Stacey Donovan

From Editor to Author

“The willingness to explore is what forms the core relationship of author and editor.”

The act of writing is ineffable. When certain words chosen by an author are sometimes revealed to obscure rather than convey the author’s intended meaning, I have found it a good practice to then explore the spaces between the words. The willingness to explore is what forms the core relationship of author and editor.

What did you mean by this? Is this intentional? – are questions I often ask in an edit. In an author’s revision, I’ve witnessed how the answers to those questions and others, relative to a book’s narrative elements, eventually result in or come close to the author’s initial intentions. Almost imperceptibly, seemingly simple questions influence several other aspects of how the author approaches a story. A few words are revised or excised, a sentence is altered, an entirely new paragraph is written, a chapter is cut—this process leads to revelation. A fresh awareness forms. Something has deepened, and paradoxically, has been unearthed for the author.

Behind the scenes, connections between various narrative elements create bridges. Characters, tension, plot, dialogue, conflict, and more—begin to flow; tributaries that eventually lead to a layered, fully realized story. Sometimes the revision process takes place over several drafts, sometimes as a result of the first developmental edit. Either way, I know my work is done when an author says, “This is the book I wanted to write. “I don’t know how I did it, I don’t know how you did it, but somehow we got there.””

Developmental Editing and Manuscript Critique Services

I’m an editor who likes to get my hands dirty, i.e. really dig into words, plot, structure, and any story’s other big picture elements—whether fiction or nonfiction. This I might do to my heart’s content in a developmental edit where I make corrections, offer suggestions, and add additional comments on the manuscript page.

Using these industry standards, I advise you of the Chicago Manual of Style rules and Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary spelling and meaning of words. Finally, I provide a comprehensive editorial memo that covers the many elements listed below, and additional thoughts and suggestions specific to your book.

When I’m not “hands-on” in a developmental edit, you will likely find me taking the “hands off” approach in a manuscript evaluation/extensive critique of your manuscript. This means I will do a “clean” pass; I won’t touch the story itself through editing on the page but I will plumb the same elements in a comprehensive editorial memo that summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of your manuscript, as mentioned above.

What I can provide for your manuscript:

• Developmental/structural/stylistic editing
• Detailed critique/extensive evaluation
• Ghostwriting of unwritten or written manuscript
• Revision of written manuscript
• Collaborate with you in a mentoring capacity as you revise your manuscript
• Collaborate with you on query letter and/or synopsis
• Determine with you which literary agent would be suitable for representation
• Determine with you whether to pursue mainstream, niche, or independent publishing
• Consultation on your initial and/or ongoing social media strategy
• Copy editing

I’ll look for opportunities for improvement in the following areas:

• Story and character arcs (for fiction and nonfiction)
• Plot events and turning points
• Conflicts, stakes, and tension
• Narrative pacing
• Information “dumps”
• Characterization; believability, themes, motivations, etc.
• General writing issues such as showing vs. telling, point-of-view, etc.
• Grammar and spelling
• Industry style standards (i.e. Chicago Manual of Style; Merriam-Webster Collegiate Dictionary)

“Stacey became my writing professor, my therapist, my rabbi, and my friend. She showed me how to reach deep into my soul and write of the things that I had chosen to keep private or hide. I was so very lucky to find Stacey. “

– Marc Gellman,
author of Seven Days of Shiva

“Working with Stacey Donovan on my first turn on the McNally series was a pleasure from first to last page.”

—Vincent Lardo,
bestselling author of the blockbuster Lawrence Sanders Archy McNally series

“How much do I love Stacey Donovan? Let me count the ways: professional, industrious, intelligent, sensitive, encouraging, communicative, supportive, precise, punctual, thoughtful – and she led me to publication of both my fiction and non-fiction books.”

—Peter W. Yaremko,
nonfiction and fiction author of four published books

“This novella might not have been accepted by two publishing houses had it not been for the input of consummate professional Stacey Donovan, who provided the insightful evaluation and critique of the first draft.”

—Dick Rothschild,
author of The End Game

“Stacey Donovan was my editor on my first novel, Skinless, currently in production with Austin Macauley. I must say that she is a rare gem in the world of editing. Not only is Stacey very professional in all of her communications and deadlines, she displayed a keen interest in my writing, and she also clearly put her heart and soul into the edit she created for me. My particular style of writing contains a lot of my own urban vocabulary and turns of phrase, which could be difficult for some traditional editors because it pushes the boundaries of language and style. Stacey got right on board and I could tell that she really immersed herself with feeling each character, lived in the scenes and understood the through-lines and overall themes to the story. A huge gift to any writer. Throughout our process Stacey provided me a superb edit.”

—Maggie Moor,
author of Skinless

“Stacey Donovan is a delight as a Hamptons neighbor and even more so as an editor.”

—Vincent Lardo,
popular crime novelist and bestselling author of the Archy McNally Series by Lawrence Sanders

“I found her work to be thorough, insightful, thought-provoking, and even downright funny at times. Without a doubt, the manuscript is far better than it was after receiving feedback from my beta readers. I would recommend Stacey to any writer or author seeking to take their work to the next level.”

—Avanti Centrae, award-winning thriller author of Van Ops: The Lost Power

“Stacey Donovan is outstanding! And your website and communications which brought me to her are excellent.”

—Murray Keith Wadsworth, author of Prostate Cancer: Sheep or Wolf? Navigating Systemic Misinformation

—Martha Milot,
author of Trail of Evil

—Roberta Degnore,
author of twelve published novels

—Catherine Bosley

—Dana K. Schwartz

—Les AuCoin

Dive

“Stacey Donovan really gets inside the mind of her young heroine in this superbly crafted coming of age novel that turns the pains of growing up into revelatory experiences. This writer has the guts and the supreme command of the English language required to make this a real work of art. Hers is a unique voice not afraid to shy away from the complexities of life. I recommend highly!”

The Art of Loneliness

“If Joan Didion wrote erotica, this is what it would sound like. Stacey Donovan is a powerful voice in erotica, one who pushes the limits of the genre and redefines it.”