SARAH ANDERSON is a freelance editor and writer, experienced in fiction and nonfiction. Her work has been called outstanding, and she was solely responsible for editing the three most successful romances published by Banbury Books and distributed by Dell. Her recent nonfiction projects include A Loving Guide to These Shifting Times and Biography of A Time Traveler: the Man behind the 2012 Phenomenon. Recent fiction projects include The Apprentice and Sisters of War. Sarah is an acknowledged contributor to The Wisdom of The Enneagram, published by Bantam. She has self-published a relationships handbook, Relationships Made Easy: How to get along with all kinds of people, and has written articles on the psychology of personality.
Clients are particularly impressed by her ability to make their text sparkle while maintaining their voice. She is flexible, personable, and highly proficient. As one client noted,
Sarah is clearly a gifted, disciplined editor. It was obvious that she took great care to preserve my voice, and not to change meaning when structure needed adjusting. Her art is subtle – at first glance, I wondered what she'd done . . . but the changes added power, conviction, and flow to my thoughts. I am so glad I found my way to Sarah!
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.
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.
"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
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.
“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)
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
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
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;
“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
Scope limited to copyediting and proofreading of fiction and nonfiction manuscripts represented by literary agents and/or scheduled for publication.
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
MARIE VALENTINE's editorial work ranges from conceptual and developmental brainstorming to copy editing and proofreading, as well as the nitty-gritty of print and Web production. She has worked in acquisitions and production for the renowned new age book publisher Llewellyn Worldwide. She has also served as a news editor and writer, business technology editor, poet and small press publisher of experimental works by contemporary writers. Marie will use her knowledge in literature and nonfiction to clarify your thoughts with minimal alteration, but she is also open to experiments and will adapt easily and quickly to your perceived vision and goals. A flexible editor and proofreader with a light touch, Marie will help your prose shine while keeping your personal style intact.
10+ years proofreading experience (print, web, digital, books, magazines, news weeklies, chapbooks and more)
6 years business and technology editing experience
5 years book manuscript editing experience, both fiction and nonfiction
4 years publisher acquisitions experience - Ruminator (small press), university press (U of MN), commercial press (Llewellyn). She knows what publishers look for in a book.
9 years academic editing and formatting
Published nonfiction edited by Marie:
Offering to Isis by M. Isidora Forrest
Living Gnosis by Tau Malachi
Pagan Visions for a Sustainable Future by various authors
Color Magic for Beginners by Richard Webster
Million Dollar Baby by Amy Patricia Meade
I Ching for Beginners by Mark McElroy
Published fiction edited by Marie:
Million Dollar Baby by Amy Patricia Meade
The Mind Box by A.J. Diehl
Murder Passes the Buck by Deb Baker
Marie has edited numerous manuscripts by authors who self-publish, list available on request.
Services:
Content organization
Structural and substantive editing
Proofreading
Formatting and style editing (MLA, Chicago, APA, AP, project-specific)
I love having Marie as an editor. She truly engages with the work. She finds the inner heart of the piece and works her way out from there. I appreciate that she fields my questions regarding edits openly and promptly. She is more than I could hope for. If it were ethical, I would have her edit this recommendation. -Mike Bahl, fiction writer
Marie Valentine has edited three books I have written and we have co-edited several short-run chapbooks. Her keen intellect, critical eye for good writing and ability to process large amounts of complicated text in a short period make her a valuable asset. Marie is impressively well-read and has been tremendous to collaborate with due to the broad range of literature which encompasses the breadth of her interest. I would highly recommend her in the areas of editing, proofreading, writing, analytical critique and inspirational encouragement. -Wes Tank, writer and filmmaker
You may send your initial submission to all addresses to make sure it's received.
Required:
Submit the first 50 pages of your manuscript (Word/DOC or RTF
attachment preferred). Large files
should be zipped. Attachment not required if writing has not started
(e.g., because you're looking for a ghostwriter).
A sample is required to receive an estimate
for editing services
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)
Copyediting / Proofreading / Line Editing (e.g., English corrections, typos, paragraph and sentence structure, word use)
Developmental (e.g., help with the big picture, such as flow/pacing, telling the story, characterization, structure, style)
Rewriting / Ghostwriting
Critique / Evaluation
(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?
$ ________________
(Note: The editors will quote their regular rates, but having an idea of your budget allows the editors to tell you what services they can provide to stay within that budget.)
(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.
(If no names are selected, your e-mail will be sent to several consultants chosen by the coordinator):
(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
We won't quote you one price and charge you another. When possible, we'll provide you with a per-word or per-page rate so you'll know up front exactly
how much your project will cost. (Of course, we ask that you fairly represent the scope of your project.)
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.
To obtain a price quote please follow the procedures listed on our quotes page.
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.
You may also send your submission to our alternate e-mail addresses if you do not receive a response within three hours M-F:
Help2012 at Airmail.net
editingnetwork at gmail.com
contact at editing-writing.com
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.