Chersti Nieveen

Chersti Nieveen – Editor

17yrs editing with NYT/international/indie bestsellers such as Brandon Sanderson and Tricia Levenseller. Adult Fantasy/SF/Suspense + all YA.

Overview

I’ve been a professional freelance editor for over 15 years, working with NYT Bestselling authors such as Brandon Sanderson, Dan Wells, Sara B. Larson, Liesl Shurtliff, Tricia Levenseller, and others (I’m mentioned in the acknowledgments). Because of my experience, I understand both the traditional and indie marketplace. My job is to help you create the strongest story by finding the best solutions that feel organic to your story.


I have advanced specialization in Fantasy, Science Fiction, and all genres of Young Adult. That includes epic fantasy, Gaming & LitRPG, magical realism, romantacy, urban fantasy, coming-of-age stories, dystopian, apocalyptic & post-apocalyptic, space opera, steampunk, time travel, and more. I am passionate about all things historical, especially Ancient Rome (Republic and Empire).


I also have experience working with Mystery, Crime, Thriller, and Suspense. I've also consulted on plays and screenplays, including a few live productions, taught at writing conferences, and been a guest lecturer in college writing classes.


I do this job because I love it and I bring that same enthusiasm to your edit as I help you learn how to elevate your craft. I choose to work on projects that show potential and that I feel passionate about.


PLEASE NOTE: I DO NOT offer copy editing or proofreading services at this time. I also prefer not to work with Christian fiction or Horror (though I do work with Dark Fantasy and Science Fiction).


REVIEWS

"Chersti has a deep understanding of story structure as well as a keen eye for detail. She knows how to take a writer's raw material and guide them through their process to create the best possible version of their story."

Liesl Shurtliff, New York Times best-selling author



"I love working with Chersti! She has a fantastic editorial eye and delivers feedback in such a tactful and personable manner."

Tricia Levenseller, author of DAUGHTER OF THE PIRATE KING



"Chersti’s edits always help me see the deeper changes that will shape my story into the one I’ve been trying to tell all along. Her experience with sci-fi and fantasy is a huge bonus, as she helps point out how I can use (and subvert!) tropes more effectively."

Shallee McArthur, author of THE UNHAPPENING OF GENESIS LEE

Services
Fiction
Dystopian Epic Fantasy Gaming & LitRPG Mystery & Crime Romantic Fantasy Space Opera Thriller & Suspense Young Adult Fantasy
Languages
English (US)
Certifications
  • Bachelor of Arts in English
  • Minor in editing

Work experience

Cedar Fort

Dec, 2008 — Feb, 2009 (2 months)

-Reviewed queries and sorted through the slush pile
-Prepared prospective projects for acquisitions meetings
-Handled copyedits and proofing

I decided to leave the company to focus on my freelance career.

Self-employed

Sep, 2005 — Present

I work with a team of Story Analysts who consult on film, television, books, and plays to help create the strongest stories.

Leading Edge

Sep, 2005 — Jun, 2008 (over 2 years)

Editor at LEADING EDGE, a science fiction and fantasy magazine publisher. Once a manuscript was acquired, I oversaw the whole editing process, running editorial teams and doing all final edits myself, until the manuscript went to print.

- Reviewed queries and sorted through the slush pile
- Prepared prospective projects to pitch the head editor
- Worked developmentally with the manuscript
- Worked in all Science Fiction and Fantasy genres and sub-genres
- Ran trainings to educate on the nuances in the sub-genre fields

Portfolio

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson, the Mistborn series is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action.For a thousand years the ash fell and n... read more
Proofreading
Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Heir of Ra (Blood of Ra Book One)

M. Sasinowski

#1 Amazon New Release (Ancient Civilizations)Winner of the 2018 International Beverly Hills Book Award (Action/Adventure)"fast-paced and enthralling... marvelous plot... thought-provoking and ... read more
Editorial Assessment
Made with Reedsy
EXCHANGE: The Quantum Triangle Series: Book 1

Nowicki, Paul L

Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Warrior of the Wild

Levenseller, Tricia

Developmental Editing
The capable, confident, and occasionally ruthless heroine of Daughter of the Pirate King is back in this action-packed sequel that promises rousing high seas adventures and the perfect dash of... read more
Editorial Assessment
Seven Deadly Shadows

Courtney Alameda

This thrilling YA retelling of Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai features a girl tasked with saving the world from eternal darkness. Perfect for fans of Six of Crows and Marie Lu.Seventeen-year-old Kir... read more
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Isle of Dragons: The Ruler of Vansh (#3)

Thompson, L. A.

Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Isle of Dragons: The Hidden Library (#2)

Thompson, L. A.

