Overview
I'm an independent book editor and writing consultant with eight years experience at two of New York's top publishing houses. First at Viking (an imprint of Penguin Random House), and then at Little, Brown and Company (an imprint of Hachette Book Group), I’ve worked closely with a range of acclaimed and award-winning authors, including Emma Donoghue, Maria Semple, Stacy Schiff, Chigozie Obioma, Edna O'Brien, and Matthieu Ricard.
As a reader, I'm drawn to character-driven literary fiction; novels with a whole lot of heart and humor; women’s, upmarket, and commercial reads; psychological suspense; narrative nonfiction; books that present a bigger picture about humanity or the world today through the lens of a more personal journey; and nonfiction that renders niche or obscure topics accessible and fascinating to a mainstream audience.
As an editor, what excites me is the chance to nourish your talent, strengthen your voice, polish your words, and help elevate your project to extraordinary heights.
In short? I'm passionate about the fiction and nonfiction stories we tell, and about finding ways to tell them even better -- together -- through collaboration, conversation, and creative language.
A sampling of services offered, to individuals as well as to organizations: manuscript and proposal development; comp title and market research; conceptual, line, and structural edits; copyediting and proofreading; copywriting and ghostwriting of brand materials, book proposals, and short-form content; content ideation and strategy; communications consulting; and storytelling coaching.
Let's talk! I can't wait to hear from you.
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Political Science & Current Affairs
Fiction
Cultural & Ethnic
Historical Fiction
Holiday
Humor & Comedy
LGBTQ Fiction
Literary Fiction
Mystery & Crime
Women's Fiction
Languages
English (CAN)
English (UK)
English (US)
Work experience
Self-employed
Jan, 2017 —
Present
I'm an independent book editor and writing consultant with eight years of experience at two of New York's finest publishing houses. First at Viking (an imprint of Penguin Random House), and then at Little, Brown and Company (an imprint of Hachette Book Group), I worked closely with a range of acclaimed and award-winning authors, such as Emma Donoghue, Edna O'Brien, Maria Semple, Stacy Schiff, Chigozie Obioma, Val Emmich, Mark Leyner, Matthieu Ricard, Marcia Clark, Whit Stillman, and Sarah Dunn. I've written for an assortment of online and print outlets, too, including DailyCandy, ELLEgirl, Variety, Thinkmap Visual Thesaurus, Art+Culture Projects, and Lola, a women's magazine published by The Boston Globe.
As a reader, I'm drawn to character-driven literary fiction; novels with a whole lot of heart and humor; women’s, upmarket, and commercial reads; psychological suspense; narrative nonfiction; books that present a bigger picture about humanity or the world today through the lens of a more personal journey; and nonfiction that renders niche or obscure topics accessible and fascinating to a mainstream audience. As an editor, what excites me is the chance to nourish your talent, strengthen your voice, polish your words, and help elevate your project to extraordinary heights.
In short? I'm passionate about the fiction and nonfiction stories we tell, and about finding ways to tell them even better through collaboration, conversation, and creative language.
A sampling of services offered, to individuals as well as to organizations: manuscript and proposal development; comp title and market research; conceptual, line, and structural edits; proofreading; copywriting; brand messaging and honing of tone; communications and storytelling coaching.
Little, Brown and Company
Feb, 2016 —
Jan, 2017
(11 months)
Recently published/forthcoming titles include:
"Love & Friendship" by Whit Stillman
"Rush Oh!" by Shirley Barrett
"Panorama" by Steve Kistulentz
"Every Other Weekend" by Zulema Renee Summerfield
"All is Beauty Now" by Sarah Faber
"The Drowning King" by Emily Holleman
Little, Brown and Company
Jul, 2012 —
Feb, 2016
(over 3 years)
Assistant Editor to Judy Clain, Vice President and Editor in Chief at Little, Brown, as well as to Michael Pietsch, CEO of Hachette Book Group, for select Little, Brown authors; closely worked on and edited both fiction and nonfiction titles; managed projects from manuscript stage through to initial publication, and beyond; evaluated submissions; wrote reader reports, fact sheets, flap copy, verso, marketing, and publicity materials; crafted discussion questions and reading group guides for book club usage; steered cover design direction; ran P&L statements and drafted contracts for new acquisitions; built and maintained strong agent and author relationships and handled the day-to-day communications with them; coordinated with other departments in-house to ensure production schedules progressed in a timely fashion.
Some of the brilliant writers I've had the honor of editing: Emma Donoghue, Edna O'Brien, Chigozie Obioma, Whit Stillman, Anne Korkeakivi, Elizabeth Bard, Marcia Clark, Matthieu Ricard, Hannah Kent, Mary Simses, Shirley Barrett, Polly Dugan, Sarah Faber, Kimberly Meyer, Alice Adams, and Scott Spencer (as Chase Novak).
Some of the talented authors whose works I'm proud to have helped publish and connect to enthusiastic readers over the years: J.K. Rowling, Stacy Schiff, Maria Semple, Donna Tartt, Malala Yousafzai, David Foster Wallace, Whit Stillman, Mark Leyner, Ayad Akhtar, and Liza Klaussmann.
