Alana Joli Abbott

Alana Joli Abbott – Editor

Editor, proofreader, author, and game designer with 20 years experience specializing in science fiction, fantasy, and children's nonfiction.

Overview

As an editor and author, I've been on both sides of the table, and I know how it feels to receive critiques—which means I do my very best to make receiving my comments a positive experience, whether I'm working with you on line and developmental editing, copy editing, or proofreading. In my position of Editor in Chief at Outland Entertainment, I have provided developmental and line editing for a number of projects, including Robert Duperre's Knights Eternal series, Scott Colby's most recent Deviant Magic books, CG Volar's Static over Space: Gravity and Lies, Gwendolyn N. Nix's Sharks of the Wastelands, and more. I copy edit and proofread a number of titles in Outland's fiction and gaming departments, as well. I have also co-edited fantasy and science fiction anthologies including: Kaiju Rising 2: Reign of Monsters, Knaves: A Blackguards Anthology, Where the Veil Is Thin, APEX: World of Dinosaurs, Bridge to Elsewhere, and Never Too Old to Save the World. Through Reedsy, I have worked with self-published authors including Holly Ash, E. R. Donaldson, and Rayna Stiner as a copy editor, and have finished developmental edits for several authors seeking representation or traditional publishing opportunities.

Additionally, I work with clients to provide editorial and project management services for educational and reference projects. For Red Line, I have been working on series for elementary school students on digital privacy (ABDO) and infectious diseases (Capstone). I copy edited the forthcoming new edition of Writing that Works for Lumina Datamantics. I also provide ongoing project management, content development, and editorial services for the Something about the Author autobiography project for Gale Cengage.

While I am primarily interested in new assignments as an editor and would love to work directly with more authors, I am also a content creator. I am the author of novels Into the Reach, Departure, and Regaining Home, interactive multiple choice novel apps including Choice of Kung Fu and Choice of the Pirate, and comics including Cowboys and Aliens II and Ithaca. My game design work has been featured in Tiny Dungeon 2e: The Hatchling Edition, Steampunk Musha, the award winning Serenity Adventures, and Dungeon and Dragon magazines. I'm a frequent contributor to Kirkus Reviews and write articles on pop culture for Den of Geek and books for Paste Magazine.

I am currently only available for copy editing and proofreading assignments through Reedsy.
Services
Fiction
Anthologies Comics & Graphic Novels Epic Fantasy Gaming & LitRPG Space Opera Time Travel
Non-Fiction
Children’s Non-Fiction
Languages
English (US)
Awards
  • Ennie Award
Certifications
  • Denver Publishing Institute Certificate in Publishing

Work experience

Outland Entertainment

May, 2016 — Present

 Served as co-editor for anthologies, including Kaiju Rising 2: Reign of Monsters and Knaves, both 2018; Where the Veil Is Thin, 2020; APEX: World of Dinosaurs, 2021; Bridge to Elsewhere, 2022; and Never Too Old to Save the World, 2023.
 Oversaw the acquisition and publication of all Ragnarok Publications titles, Febraury 2017-November 2017.
 Collaborated on Kickstarter crowdfunding and publicity campaigns, creating press releases and promotional articles.
 Managed staff and freelancers in the editorial department, providing point of contact for three editors.
 Mentored and managed solo writers, writer teams, and artists for fiction, comic, and role playing game projects.
 Provided line editing, copy editing, proofing, and ARC creation services for the department in novels, anthology, game, and comics projects.
 Created the publication schedule in tandem with the Creative Director and Publisher.

Self-employed

Mar, 2004 — Present

 Writer, editor, and proofreader for clients including Gale Cengage, Cengage Learning, Amerpsand Editorial, PrimeInk Solutions, High Beam, Red Line, Lumina, Schlager Group, and Branford Patch, 2004--.
 Writer, editor, and game designer for clients including Wizards of the Coast, Choice of Games, White Silver Publishing, Gallant Knight Games, and Ghostfire, 2005--.
 Reviewer for School Library Journal, Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, Mythprint, Flames Rising, Black Gate, Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award, Den of Geek, and Paste Magazine, 2006--.
 Worked as a Junior Project Manager, with the primary responsibility of finding and selecting assets, on a series of nursing education courses for PreMedia Global/Pearson, 2011-12.
 Comic writer and editor for clients including Platinum Studios.

Gale Cengage

Nov, 2000 — Jan, 2004 (about 3 years)

Editor, September 2002-January 2004; Associate Editor, June 2001-August 2002;
Assistant Editor, November 2000-May 2001; Thomson Gale, Farmington Hills, MI
 Managed the autobiographical essay project, receiving content from prestigious authors and preparing it for publication through a copy editing and typesetting process, for Contemporary Authors and Something about the Author (SATA).
 Coordinated freelance work for Major Authors and Illustrators for Children and Young Adults (MAICYA), an eight volume product, and coordination for freelance copy editors for all other products on the team.
 Helped develop and maintain a budget of $97,000 for MAICYA.
 Lead the Ambassador’s Program in the company-wide diversity initiative, 2001-2002.
 Served as project editor of SATA, coordinating content for nine volumes per year and managing the budget of each volume.

Portfolio

Warlock 5

Cullen B.

