but also the substance of the story. She pointed out many things that I would not have discovered on my own and she looked at the manuscript not only as an editor, but as a reader--which is very important. I would definitely use Lorna again as my editor." – Derek Lively, Diary of the Devil's Son
KELLY LYNNE is the proud “auntie” to over 40 published novels, novellas and short stories, which have sold to Kensington Publishing, Cerridwen Press, Awe-Struck Publishing, Samhain Publishing, Wings ePress, and The Wild Rose Press. These books have gone on to earn high praise from reviewers and readers, as well as multiple awards and contest wins. As an editor for The Wild Rose Press, she has edited contemporary western and light paranormal romances, with heat ratings from sweet to spicy. Her fiction fortes include sci-fi, fantasy, romance, speculative fiction, young adult, and stories of psychic or supernatural phenomena.
Empathic about the “feel” of a story, Kelly provides suggestions so that authors may revise with their own style in mind, preserving the individual voice, while alerting authors to current trends in publishable styles. Developmental fiction editing requires an emotional investment in the work—an investment of time and effort that Kelly is happy to make.
Specialties:
- Style-sheet to track continuity, character traits, and plot aspects
- Critique of story plot, character believability and setting
- Weeding out clichés, redundancies, wordiness, triteness and vague generalizations
Kelly has published over 100 non-fiction articles, two short stories, and a novel. She knows the hoops authors are expected to jump through and helps authors polish their submission packets. Query letters, synopses and professional quality formatting are as important as a well-polished manuscript.
“Kelly [has] a good sense of humor and a tactful way of communicating, who relates to writers as equals, not underlings. With each manuscript Kelly has edited for me, I've gained invaluable knowledge about the craft of fiction writing. ~Stacey Coverstone, author of High Lonesomehas
SUZANNE MANNESS is an English professor specializing in technical and business writing. She has written and edited technical manuals, informational brochures, business proposals, and grants. She has also written computer user manuals and technical instrumentation directions. Additionally, she has edited many medical textbooks and medical articles on such subjects as heart transplants, pain management, and anesthesiology. She is an expert in all documentation systems such as Chicago Style, Harvard, APA, American Anthropological Association, and MLA. Her specialty is taking complex material and translating that material into a clear, concise, audience-friendly document.
- Technical writing and editing
- Academic/scholarly writing and editing (theses and dissertations)
- Formatting specialist: APA, MLA, Chicago, Turabian, Harvard, AMA, and AAA.
Recommended by Nova Southeastern University, Capella, Walden, The University of Phoenix, and Northcentral University - Thesis and dissertation advising
DON McCLAIRE uses forty years of editing and writing experience to help both fiction and non-fiction writers polish their work for publication. He’s spent his career as a magazine editor (11 years), award-winning public relations executive (six years), head of his own marketing communications firm (21 years), professional editor, and writing instructor. He’s written and placed hundreds of press releases and trade magazine articles, and has produced three non-fiction “how-to” books, two young-adult novels, and four Donna McClaire-bylined romance novels, all published. McClaire’s work won him The Public Relations Association’s highest award, the Silver Anvil, plus two Golden Trumpets from the Chicago Public Relations Associarion.
McClaire knows firsthand, after editing for others for years and judging numerous writing contest entries, the many mistakes unpublished writers make. He spreads this knowledge by conducting workshops at weekend writing conferences and teaching two online writing classes: Editor-Proof That First Chapter for WriterUniv.com, and 21 Steps to Fog-Free Writing, at WritersOnlineClasses.com.
He'll edit your manuscript, correcting things you may have been doing wrong your whole writing career. Areas of focus include appearance, hooks, plot, motivation, dialogue, setting, point of view, research, conflict, and voice. He'll also edit weak verb forms, strip away author intrusions, identify character filters, ban redundancies, eliminate foggy phrases, correct passive voice sentences, slash misused and overused words, and correct other writing bugaboos. These are all problems an acquisitions editor or literary agent won't take the time or effort to tell you about, but they could keep you from being published!
"I’m going back and redoing everything I’ve everwritten…ever! When you edited the first chapter of my latest manuscript, you opened my eyes to a whole new world—and that’s way too cheesy to be an exaggeration! I can’t thank you enough for the
profound impact you’ve had on my work. I don’t think it was coincidence that I received my first contract hardly a month after you set me straight!"