Viking Penguin
May, 2009 —
Jul, 2012
(about 3 years)
Assisted two editors at Viking Penguin; worked on both fiction and nonfiction titles; edited manuscripts; evaluated submissions; wrote reader reports, book briefs, flap copy, verso, marketing, and publicity materials; handled permissions; created P&L's and OAM's for new acquisitions; managed contract routings and check requests; coordinated with other departments to ensure production schedules progressed in a timely fashion.
Some of the authors I had the pleasure of working with while at Viking Penguin: Danielle Trussoni, Beverly Donofrio, Sally Koslow, Kim Edwards, Tana French, Daniel Ladinsky, Alex Gilvarry, Jessica Tuccelli, Twesigye Jackson Kaguri, Jan Karon, Garry Wills, Margaret George, Ann Ross, Nancy Goldstone, and Jennifer Niven.
Taken Quite Seriously magazine
Sep, 2008 —
Aug, 2009
(11 months)
Founded contemporary arts, culture, and thought magazine with a focus on the print book as interactive, collectible object; responsible for creative branding and packaging of publication, as well as layout and design; assigned articles, with a focus on the aesthetic and unusual, to a selection of writers and photographers; interviewed and collaborated with various cutting-edge figures in the literary, art/design, and music worlds, including Tao Lin, Jay Cantor, Tanit Sakakini, Arakawa and Madeline Gins, Daedelus, and Paulo Reachi.
DailyCandy
May, 2008 —
May, 2009
(about 1 year)
Scouted local businesses, happenings, talent and trends; wrote weekend guide items and full page features; crafted succinct and witty copy; used persuasive language to market concepts and products to subscribers.
Portfolio
In Marcia Clark's most electrifying thriller yet, Los Angeles District Attorney Rachel Knight investigates a horrifying high school massacre. A Columbine-style shooting at a high school in the San Fernando Valley has left a community shaken to its core. Two st... read more
From the author of the worldwide bestseller Room: "Her greatest achievement yet...Emma Donoghue shows more than range with FROG MUSIC--she shows genius." -- Darin Strauss, author of Half a LifeSummer of 1876: San Francisco is in the fierce grip of a record-bre... read more
Ancient Egypt, 51 B.C. Sisters Arsinoe and Cleopatra face a devastating choice: to allow Rome's army to siphon power from their ailing father, or to take matters-and the dynasty-into their own handsIt's the dawn of a new era for Egypt as Cleopatra and her brot... read more
"A careful, detailed, hard-nosed assessment of what is needed both for individual happiness and for the welfare of the planet.... This book is so rich, so diverse...that it is best kept as an inspiring resource to be consulted over many years." Wall Street Jou... read more
An arresting and absorbing novel that spans decades, drawing us into the turbulent lives of a family in Southern California after the sudden death of the fatherBeginning in 1962 with a shocking loss, Shining Sea quickly pulls us into the lives of forty-three -... read more
Perfect for fans of J. Courtney Sullivan's The Engagement or Graeme Simpson's The Rosie Project, The Reminders follows what happens when a girl who can't forget befriends a man who's desperate to remember.Grief-stricken over his partner Sydney's death, Gavin s... read more
A striking debut novel about an unforgettable childhood, by a Nigerian writer the New York Times has crowned "the heir to Chinua Achebe."Told by nine-year-old Benjamin, the youngest of four brothers, THE FISHERMEN is the Cain and Abel-esque story of a childhoo... read more
A Chicago Review of Books Most Anticipated Fiction Book of 2018A New York Post and Entertainment Weekly Must-Read Book "Fast-paced, energetic, searing. There are moments in Steve Kistulentz's Panorama that will take your breath away." ---Daniel Alarcón, author... read more
From the creator of the sensation Postmodern Jukebox--with millions of fans globally--comes an inspirational memoir about discovering what you love and turning it into a creative movement. With student loan debt piling up and no lucrative gigs around the corne... read more
Perfect for fans of J. Courtney Sullivan's The Engagement or Graeme Simsion's The Rosie Project, The Reminders follows what happens when a girl who can't forget befriends a man who's desperate to remember.Grief-stricken over his partner Sydney's death, Gavin s... read more
*NOW A MAJOR FILM STARRING KATE BECKINSALE, CHLOE SEVIGNY & STEPHEN FRY* ACCLAIM FOR THE BOOK: "Lady Susan remains deliciously wicked" (Vogue); "Very, very funny" (New York Times), "[A] delicately sincere inversion of Austen's amused irony" (New York Review of... read more
A debut novel about an imaginative girl in the year following her parents' divorce, and what happens when her creeping premonition that something terrible will happen comes true in the most unexpected of ways.A Barnes & Noble Discover PickThe year is 1988, and... read more
The New York Times bestselling author of The Case for Impeachment reveals the founders’ biggest mistake―leaving voting rights to the discretion of individual states―and shows that gerrymandering and voter suppression have a long history.“[An] important book… [... read more
