Amanda Karby – Editor

"I have been an editor for fifteen years and Amanda is the most thorough and comprehensive copyeditor I've worked with (or should it be "with whom I've worked"?—Amanda would be able to help with this one!). During all the years she copyedited PLEIADES, she never missed a deadline and always made our language keener. She goes above and beyond, delivering not just a style sheet and corrections but rationales and suggestions. Our authors were happy to have their work examined and strengthened by such an astute reader. I would give Amanda my highest recommendation."

—Phong Nguyen, author of BRONZE DRUM (Grand Central); former editor, PLEIADES

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When I was an undergraduate studying poetry and creative nonfiction, I imagined myself becoming an author one day. As I grew and learned, though, I realized my strongest skills actually lie on the other side of the manuscript.

Today I provide copyediting, line editing, and proofreading across a wide breadth of genres in literary, scholarly, and children's publishing. Novels, memoir, biographies, poetry collections, short story collections, children's books, scholarly monographs, dissertations, literary journals—if you can dream it, I've edited it! I strive to adapt my editorial approach to each manuscript while preserving the author's unique voice.

I hold a BA in English and Creative Writing from Hope College and an MA in Publishing and Writing from Emerson College. Early in my freelance journey, I spent five years as copyeditor for PLEIADES literary magazine, editing poetry, fiction, creative nonfiction, and book reviews. Alongside my freelance work, my professional career is based in scholarly publishing. I've working on over 100 books and countless academic journals at the US's foremost university presses and library publishing programs.

I view all forms of editing as collaborations between author and editor, and in these collaborations I prioritize communication, quality, and care. Partnering with an author to highlight their gifts is a true honor, and I would love to hear from you about your work!