Book Editing, Proofreading, Book Proposals
Query Letters, Publishing Assistance, Ghostwriting,
Manuscript Evaluation and Critique
Romance / Women's Fiction
As a romance writer, you need someone to be as involved in your story as your characters are with each other: deeply, devotedly, passionately. Contemporary, historical, paranormal . . . whatever the subgenre, with romances, details also matter. Were Langdon's smoldering eyes deep-sea blue or midnight black? Was Anastasia's fiery office rendezvous with Robert or Richard? (They both work in marketing!) A good editor will take note of these important details, as well as wonder if "getting to first base" was a term used in 16th-century Scotland. You've poured your heart into this manuscript. Is your heroine endearing enough? Will the reader pull for the lead characters or doubt they're right for each other? Are your scenes believable (e.g., Is a virgin really likely to have a trio of orgasms her first time?)? You need an editor who will make your text technically accurate but also keep a sharp eye out for the little gaps in logic, time, and storyline that can cause a reader to stumble. Adept editing can help engage the readers throughout your characters' romantic journey.
Editors
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.
"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
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 . . .
Read your manuscript and write or edit the materials required for submitting to agents and publishers, including proposals, queries, synopses, and bios.
Research agents or publishers that are appropriate for your market, provide resources, and offer guidance.
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.)
Prepare your manuscript for submission (i.e., format according to industry-standards).
Review and critique the manuscript to determine if it's ready for submission.
"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
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.
"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.
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
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
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.
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
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.
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
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
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
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.