Amber W. Shedeck,
w/a Amber Leigh Williams,
Fairhope, Alabama
See Don's articles:
McClaire Tackles Tough Editing Problems
Don't Be an Information Dumper
JIM McDONOUGH has edited books on such different subjects as translations from Greek and Latin prose and poetry, Roman history, Catholic schools, Jews and Gentiles in the ancient world, Martin Luther, World War II, the Bible, foreign phrases used in English contexts, and biography. He has also edited a medical dictionary, a historical novel on the First Crusade, and encyclopedia articles. He prefers the Chicago/Turabian style. When he receives a manuscript with great idea but less than ideal presentation of these ideas, he takes great delight in helping the author give form, organization, and polish to the work so as to increase its chances of publication and of getting the author's ideas across effectively to the public. He also enjoys helping persons with Ph.D.s prepare their dissertation or other research for publication by university presses and trade publishers.
- Developmental editing, rewriting, copyediting
- Medical and academic/scholarly topics
- Religion, theology, history, music
- Chicago Manual of Style
HOLLY MONTY, MA, MAComm, ELS, has been a professional APA and Chicago style editor and writer for 10 years.
Since operating as a freelance editor and writer, Ms. Monty, a Microsoft Word and LaTeX expert, has worked on books and articles published by many of the world’s leading publishers, including Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press, MIT Press, John Wiley, Springer, Lawrence Erlbaum, Pearson-Prentice Hall, Berg, Macmillan, Berkshire, American Geophysical Union, Praeger, Greenwood, Blackwell, Elsevier, Sage, Begell House, Teacher Ideas Press, Libraries Unlimited, UTH Zürich, RAND Corporation, and other top names in academic and nonfiction publishing. To date, she has edited over 1,500 published journal articles, over 100 nonfiction books, and a wealth of dissertations and theses. An elected member of the board of governors of the Editorial Freelancers Association from 2007 to 2008, Ms. Monty is proud to have worked with a diversity of students and academics from a broad range of our nation's universities. Given her wealth of experience, she is adept at working within the precise terms of your university's thesis/dissertation guidelines or with the publication guidelines of any peer-reviewed journal.
THEODORA O'BRIEN focuses on mysteries, science fiction, fantasy, thrillers, adventure, and horror titles. She has considerable experience with trade non-fiction. As Editorial Director of her own publishing house, Theodora published almost 100 titles, garnering several awards in "Best Of" categories. Almost half of the titles were bought for paperback reprints, and two were optioned for TV/movies. She has invaluable knowledge about the industry, the type of people who run it, how to work within it, and tips for getting your foot in the door. She’s reviewed, evaluated, and edited thousands of manuscripts through the years, and uses that knowledge to help her clients produce results-driven manuscripts, query letters, and synopses. She works particularly hard at staying in the author’s “voice,” making sure the facts and dialogue match the time period in which the book is set, and “losing” excess verbiage. She's a good mentor, hard worker, and in many cases, has ultimately become a good friend.
- Book doctor--fiction. Action-military, contemporary, mainstream, detective, crime, history, literary fiction, mystery, romance, women's fiction, science fiction, horror, fantasy, thrillers, espionage, Westerns
- Developmental editing
- Manuscript evaluations, critiques
"I am absolutely sure I wouldn't have gotten the publishing contract if it hadn't been for Theodora's evaluation and editing. What an enormous find she was for me!" Shayne Easson, Wrath of Zar.
MARK ORRIN, M.A., Johns Hopkins (Teaching Fellow, 1971), has authored ten published
books, scores of articles and poems, and taught writing on college and university levels. A seasoned publications
editor, he has also mentored numerous successful American and international authors and poets. During a career in fund
raising, Mark was considered one of America's leading copywriters, copy chiefs and creative/strategic consultants. He has
been listed in Who's Who In the West, Who's Who In America, Who's Who In Entertainment and The
Dictionary of International Biography.
- Ghostwriting, mentoring, developmental editing, line editing
- Manuscript critiques and evaluations
- Book proposals
- "Self-agenting" your book
- Fiction: science fiction, fantasy, sword-and-sorcery, Westerns, mysteries, adolescent and children's books, action-suspense
- Non-fiction: memoirs, inspirational, public issues, self-help.