Developmental Editing
Editorial Assessment
Made with Reedsy
City of Shards (Spellgiver Book 1)

Steve Rodgers

“A unique and exciting dark fantasy…” —Readers’ Favorite (5 star)Larin’s got big problems. His tendency to shout nonsense words at random has turned him into a pariah in the gang-infested Worm... read more
Copy Editing Proofreading
The Old Gods have seized control of the capital in an orgy of executions and murder. Now, Larin and the others flee for their lives, as the High Wizard’s creatures fall upon them like a steel ... read more
Copy Editing Proofreading
Made with Reedsy
Eloy's Legacy (The Eloy Trilogy Book 3)

Timmins, Kara

Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Eloy's Challenge (The Eloy Trilogy)

Timmins, Kara

Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Eloy's Discovery (The Eloy Trilogy Book 1)

Timmins, Kara

Proofreading
Editorial Assessment
Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Oceanworlds

J.P. Landau

If you were in awe of books like The Martian and 2001: A Space Odyssey or movies like Interstellar and Apollo 13, get ready for a story destined to become a Sci-Fi classic – one with the poten... read more
Editorial Assessment
Made with Reedsy
Rowena's Song

Dally, Ivy Charlotte

Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
AngelFire

Valen, Luke

Editorial Assessment
Made with Reedsy
The Magician's Sin

Alexander Thomas

Editorial Assessment
Copy Editing Proofreading
Made with Reedsy
The Cessation (Rift Space Book 1)

Brinkman, Christian

Editorial Assessment
Made with Reedsy
The Remorse (Rift Space Book 2)

Brinkman, Christian

Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment
Made with Reedsy
The Seekers of Genesis: Empyreal Roots

Walters, C. J.

Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Copy Editing Proofreading
Copy Editing Proofreading
Stronger

Woodland, Lani

Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Sentenced to death by the man she loves . . .Jade has no control over her future. She is the Emmía, the girl whose magical blood keeps her kingdom’s cursed soil fertile and ensures the surviva... read more
Developmental Editing
Author Dan Wells is back with the sequel to the sci-fi blockbuster Partials, which Pittacus Lore called a "thrilling sci-fi adrenaline rush, with one of the most compelling and frightening vis... read more
Copy Editing
Just when Fredrick Whithers thought his life couldn't get any more complicated, he is asked to arrange a funeral for a man who is very much not dead. In the companion to A Night of Blacker Dar... read more
Copy Editing Proofreading
Wrongly imprisoned, Frederick Whithers is desperate to commit the crime he's already being punished for: defrauding the bank out of a vast inheritance. He fakes his death to escape, but when h... read more
Copy Editing Proofreading
We call them demons, for lack of a better word, but the truth is something much more mysterious. In the I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER trilogy, the young sociopath John Cleaver killed three of them,... read more
Proofreading
What would it feel like to never forget? Or to have a memory stolen?Seventeen-year-old Genesis Lee has never forgotten anything. As one of the Mementi--a small group of genetically enhanced hu... read more
Developmental Editing
Beauty and the Beast fans: satisfy your fairy tale cravings with the New York Times bestseller RED, a spellbinding adventure that features a brave heroine, plenty of pixies, a beast like no ot... read more
Editorial Assessment
Pitch Dark

Courtney Alameda

From Courtney Alameda, the author of Shutter, this thrilling, sci-fi horror and space adventure will be sure to stay with readers long after the last pages.Lost to time, Tuck Morgan and his cr... read more
Developmental Editing
Shutter

Courtney Alameda

Micheline Helsing is a tetrachromat -- a girl who sees the auras of the undead in a prismatic spectrum. As one of the last descendants of the Van Helsing lineage, she has trained since childho... read more
Developmental Editing

Chersti has 199 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Chris E.

Chris E.

Mar, 2024

This being my first novel, I am glad I chose Chersti for an editorial review. She not only gave me great feedback to make my book better, she made me a better writer. She provided a lot of useful information on dialogue, character arcs, formatting and word selection including examples from other books demonstrating this. For my novel, she provided valuable insights to tie smaller plots arcs tog...
Read more
Arabella F.

Arabella F.

Mar, 2024

You can't find a better editor! There are editors that can tell you what's wrong with your book, and that is really helpful, but when an editor can say, "This is exactly why this doesn't work and here's the scientific reason as to why, or the studies done, or X,Y,Z" that I've never ever considered–THAT'S an editor you wanna hang on to. I can see now the true depths of knowledge Chersti has abou...
Read more
Kyle M.

Kyle M.

Feb, 2024

I worked with Chersti on a full developmental edit and was very pleased with the results. Not only is she professional, experienced, and knowledgable about a range of genres, but she also showed a great deal of enthusiasm. At every stage of our collaboration, I felt like I was working with someone who was just as invested in my story as I was. And the edit itself was very comprehensive, coverin...
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Daniel C.

Daniel C.

Feb, 2024

Choosing Chersti N. was the best decision I made for my book’s editing needs. Not only did she possess an eye for detail, but she greatly helped enhance the flow and readability of my manuscript. This was all possible because Chersti demonstrated a deep understanding of my genre, providing insights that helped me strengthen my narrative and deepen character development, making it evident that ...
Read more
victoria S.

victoria S.

Feb, 2024

Chersti provided the perfect feedback and then some! I was floored with the amount of detail and care she took with my story. I would work with her again!

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