The Grid is a mystical nexus, a crossroads connecting all times and all realities. Along the ley lines of the Grid, the multiverse clusters. To move along the Grid is to move from one reality to the next. To harness the power of the Grid is to harness the awes... read more
A medieval swindler gets caught with his proverbial pants down; a foolproof plan to pick up some cash via AI, until things take an unexpected and deadly turn; a legendary bodyguard is hired to protect precious cargo, but who will protect the cargo from him? Th... read more
It should have been a routine rescue mission Lieutenant Commander Crystal Wolf could lead in her sleep: go in, restore life support, and evacuate the colonists of Stapleton Farms if things went south. But when the true identity of Stapleton Farms’ leader is re... read more
Cholera is a deadly bacteria that lives in the soil and water. It infects millions of people every year. Read this book to learn more about the history of the infectious disease known as the blue death.
Ebola is a highly contagious virus that is spread through bodily fluids. It first appeared in 1976 and has spread across sub-Saharan Africa. Read this book to learn more about the history of this infectious disease.
Measles is an infectious rash that killed millions of people every year before a vaccine was created in 1963. Read this book to learn more about the history of this infectious disease.
For many years, patients with tuberculosis had to live in sanitoriums to stop the spread of infection. Treatments included removing ribs and lungs. Read this book to learn more about the history of the infectious disease known as the white death.
Sugar makes foods sweet. It is found naturally in many foods and is added to others. Too much sugar can cause health problems. Your Body on Sugar uncovers the nutritional benefits of sugar, how it interacts with the body, and how to include it as part of a bal... read more
In a universe where the descendants of Neanderthals dominate access to technology, half-Neanderthal Patch and her brother have inherited an old space hauler and a mountain of debt. As they scramble to ward off debt collectors, Patch faces danger from another s... read more
When Mimi goes to bed in her mansion in California and finds herself unexpectedly thrown into a gunfight in Siberia she realizes that maybe there’s more to her relationship with her old, shapeshifting dog. Back together, Mimi and Ky must try to understand and ... read more
It's been a thousand years since the Rising. Earth is a wasteland, and a holy order of knights is all that stands between what remains of civilization and the brigands and demons trying to bring it all down. When the oldest of these knights, Abe, isn't trying ... read more
What if an ancient god escaped his fate and history was thrown to the wolves? Churchwarden Michaels thought it was just a run-of-the-mill crazy old man who stood in the graveyard, hellbent on studying the 1,000-year-old Viking memorial there. But when things s... read more
An easy-to-use source for librarians, students and other researchers, each volume in this series provides illustrated biographical profiles of approximately 75 childrens authors and artists. This critically acclaimed series covers more than 12, 000 individuals... read more
Designed for smaller libraries, Major Authors and Illustrators includes more than 1,050 updated and revised sketches from the award-winning Gale series, Something about the Author®-- more than 150 of these are brand-new to this edition. The set covers the most... read more
Your students and users will find biographical information on approximately 300 modern writers in this volume of Contemporary Authors®.
In the land of Eranon, the Reach is a desolate place where people journey to forget who they are. Now, a menace rises from this wasteland, and he is hunting for someone. To keep the madman and his chaos behind the Reach, four adventurers with haunted pasts mus... read more
War has come to the Reach. When his minions fail to deliver Nara al'Sheed, Zychariss, the most powerful necromancer in Eranon, takes matters into his own bony hands. As undead soldiers and demons surround them, Nara, Taru, Kennerly, and Lydia must raise an arm... read more
Called to face the pasts they hoped to leave behind, Lydia, Kennerly, Nara, and Taru leave the Reach for the homes they once knew. There, new enemies have been set against them, driven by the same dark force they hoped they had defeated. Now the people they on... read more
We are surrounded. A wealthy man hunts the kaiju that killed his daughter on an island inhabited by mega-fauna. They are everywhere. By the light of a campfire a young girl shares the true story of the epic brawl that caused Hurricane Irene. There is no escape... read more

Alana Joli has 41 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Thomas B.

Thomas B.

May, 2023

Alana was incredible to work with. Her comments throughout the book were not only informative, but validating, entertaining, and overall made the entire process both fun and engaging! I had been looking for an editor like Alana my entire writing career, and I am so thankful I was able to get her to edit my novel. You will love working with Alana, and you will have a better novel after she works...
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Alana Joli A.
Thank you so much for the high praise! I had a phenomenal time in your world, and I hope to get the chance to return there on a future assignment. You're a fantastic collaborator, which makes my jo...
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Karen M.

Karen M.

Apr, 2023

Alana did a fantastic job of editing my manuscript, completely exceeding my expectations! Her wonderful suggestions, insightful comments, attention to detail and quick response made our collaboration a breeze. I will definitely hire her again. Thank you, Alana!
Alana Joli A.
I'm looking forward to learning more of the story, Karen! It was great working with you.
Andrew M.

Andrew M.

Mar, 2023

Alana was absolutely excellent to work with. She exceeded all of our expectations. This was the third time our work has been proofread and I wish we would have found Alana sooner. Her attention to the fine details and quick responses to any of our questions was perfect!
Alana Joli A.
I had such a great time working on this! I'm looking forward to collaborating again.
Tyler K.

Tyler K.

Feb, 2023

Alana is awesome to work with. Very patient with a wonderful understanding of story flow and what makes characters great. This was our second collaboration together and I'm looking forward to the third!
Alana Joli A.
I can't wait for book three! :)
James O.

James O.

Nov, 2022

Very Satisfied!!!
Alana Joli A.
Thanks so much, James! I really enjoyed working on this with you!