"Throughout our work and rework on my manuscript, Mark was encouraging and kind, and he never made me feel like the rookie I am (was). He never left me feeling like he knew more about the publishing industry than I did — he just continued to teach me in an incredibly thoughtful and gentle way, fine-tuning my work and imploring me to be the best I could be. ... At the moment there are ten agencies and two publishers who have responded favorably to my query (which you taught me how to write, I might add) about my novel. " – Gary Kaschak
JAMES POWELL is "a good literary surgeon," as one of his accomplished clients noted. As an editor of fiction and non-fiction, he views manuscripts with a broad, comprehensive vision and an eye for detail-for "the right word in the right place." Powell's editors will tell you that his books need no editing, as Powell is, himself, an editor. He will read your fiction with an eye to making it believable and your non-fiction with a knack for making it both convincing and engaging. His books and short stories have been translated into many languages and are known throughout the world. His list of publications includes The Tao of Symbols (Morrow 1982), Energy and Eros (Morrow 1985), The Prentice Hall Global Employment Guide (Prentice Hall 1983), Mandalas: The Dynamics of Vedic Symbolism (Sterling 1980), Derrida for Beginners (Writers and Readers 1996), Postmodernism for Beginners (Writers and Readers 1998), Eastern Philosophy for Beginners (2000), and Deconstruction for Beginners (2005), and Slow Love: A Polynesian Pillow Book (2008). His short story "The Silence of the Hummingbird" was published in Spanish in Revista Katharsis in Malaga, Spain and his journalism has appeared in the Santa Barbara Independent and Montecito Journal.
- Books, memoirs, theses, and dissertations
- APA and MLA formats
"The turnaround time was excellent. The work was fabulous!!" Nova University student.
"His editing really streamlined my ideas. Mr. Powell's service offered much needed support."
ARLENE ROBINSON has developed and edited 450+ full-length manuscripts in a variety of genres since 1996. Her clients include women's fiction author Angie Daniels, sociology professor Joyce Tang and college-success guide author Josh Richardson. The true crime memoir The Twelfth Man Standing received Turner Broadcasting Network's Trumpet Award in 2002, and 'PRESSIONS: Memoirs of a Southern Cat by Edith M. Holmes won the YOUnity Reviewers Guild Top Honor Award. Arlene welcomes new or published authors as clients, and enjoys helping journalistic, business and academic writers transform their writings into marketable, polished products for mainstream readers.
While not a professional humor writer, she could be. Arlene lives in the Deep South with her probation officer/journalist husband and two almost-adult sons, and looks forward to the day when her human offspring venture into the world as independently as she envisions her writings springing onto bookshelves.
- Substantive and developmental editing, copyediting
- Fiction and nonfiction critiques
- Book layout and graphics
- ESL Style Conversions ("Americanization")
"Arlene is everything you want in an editor: thorough, timely and accommodating. If it weren't for her, I certainly would not have landed a publisher for my manuscript. Not only was her editing topnotch, her advice on everything about publishing was very helpful. Arlene really cares about the work she does and it shows!" — Josh Richardson, Ahead of the Pack: Balancing Your Way to Personal Success in College, Thomson Delmar Learning
NANCY ROSENBAUM is an expert at eliminating extraneous verbiage to bring the important points into clearer focus in works of fiction and non-fiction. As a rewriter, proofreader, editor, fact-checker, and indexer, Nancy works from the reader's perspective to help her authors generate more polished manuscripts, whether they self-publish or pursue commercial representation. Her clients' works have been on subjects as diverse as memoirs, fictional tales, short stories, self-help and new-age topics, diet and personal health care, and wealth management, to career and business management, political treatises, philosophical and social science critiques, business development and marketing optimization, textbooks, historical studies, travel and tourism guides, and finance and economics. Whether her clients need assistance with book proposals, query letters, critiques, or fine-tuning of completed manuscripts, Nancy is ready and able to provide just the right touch to hold the reader's attention.
Nancy earned a bachelor's degree in English Literature from Mt. Holyoke College and studied technical documentation and business communications at Northeastern University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
"Nancy went above and beyond heavy editing, putting my 70 page, 15,000 word Capstone in APA compliance. Her ability to understand the material and translate into higher level English is very impressive. The feedback from my professor was ‘exceptional work’ and he turned it back to me with no corrections. Her work was PERFECT. I can’t thank her and the editing network enough. Well done!" - Brian Bowman, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical, Deputy Group Commander, USAF
"It has been a pleasure working with Nancy Rosenbaum. Her professionalism is outstanding. She walked me through the every step of the editing process and, was always available. The quality of work was far more superior than I had expected. I intend on using both Nancy and the service again to assist with the final editing of my dissertation project."
