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.
FAITH HICKMAN BRYNIE is the author of 25 nonfiction works related to science, medicine, health, psychology, and education. Her latest book, 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. 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 in all genres except romance and fantasy; no preschool, picture books, or rhyming poetry, please.
Note: Faith is not taking submissions until March 1, 2012.
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
"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
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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
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
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
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
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.