Angel Butts

Angel Butts – Editor

The devil is in the details! The Word Angel casts demons from scifi, suspense, romance, and research for Macmillan, Rutgers, and nonprofits.

Overview

After nearly two decades in the business, I've worked with just about everything. Pulitzer-prize-winning novels. Dissertations in sociology, anthropology, political science, economics, philosophy. Thrillers, mysteries, zombies, true crime, romance, erotica, scifi, and more zombies. Men who love dogs and the women who love them. Quantitative and qualitative research reports, journal articles, grant evaluations, and more.

I trained at MLA headquarters, I hold an MA (ABD) in sociology, and I love what I do.

I am not an official sensitivity reader, but I hope to become certified soon. I reject sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, and fat shaming, and I will call it out when I see it, every time I see it, in every manuscript I work on. This is not a crusade; it's a professional decision as much as a personal one. I firmly believe the majority of contemporary readers are alienated by such language. In 2021, both authors and editors should be educating themselves about things like, for example, how to write nonwhite and/or nonheteronormative characters in ways that do not perpetuate stereotypes or enduring harms. We can all do better. Let's do better together.

WHAT TO EXPECT

I am not shy in my feedback; expect to receive a heavily marked manuscript at the end of our contract. In the interest of both clarity and expediency, I am direct in my feedback; though none of my clients have ever mistaken this directness as stereotypical editorial disdain or hostility (it is not), they might agree that my services are not for the faint of heart.

That said, I work with the understanding that you are the driver of your property. I am simply here to make your work as polished as it can possibly be. In the end, it is entirely up to you to decide whether to accept any changes I suggest or follow any advice I provide, and I respect your voice and your decisions.

PRE-SUBMISSION CONSIDERATIONS

I am fortunate to have a very active client roster--even busier lately with the recent addition of Simon & Schuster. As a result, I typically book anywhere from one to four months in advance. (At the time of this writing, October 2021, I am booking new projects to begin in February 2022.)

I am fairly selective in the titles I choose to bid on.

I accept complete manuscripts only.

Note that I DO NOT OFFER DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING as a service.

PRICING

Please respect my time and consider this carefully before you send your request.

Expect my bid to come in around $600 per 10,000 words. It may vary a bit based on your sample and a few other factors (e.g., the work is part of a series, the theme is of particular interest, etc.), but it will be in that vicinity. Subsequent rounds and projects may be discounted unless part of a package.

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Though I welcome submissions of any genre or topic, I am particularly interested in receiving socially impactful works that seek not only to entertain their audience but also to elevate, educate, or enlighten. This may be as direct as a nonfiction book about the history of a particular social movement or as indirect as a romance novel in which gender equity is a central motivating force, or a sci fi novel that tackles income inequality or climate change.
Services
Fiction
Horror LGBTQ Fiction Mystery & Crime Romance Science Fiction Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction
Non-Fiction
Humanities & Social Sciences Political Science & Current Affairs True Crime
Languages
English (CAN) English (UK) English (US)

Work experience

Alexandra Chandler for U.S. Congress

Apr, 2018 — Oct, 2018 (6 months)

Worked closely with campaign manager and volunteers to schedule appearances for a candidate running for U.S. Congress in the 3rd District of Massachusetts in 2018. Prior to the campaign, I had performed a developmental edit on an editorial written by Ms. Chandler that appeared in the Washington Post.

Self-employed

Mar, 2015 — Present

Converted decade-plus side gig into a successful full-time endeavor. I copyedit, proofread, and correct files for print and online publication, build and maintain client list, generate and track all invoices, and maintain financial records.

Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York (SUNY)

Sep, 2008 — Dec, 2008 (3 months)

Taught one section of Introduction to Sociology.

Educational Testing Service

Jul, 2004 — Jul, 2012 (about 8 years)

Generated test items for the Sociology Teaching Licensure Exam (PRAXIS II/2012) and the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL/2004). Developed items within strict content guidelines to ensure each exam’s fairness and accessibility.

Rutgers University

Jun, 2003 — Dec, 2015 (over 12 years)

Courses Taught: Expository Writing, Mass Communication in Modern Society, Introduction to Sociology, Criminology, Sexuality and Society, Sociology of Deviant Behavior, Sociology of Sex and Gender

Modern Language Association (MLA)

Aug, 1997 — Dec, 2008 (over 11 years)

Duties under the managing editor of MLA publications included selecting reviewers and ensuring the timely review of submissions to literary journal PMLA and both corresponding with and preparing correspondence for journal editors, editorial board members, authors, and reviewers.
***
Duties under the production director included proofreading and correcting electronic files of MLA publications for the in-house electronic production department (formerly the typesetting department).
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Duties under the executive director included generating correspondence related to grant funding, governance, awards, and professional publications as well as creating and maintaining a historical archive of MLA actions.