"Nancy Rosenbaum was very accessible and easy to work with. She was responsive, and most importantly, I’m very happy with the finished result (edited manuscript)." —Steve Todd
"I didn't know that services of this caliber existed online!"
"She is a master of APA and of the English language!" —Jasey Kolarik, Aurora University
"Nancy did an amazing job of making my manuscript much more polished and professional. Her services included rephrasing, tightening text, and proofreading. Nancy was a joy to work with. I highly recommend her services to anyone."
KAREN SCHADER specializes in fiction and nonfiction for children and young adults, including chapter books, picture books, and educational resources. She has worked as a substantive editor, copyeditor, and proofreader for authors, trade publishers, and educational publishers. With an academic background in child development, she brings an understanding of children to her work, and several of her titles have been recognized with iParenting Media Awards and National Health Information Awards. A client once described Karen's editing as going beyond "simple grammar and sentence structure to style, age-appropriateness, and clarity." She respects readability, grammar, punctuation, accuracy, deadlines—and the importance of preserving the author's voice.
- Substantive editing and copyediting
- Fiction: juvenile and young adult
- Nonfiction: mental health, self-help, and education
- Project management
- QuarkXPress 6
A. J. SOBCZAK is an editor, proofreader, and writer (business writing, business methods, business history, communication, literary analysis, fiction in various genres) with more than 25 years of experience in the publishing industry. He has edited nonfiction work, both articles and books, in a variety of fields, including various social sciences, technical research, and medical research. He has edited dozens of books and journals in the social sciences, research methods, mathematics, political science, psychology, business and management, history, and health and medicine, among other topics, and also has worked on several successful doctoral dissertations.
He is an expert in APA and Chicago styles and is on several publishers' lists of "go-to" editors for manuscripts with heavy math content. His fiction specialties include science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and young adult.
- Writing, copyediting, developmental editing
- Manuscript evaluations and critiques
- Fiction: science fiction, horror, mystery, mainstream, short story
- Nonfiction: business, labor, literary criticism, memoirs, math, technical & science documents
- Academic/scholarly writing: theses and dissertations
- APA and Chicago writing styles
CAROLINE T. has been editing popular fiction for 20 years and has 200+ novels under her belt. Her ability to see the big picture, combined with an in-depth knowledge of today’s publishing market, makes her an invaluable partner in the editing and publishing process.
Editor of New York Times Best-Sellers
A former in-house editor at Pocket Books—a division of Simon & Schuster, the premiere New York City publisher of commercial and trade fiction—an outside editor for Harper Collins/Avon, and a reader for The Literary Guild and The Rhapsody Book Club, Caroline’s particular expertise is historical and contemporary romance, romantic comedy, and romantic suspense. Carla Neggers, Karen Robards and Andrea Kane—three New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling authors—had books edited by Caroline. She also specializes in suspense thrillers, crime fiction, amateur sleuths, sagas, inspirational romance, westerns, urban fantasy and African-American popular fiction. She holds workshops on the writer’s conference circuit and speaks at numerous venues to help advance the cause of popular fiction for women.
Known for her accessibility, Caroline is available to answer any questions a client may have; from a simple inquiry regarding point of view switching, to a larger issue regarding career path. She is a hands-on editor, likes to put her blue pen to work, and enjoys brainstorming with writers. She is a mentor, a guide and a source of vast knowledge on the subject of popular fiction. Caroline offers content and developmental editing with commentary; minor line-editing if necessary, submission help, and career consulting.
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, author of Hawke’s Cove, Cameo Lake, and The Fortune-Teller’s Daughter.
“Caroline. 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. 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!” -- NY Times bestselling author, Andrea Kane
MADGE WALLACE is a professional freelance indexer. She creates indexes found at the back of nonfiction books. When an index is done according to generally accepted indexing standards, it performs flawlessly. The reader finds what he is looking for and doesn’t give the index a second thought. On the other hand, if the index is poorly done, the reader becomes frustrated and will likely move on to the next book. Worse yet, a nonfiction book published without an index may not be taken seriously by the publishing industry. In short, a good index enhances the value of a book to readers, reviewers, librarians, instructors, and researchers. It is a mark of a serious book.
