Rachel Bass – Editor

With over five years of experience at Tor Books, and a keen eye for what makes a story work, I'm excited to help you get your book to the best place it can be! I have worked with such authors as Brandon Sanderson, Arkady Martine, T. Kingfisher, Annalee Newitz, A.K. Larkwood, Ryka Aoki, and Jenn Lyons (among others!)My specialties are adult fantasy and science fiction, with a particular love for character-driven stories, and unique narrative voices. I'm especially drawn to less-explored fantasy settings (i.e. somewhere other than medieval Europe), and am interested in queer characters and narratives in particular. I love witches and magic, folklore/fairy tale fantasy, space opera, time travel, as well as grounded speculative fiction. I have an affection for literary SF/F and LGBTQ+ retellings of classic stories—if you've got Shakespeare influences in your work, I'm all over it! I'm also very open to romance and romantic elements.TESTIMONIALS"From our very first introduction, Rachel approached my work with such deep respect and thoughtfulness that it felt as if we were old friends. She was able to pick up on so many minute yet pivotal logic gaps in my worldbuilding and character development that, unnoticed, would have detracted from the overall story. She is equal parts editing whiz, book champion, and author advocate. I so dearly loved working with her on The Endless Skies and wouldn't hesitate to work with her again in the future. Thank you, Rachel!"—Shannon Price, author of A Thousand Fires and The Endless Skies

“Rachel’s edits are precise, thoughtful, and interactive in the best way. Both her in-line comments and edit letters are focused, meaningful, and cut through to the heart of the story, character, and theme of the work. Your writing will be better simply by giving her a chance to read it.”—Sarah Henning, author of The Kingdoms of Sand and Sky series

"Rachel is a pleasure to work with - perceptive, thoughtful, and supportive. With a keen eye for detail, as well as a broader awareness of the work’s overall structure, Rachel communicated her ideas honestly and respectfully, always taking the time to explain the reasoning behind her suggestions. Working through her in-line comments was a joy - not only did she deftly identify issues, she also gave me the encouragement I needed to confidently fix them. AFTER THE FOREST is a stronger book because of Rachel. I look forward to working with her again!"—Kell Woods, author of the upcoming After the Forest