Aja Pollock

Aja Pollock – Editor

Making sure your prose sings, your facts and story are straight, and your unique voice shines through.

Overview

My mission is to enable writers to connect with readers through clear and vibrant prose. I approach every project with sensitivity and respect for the author's voice and vision. For me, the goal of every edit, no matter how big or small, is to build a stronger bridge between writer and reader.


For more than fifteen years, I've been a freelance editor for Simon & Schuster (where I began my trade publishing career as an in-house production editor), Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, and Macmillan as well as smaller houses and self-publishing authors. My reputation as a sensitive, careful, and thoughtful editor has brought me manuscripts from just about every genre by an incredibly diverse array of authors, from first-time novelists to beloved, long-established writers, from twentysomething bloggers to globe-trotting journalists with decades of experience, and even a former president, for good measure.


And now a few words from authors who were kind enough to thank me in their books:


[Thank you to] everyone at Scribner—especially copy editor Aja [P.],* who knew the correct spelling of “Yog-Sothoth.”

--Patton Oswalt, author of Zombie Spaceship Wasteland


Our sincere thanks also go to Aja [P.], our sharp-eyed copy editor, whose thoroughness and flair for culture high and not-so-high are an exceedingly rare combination.

--Dade Hayes and Dawn Chmielewski, authors of Binge Times


Copy editor Aja [P.]'s eagle eye took the book to a higher level.

--Bill Parcells and Nunyo Demasio, authors of Parcells: A Football Life


Aja [P.] is not only a brilliant copy editor but saved me countless times from undoubtedly incurring the wrath of horror fans everywhere with careless mistakes.

--Adam Rockoff, author of The Horror of It All


My copy editor, Aja [P.], saved me from countless errors.

--H. D. S. Greenway, author of Foreign Correspondent


Special thanks to Aja [P.] for all the ways you bettered the manuscript.

--Lauren Weisberger, author of Revenge Wears Prada


And [thanks] especially to Aja [P.], my copy editor, an unsung hero, who was meticulous and supersmart.

--Rachel Greenwald, author of Have Him at Hello


*Reedsy requires editors to redact their last names on their profiles.


Services
Non-Fiction
Art Biographies & Memoirs Entertainment Music
Fiction
Fantasy Historical Fiction Humor & Comedy Literary Fiction Mystery & Crime Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction
Languages
English (US)
Certifications
  • NYU Summer Publishing Institute
  • BA in Medieval Culture from Brown University

Work experience

on my porch, at a coffee shop, in far-flung places . . .

Apr, 2004 — Present

Freelance copy editor, line editor, and development editor for publishers large and small, as well as self-published authors.

Simon & Schuster

Mar, 2004 — Mar, 2006 (about 2 years)

Portfolio

The Glass Hotel: A novel

Mandel, Emily St. John

Born to Run

Bruce Springsteen

[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG /> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif] “Writing about yourself is a funny business…But in a project like this, the writer has made one promise, to show the reader his mind. In these pages, I’v... read more
Named a New York Times Notable Book of 2018, and a Best Book of 2018 by NPR, The New York Times Book Review, Amazon, The Boston Globe, LitHub, Vulture, Slate, Elle, Vox, and Electric Literature."Tana French’s best and most intricately nuanced novel yet." -- Th... read more
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER"Ultra-readable." –Vogue "Equal parts cotton candy and red meat, in the best way." –People "Wolitzer’s social commentary can be as funny as it is queasily on target.” –Wall Street Journal"Wolitzer is one of those rare writers who creat... read more
Will be shipped from US. Used books may not include companion materials, may have some shelf wear, may contain highlighting/notes, may not include CDs or access codes. 100% money back guarantee.
All Fall Down: A Novel

Jennifer Weiner

From a #1 New York Times bestselling author comes her “best book yet” (Philadelphia Inquirer), a “compulsively readable” novel that shows “there’s no doubt Weiner knows how to deliver a certain kind of story, and well” (The New York Times Book Review).Allison ... read more
A powerful historical novel by the late Ariana Franklin and her daughter Samantha Norman, The Siege Winter is a tour de force mystery and murder, adventure and intrigue, a battle for a crown, told by two courageous young women whose fates are intertwined in tw... read more
From the acclaimed filmmaker, artist, and bestselling author of No One Belongs Here More Than You, a spectacular debut novel that is so heartbreaking, so dirty, so tender, so funny—so Miranda July—that readers will be blown away.Here is Cheryl, a tightly-wound... read more
Wool