From the author of Burial Rites, "a literary novel with the pace and tension of a thriller that takes us on a frightening journey towards an unspeakable tragedy."-Paula Hawkins, bestselling author of The Girl on the Train and Into the WaterBased on true events... read more
NATIONAL BESTSELLER“Lichtman has written what may be the most important book of the year.” —The Hill"It is still striking to see the full argument unfold and realize that you don’t have to be a zealot to imagine some version of it happening…Lies. Abuse of powe... read more
*In development with HBO as a series starring Julia Roberts* * Instant New York Times Bestseller * Named a Notable Book of 2016 by the Washington Post, one of Amazon's Top 100 Books of the Year, one of New York Times Book Review's 100 Notable Books, one of The... read more
Four friends. Twenty years. One unexpected journey. Eva, Benedict, Sylvie, and Lucien graduate in 1997, into an exhilarating world on the brink of the new millennium. Hopelessly in love with playboy Lucien and keen to shrug off the socialist politics of her ch... read more
Pulitzer Prize winner Stacy Schiff, author of the #1 bestseller Cleopatra, provides an electrifying, fresh view of the Salem witch trials. The panic began early in 1692, over an exceptionally raw Massachusetts winter, when a minister's niece began to writhe an... read more
The astonishing first-person account of Mississippi pioneer woman struggling to survive, protect her family and make a home in the early American SouthNear the end of her life, Mary Mann Hamilton (1866 - c.1936) began recording her experiences in the backwoods... read more
Named a Notable Book of 2016 by the Washington Post, one of Kirkus Reviews' "Best 100 Fiction Books of 2016," and one of Fresh Air's Maureen Corrigan's 10 Best Books of 2016*The latest masterpiece by Emma Donoghue, bestselling author of Room* In the latest mas... read more
A fiercely beautiful novel about one woman's struggle to reclaim a life shattered by betrayal, from one of the greatest storytellers of our time One night, in the dead of winter, a mysterious stranger arrives in the small Irish town of Cloonoila. Broodingly ha... read more
*USA Today Bestseller* Named one of the 9 Most Addictive Books of 2017 (So Far) by Kirkus, a Happily Ever After read by USA Today, one of Entertainment Weekly's Best New Books and one of Apple's Best Books of the year so far. A hilarious and emotionally charge... read more
All hell breaks loose in the liberal bubble when a mother's life spirals out of control when she's forced to rethink her bleeding heart ideals. For Karen Kipple, it isn't enough that she works full-time in the non-profit sector for an organization that helps c... read more
Escape to Provence this summer with the "brave, funny" sequel to Elizabeth Bard's bestselling Lunch in Paris (Diane Johnson).Ten years ago, New Yorker Elizabeth Bard followed a handsome Frenchman up a spiral staircase to a love nest in the heart of Paris. Now,... read more
An impassioned, charming, and hilarious debut novel about a young woman's coming-of-age, during one of the harshest whaling seasons in the history of New South Wales. 1908: It's the year that proves to be life-changing for our teenage narrator, Mary Davidson, ... read more
A brilliant literary debut, inspired by a true story: the final days of a young woman accused of murder in Iceland in 1829.Set against Iceland's stark landscape, Hannah Kent brings to vivid life the story of Agnes, who, charged with the brutal murder of her fo... read more
Set against the seductive world of 1960s Rio de Janeiro, an exquisite debut novel about family secrets, divided loyalties, and what we're willing to do to save ourselves.This mesmerizing first novel follows a glamorous family as they prepare to leave the seemi... read more
* Tune in to the Hallmark Movies and Mysteries channel on October 2nd, 2016 for the premiere of The Irresistible Blueberry Farm, based on Mary Simses' bestselling THE IRRESISTIBLE BLUEBERRY BAKESHOP & CAFÉ * A woman finds love and closure, and rediscovers hers... read more
In this digital-only short story, DA Rachel Knight and her besties take a Caribbean vacation and end up solving a crime.With her besties Bailey and Toni in tow, Rachel leaves work and rainy LA behind and sets off for a much needed vacation in Aruba. Greeted by... read more
Two teenagers struggle with a horrific family legacy in the sequel to Chase Novak's novel, Breed. Thirteen years ago, a radical fertility doctor helped bring Adam and Alice Twisden into the world. The treatment came at a great cost: it turned the twins' parent... read more
To a mother and daughter on an illuminating pilgrimage, this is what the desert said: Carry only what you need. Burn what can't be saved. Leave the remnants as an offering. When Kimberly Meyer gave birth to her first daughter, Ellie, during her senior year of ... read more
A widow and her husband's best friend fall in love, but even if it's what the husband wanted, is it real?Firefighter Leo McGeary has always joked that, in the event of his death, he wants Garrett, his best friend and a consummate bachelor, to marry his wife, A... read more
Amanda has 5 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
Value
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Michelle R.
Mar, 2018
Tom S.
Feb, 2018
Irene P.
Dec, 2017
Kathleen M.
Nov, 2017
Edward C.
Aug, 2017