Indexing is a skill Madge acquired after many years of writing freelance for newspapers and magazines, as well as authoring four published books. Her award-winning novel, Paying the Price, the story of a real estate deal in Hawaii that goes terribly bad, was published in 2005. Her Hawaii Real Estate Exam Book has been used by students all over the world to pass the Hawaii real estate licensing exam.
As an indexer Madge puts herself in the mind of the potential reader and anticipates his needs. Indexing involves such things as
- gathering together scattered information on the same subject
- breaking down large ranges of information into manageable subtopics
- cross referencing related topics
- double posting topics that might be accessed in several different ways
- distinguishing between passing references and substantive discussions
Madge has a degree in mathematics, and is a graduate of the U.S.D.A. Graduate School's Basic Indexing Course, a tried and true standard for indexers. She is a member of the American Society of Indexers. She indexes books on topics ranging from history to politics, cookbooks to real estate, social studies to biography, and health and wellness to Hawaiiana. All subjects will be considered.
Madge welcomes your questions on indexing. To learn more about the importance of indexing, see her article, "Good Indexes Sell Books." And if you are considering doing your index yourself, please see "Author as Indexer: the Good, the Bad and the Possible."
"This book was a challenging indexing project. Madge Wallace...did an excellent job sorting through this complicated task and the result is a book of which everyone involved is very proud."
"We greatly appreciate your diligence and care in creating the index for Patients Beyond Borders Second Edition—a quantum improvement. I was particularly pleased with the way you distilled a large amount of technical information—potentially confusing to the reader of a consumer guide—into an accessible, friendly format. Try as we might, we could not find an error in your work!"
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Submission Cut and paste the questions and answers into an e-mail: Alternates You may send your initial submission to all addresses to make sure it's received. Required: A sample is required to receive an estimate Along with a sample, the following information is required. Ignore questions that do not apply to your project (e.g., footnotes). (01) Word count of complete project (under "Tools" in MS Word): (02) Put your 100-word (approx) synopsis/description here (or attach): (03) Describe your genre and topic (e.g., nonfiction/self-help, science fiction, horror, romance, mystery, Western, young adult, children, poetry, Christian, creative nonfiction, literary): (04) Deadline date, if any, for return of complete project. (Please be realistic. Remember that professional editors usually have a project in process.): (05) If you have no immediate deadline, when do you want to start the editing process?: (For instance: within 30 days, within 60 days, within 90 days, 4-12 months) (06) Level of editing desired/expected --
(07) Number of charts/tables/pictures (if any): (08) Writing style/format manual (e.g., Chicago Manual, APA, MLA), if applicable: (09) Number of footnotes/references: (10) Do you have a contract with an agent or publisher?: (11) Do you plan to self-publish?: (12) What is your budget for the entire project? (13) Your name: (14) E-mail addresses: (15) Day/evening phone numbers (required -- in case the response to your e-mail bounces or the editors need clarification regarding the scope of service needed, deadline, etc.): (16) City, State, Country (or time zone): (17) The name(s) of the editor(s)/writer(s) you'd like to contact. (18) Do you want the coordinator to reroute your submission if you requested editors/writers who (a) are not available by your deadline date, (b) do not handle the type of material you submitted, and/or (c) do not perform the service(s) you want? (19) How did you learn about our service?: (20) Attach the first 50 pages of your manuscript (include prologue/preface, proposal, query) Notes: No hidden charges To learn more about the rates charged by professional editors, please see: Editorial Freelancers Association It is a mistaken notion that freelance editors work "on spec" (speculation) with no payment to the editor. It is basically asking the editor to work for free. There's no guarantee that a book will see a profit (or even be published). The editors posted here do not work on spec. Note: Questions about price and turnaround times cannot be given over the phone or via chat.
Contact live support if you do not receive a response within three hours (M-F, 9a-7p central). Expect longer response times if you submitted after U.S. business hours or on weekends. Help2012 at Airmail.net You may also leave voice mail for the network coordinator: 469-789-3030. This number is for verification of e-mail submissions only. Please be as complete as possible in representing your project's scope and size so you will receive the most accurate estimate. Disclaimer: Your agreement, whether oral or written, is with your editor or publishing consultant, not with the editing network as a whole or its coordinator. |
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