Portfolio

Magnus "Steps" Craig is part of the elite three-man Special Tracking Unit of the FBI. Called in on special cases where his skills are particularly needed, he works as a tracker. The media dubs him "The Human Bloodhound," since Steps is renowned for his incredi... read more
The Prada Plan 5

Ashley Antoinette

In this explosive addition to the New York Times bestselling series, Ashley Antoinette brings you pain, pleasure, love, hate, as YaYa struggles to hold it all together before life blows up in her face, in The Prada Plan 5.Disaya finally has it all. The man she... read more
Watch Me

Jody Gehrman

"Riveting, chilling, and page-turning. Be prepared to stay up all night." -- New York Times bestselling author Lisa ScottolineFor fans of dark and twisty psychological thrillers, Watch Me is a riveting novel of suspense about how far obsession can go.Kate Youn... read more
The Debt of Tamar

Nicole Dweck

A USA TODAY Best seller!Bestselling author Nicole Dweck brings to life one of history's greatest yet overlooked stories of love and resilience.In 2002, thirty-two-year-old Selim Osman, the last descendant of Ottoman Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, flees Istan... read more
She’s been called vulgar, crass, sophomoric, offensive and dirty...and that was just in one article. But there’s so much more to talk show host, internet entrepreneur, and original YouTube sensation, Carrie Keagan. You may know her as host, writer, and produce... read more
From author Jenny D. Williams, a fresh new voice in fiction, comes her stunning debut novel The Atlas of Forgotten Places. Set against the backdrop of ivory smuggling and civil war in Uganda and the DR Congo, it is a story of two women from different worlds, b... read more
More than 2.7 million Weenies sold! Don't be a weenie. Read these stories. If you dare!Strikeout of the Bleacher Weenies is the eighth collection of spooky short stories for ages 8 to 12 by popular author David Lubar. This is the perfect pick for young readers... read more
The smash-hit series continues! Now, from out of the ashes of a devastated Woodbury, Georgia, two opposing camps of ragtag survivors develop―each one on a collision course with the other… Underground, in the labyrinth of ancient tunnels and mine shafts, Lilly ... read more
Written by Jay Bonansinga, based on the original series created by Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead: Descent follows the events of The Fall of the Governor, and Lilly Caul's struggles to rebuild Woodbury after the Governor's shocking demise. Out of the ashes o... read more
The third book in Robert Kirkman's New York Times bestselling series: The Walking Dead: The Fall of the Governor – Part One!The Walking Dead original novel series, set in the universe of Robert Kirkman's iconic comic book, continues with The Fall of the Govern... read more
The first book explained how the Governor was created; this thrilling sequel to The New York Times bestseller further reveals his ruthless, inhuman conquest of WoodburyThe zombie plague unleashes its horrors on the suburbs of Atlanta without warning, pitting t... read more
Pablo Escobar: My Father

Juan Pablo Escobar

THE POPULAR SERIES NARCOS CAPTURES ONLY HALF THE TRUTH. HERE, AT LAST, IS THE FULL STORY.THE INTERNATIONAL BEST SELLER!Until now, we believed that everything had been said about the rise and fall of Pablo Escobar, the most infamous drug kingpin of all time, bu... read more
Double Lucky

Jackie Collins

DROP DEAD BEAUTIFULFrom Miami to Beverly Hills, from Mexico City to Acapulco to Las Vegas, dynamically sexy Lucky Santangelo and sweet-as-sin daughter, Max, are turning up the heat. So is Anthony Bonar, the son of Lucky's one-time godfather and lethal enemy, E... read more
Circus of Wonders: A Novel

Macneal, Elizabeth

Zacharias doesn’t know a lot of things: who his parents are, where he came from, why he has horns and supernatural abilities. But he does know he hates rich, arrogant assholes like Vincent…Upon his first demonic transformation, Zacharias stumbles into the Unde... read more
Song of the Risen God is the climatic conclusion to the thrilling Coven Trilogy from New York Times bestselling author, R. A. Salvatore.War has come to Fireach Speur. The once forgotten Xoconai empire has declared war upon the humans west of the mountains, and... read more
Washington Post BestsellerWall Street Journal BestsellerUSA Today BestsellerPublishers Weekly BestsellerDo you want to change the course of your life?Do you want to be the best?The best manager, the best athlete, the best artist, the best speaker, the best par... read more
First Touch