Hugh Howey

For suspense-filled, post-apocalyptic thrillers, Wool is more than a self-published ebook phenomenon―it’s the new standard in classic science fiction.In a ruined and toxic future, a community exists in a giant silo underground, hundreds of stories deep. There,... read more
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of 2015 Reality TV and advanced technology make for high drama in this political thriller that combines the military action of Zero Dark Thirty with the classic science fiction of The Forever War.Lieutenant James Shelley, who has ... read more
In Chaucer's London, betrayal, murder, royal intrigue, mystery, and dangerous politics swirl around the existence of a prophetic book that foretells the deaths of England's kings. Bruce Holsinger's A Burnable Book is an irresistible historical thriller reminis... read more
Legendary and iconic singer, songwriter, actress and activist Cyndi Lauper offers a personal account of the journey that led her to become an international superstar.Legendary and iconic singer-songwriter Cyndi Lauper offers a poignant account of the journey t... read more
The autobiography every true American has been waiting for: a shockingly candid and raw confessional from a national treasure.From his humble beginnings in a desolate Iowa coal mining town, his years at Our Lady Queen of Chewbacca High School to his odds-defyi... read more
New York Times bestselling author, comedian, and actor Patton Oswalt shares his entertaining memoir about coming of age as a performer and writer in the late ’90s while obsessively watching classic films at the legendary New Beverly Cinema in Los Angeles.Betwe... read more
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERKim Gordon, founding member of Sonic Youth, fashion icon, and role model for a generation of women, now tells her story—a memoir of life as an artist, of music, marriage, motherhood, independence, and as one of the first women of rock ... read more
Yes Please

Amy Poehler

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER Do you want to get to know the woman we first came to love on Comedy Central's Upright Citizens Brigade? Do you want to spend some time with the lady who made you howl with laughter on Saturday Night Live, and in movies like Baby M... read more
Named one of the most anticipated novels of the year by New York Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, Entertainment Weekly, Cosmopolitan, Harper’s Bazaar, Publishers Weekly, The Huffington Post, and more. From New York Times and internationally bestselling autho... read more
The Melody Lingers On

Mary Higgins Clark

From #1 New York Times bestselling “Queen of Suspense” comes a thrilling novel about missing billions, a disgraced financier, and those determined to learn the truth at any cost…As the sole assistant to a famous upscale interior designer, Lane Harmon, mother t... read more
Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction and a finalist for the National Book Award!From the PEN/Hemingway Award-winning author of the critically acclaimed short story collection, Brief Encounters with Che Guevara, comes Billy Lynn's Long H... read more
Ken Follett’s magnificent new historical epic begins as five interrelated families move through the momentous dramas of the First World War, the Russian Revolution, and the struggle for women’s suffrage. A thirteen-year-old Welsh boy enters a man’s world in th... read more
A brilliantly imaginative and poignant fairy tale from the modern master of wonder and terror, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is Neil Gaiman’s first new novel for adults since his #1 New York Times bestseller Anansi Boys.This bewitching and harrowing tale of... read more
George W. Bush, the 43rd President of the United States, has authored a personal biography of his father, George H. W. Bush, the 41st President. Forty-three men have served as President of the United States. Countless books have been written about them. But ne... read more

Aja has 66 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Michelle S.

Michelle S.

Mar, 2024

Aja was wonderful to work with. This is my first book and she took the time to explain the differences with copy editing and proofreading. She then gave me a timeline for the project and returned it to me several days in advance of the promised date. She was very thorough with her edits and made extremely helpful comments. I had a couple questions after I reviewed everything and she was qui...
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Brian C.

Brian C.

Sep, 2023

This is the second time I've worked with Aja, and I would love to work with her again. Aja has excellent attention to detail and quickly adapts to an author's style of writing. I am genuinely honored that she worked on my project!
Brooke D.

Brooke D.

Sep, 2023

Aja was my first choice as a copyeditor, and I was thrilled when she responded quickly and showed interest in my manuscript. Her attention to detail is amazing, and her changes made my book stronger. She finished the project on time, always communicated well, and made sure all my questions were answered. Having my book edited to Big 5 standard is exciting, and I'm grateful to have been able to ...
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Ryan M.

Ryan M.

May, 2023

I like to think of a creative work, such as a manuscript, as a house. Aja ensured that my house wouldn’t collapse onto my head. Moreover, she turned it into a home.
Michele P.

Michele P.

Dec, 2022

Editing is everything when self-publishing. I have hired Aja several times for both my first novel, and my new manuscript. She is professional, always timely, easy to communicate with, and top of the game in her craft. When putting a book out there in the world independently, you need a village behind you to make sure it is as clean as possible, and that the words shine ... Aja is critical in m...
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