Laurelin Paige

DESPERATE FOR THE TRUTH. OBSESSED BY DESIRE...Emily Wayborn is finally her own woman.After a string of shameful relationships and reckless partying with her best friend Amber, she’s now a successful voiceover actress, her wild past and everyone in it firmly be... read more
Cultivating Compassion offers an effective and highly sensitive psychodynamic approach for working with ADHD children and their parents. Conway seamlessly interweaves theory and practice to present a step-by-step guide to psychodynamic treatment that focuses o... read more
My Sweet Angel

John Glatt

Lacey Spears made international headlines in January 2015 when she was charged with the “depraved mind” murder of her five-year-old son Garnett. Prosecutors alleged that the 27-year old mother had poisoned him with high concentrations of salt through his stoma... read more
The Evil That Men Do

Robert Gleason

Robert Gleason brings his A-game to The Evil That Men Do, a terrorism thriller steeped with equal parts terror and witIncome inequality and the offshore hoarding of illicit black funds have reached such extremes that the earth’s democracies are in peril. The o... read more
Starlight Nights

Stacey Kade

In this sizzling companion to the critically acclaimed 738 Days, Stacey Kade once again creates a masterful combination of romance, angst, and thrills in the backdrop of a Hollywood film set.At twenty-two, Calista Beckett is trying to overcome her early fame a... read more
Polaris

Todd Tucker

“A riveting tale of warfare in the not too distant future. Tucker takes his technological know-how as a former nuclear submariner and masterfully weaves it into a sensational thriller that will leave you pondering the land- and sea-scape of armed conflicts yet... read more
Bea and Awilda have been best friends from the moment Awilda threw her fourteen year-old self across Bea’s twin-sized bed as if they had known each other forever. Bubbly, adventurous Awilda taught sheltered, shy Bea how to dress, wear her hair and what to do w... read more
The Greatest Risk

Kristen Ashley

A woman unable to connect, struggling to hide another part of her. A man burning to learn her truth, and make her whole. Through explosive passion and deep exploration, they are about to take the greatest risk of all. But will they be able to take that leap, a... read more
Then...Grigory "Grisha" Potemkin has had a successful long association with the powerful Empress Catherine of Russia. But Catherine and Grisha are older now and face new threats, both from powers outside of Russia and from those close to them. Haunted by the h... read more
A Man of His Own

Susan Wilson

Rick Stanton was a promising professional baseball player with dreams of playing in the major leagues and starting a family with his young wife, Francesca, when World War II changed everything. Rick returns from the war with his body broken and his dreams shat... read more
A sisters’ secret.A mysterious phenomenon.A murder that ties it all together.An emotional, suspenseful novel about the bond between sisters and the secrets we hold to keep our family safe, The Sisters of Blue Mountain by Karen Katchur is a thrilling mystery th... read more
Rival Forces

D. D. Ayres

DESIRE IS A FORCE TO BE RECKONED WITHWhen it comes to training K-9 patrol dogs, Yardley Summers always trusts her instincts. But when it comes to dating men, she keeps her heart on a very short leash. Mostly, she’s too busy with her four-legged trainees at Har... read more

Angel has 6 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Markus C.

Markus C.

Oct, 2022

Angel did an amazing job. There were a few grammatical errors she missed and some slight inconsistencies. But I understand that nothing is perfect and things can be missed as no one has a perfect eye. Overall, it was worth the money. Will be hiring her again.
Patrick B.

Patrick B.

Dec, 2021

Angel persevered through interruptions and long delays due to issues on my end. She remained professional and her editorial work was spot on. Her insight to my story was specific and accurate and although I wasn’t necessarily looking for content editing, the comments and observations she shared were very helpful.
Robert H.

Robert H.

Jun, 2021

Thank you for the wonderful insight to help me tell my first story.
Javier G.

Javier G.

Jan, 2021

Superb. I hired Angel for a copy edit, but she went above and beyond. Her corrections made my writing stronger. Now I can't wait to publish! As a bonus, her explanations behind each edit are lessons I get to take for my next projects. Angel has made me a better writer. An example: "I think it’s best to leave the value judgments to the reader. Your job is to paint the picture of the character...
Read more
Selene M.

Selene M.

Dec, 2020

I absolutely loved working with Angel! Her feedback was fantastic, her dev was very helpful and supportive, and her line edits caught so much that I missed or didn’t know. Phenomenal!
Angel B.
Thank you, Selene! It was a pleasure working with you, and I'm so pleased you were happy with my service. I look forward to seeing you in print!

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