Anne Brewer - Editor
Former senior editor with 10 years' experience at traditional and indie publishers. Specializing in mystery, historical, and WF.
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Overview
As an editor with 10 years’ experience working at both Big Five and indie publishers in NYC, I look forward to bringing my skills and experience to helping you polish your very best manuscript.
After graduating from Harvard College, I worked at St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, Thomas Dunne Books, and Crooked Lane Books, where I published award-winning and bestselling books. I've worked on a wide variety of fiction, from light cozy mysteries to dark crime thrillers; from sweeping historical sagas to bubbly commercial women's; from serious literary tomes to fantastical YA. I love that the editorial process allows me to get to know both an author and his/her characters, as well as the world he/she's created. My favorite part of the job is working collaboratively with an author to bring out the very best version of his/her work.
Testimonials:
After graduating from Harvard College, I worked at St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, Thomas Dunne Books, and Crooked Lane Books, where I published award-winning and bestselling books. I've worked on a wide variety of fiction, from light cozy mysteries to dark crime thrillers; from sweeping historical sagas to bubbly commercial women's; from serious literary tomes to fantastical YA. I love that the editorial process allows me to get to know both an author and his/her characters, as well as the world he/she's created. My favorite part of the job is working collaboratively with an author to bring out the very best version of his/her work.
Testimonials:
“Anne is a brilliant editor. She’s rare in that she is both an amazing line editor, and someone who can help a writer think conceptually about plot, structure and architecture. It’s no coincidence that in a long literary career, my first bestseller was edited by Anne."
—Thomas Christopher Greene, author of The Headmaster's Wife
"Anne gives the kind of structural edits an author dreams of: with an acute eye, she identifies the problem, is happy to talk it through and offer suggestions, and then is every bit as happy when her author solves it in an entirely different way."
—Judith Flanders, New York Times bestselling author of A Howl of Wolves and The Invention of Murder
"Working with Anne was a wonderful experience. She not only has a keen sense of what makes a strong plot and story, but a meticulous eye for detail. Her insights not only helped me to elevate my book to the next level, but to quickly land a wonderful agent."
--Agnes Blum, author of I Don't Forgive You
Languages
English (CAN)
English (UK)
English (US)
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
Historical Fiction
Mystery & Crime
Thriller & Suspense
Women's Fiction
Work experience
Freelance Editor
Self-employed
May, 2018
–
Present
(almost 5 years)
Senior Acquisitions Editor
Crooked Lane Books
February, 2016
–
May, 2018
(about 2 years)
Acquired female-oriented crime fiction of all stripes: cozies, traditional, historical, procedurals, thrillers, medium boiled, psychological suspense, and more. Wrote commercial book concepts and story bibles. Developed and oversaw strategy to grow the business of a new independent publisher.
Editor
Thomas Dunne Books/Minotaur Books
June, 2010
–
January, 2016
(over 5 years)
Editor for mysteries and thrillers; women's fiction; historical fiction; YA; general nonfiction. Acquired and developed manuscripts; oversaw the in-house production process; managed the development of sales, marketing, and publicity strategy for individual titles; coached authors on best practices for promotion.
Editorial Assistant
St. Martin's Press
June, 2008
–
June, 2010
(about 2 years)
Assistant to an executive editor who specialized in women's fiction, YA fiction, mystery, and women's-interest nonfiction.
Portfolio (17 selected works)
The Headmaster's Wife: A Novel
Thomas Christopher Greene
An immensely talented writer whose work has been described as "incandescent" (Kirkus) and "poetic" (Booklist), Thomas Christopher Greene pens a haunting and deeply affecting portrait of one couple at their best and worst.Inspired by a personal loss, Greene explores the way that tragedy and time assail one man's memories of his life and loves. Like his father before him, Arthur Winthrop is the ... read more
Purgatory Chasm: A Mystery (A Conway Sax Mystery)
Steve Ulfelder
"Tander Phigg was an asshole, but he was also a Barnburner. Barnburners saved my life. I help them when I can. No exceptions."The job seems simple. Conway Sax, a no-nonsense auto mechanic with a knack for solving difficult problems, has never liked obnoxious blowhard Tander Phigg. But a promise is a promise. Tander's a Barnburner, a member of the unique Alcoholics Anonymous group that rescued ... read more
Beneath the Shadows: A Novel
Sara Foster
In this thrilling gothic suspense debut by Sara Foster in the tradition of Rosamund Lupton and Sophie Hannah, a young mother searches Yorkshire's windswept moors for the truth behind her husband's mysterious disappearance.THE ANSWERS ARE HIDING BENEATH THE SHADOWSWhen Grace's husband, Adam, inherits an isolated North Yorkshire cottage, they leave the bustle of London behind to try a new life. ... read more
A Murder of Magpies: A Novel (Sam Clair)
Judith Flanders
A whip-smart, impeccably crafted debut mystery, A Murder of Magpies takes readers on a whirlwind tour of London and Paris with an unforgettably original new heroineIt's just another day at the office for London book editor Samantha "Sam" Clair. Checking jacket copy for howlers, wondering how to break it to her star novelist that her latest effort is utterly unpublishable, lunch scheduled with ... read more
2017 RT Reviewers' Choice―Best Historical MysteryFrom USA Today and internationally bestselling author Leonard Goldberg comes The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes, a new thrilling tale of the great detective’s daughter and her companion Dr. John Watson, Jr. as they investigate a murder at the highest levels of British society.1914. Joanna Blalock’s keen mind and incredible insight lead her to becom... read more
Asking for Truffle: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery
Dorothy St. James
When Charity Penn receives a letter saying she won a trip to Camellia Beach, South Carolina complete with free cooking lessons at the town’s seaside chocolate shop, The Chocolate Box, she’s immediately skeptical. She never entered any contest. Her former prep school friend offers to look into the phony prize―only to end up drowned in a vat of chocolate.Struck with guilt, Penn heads to the sout... read more
Bad Housekeeping: An Agnes and Effie Mystery
Maia Chance
National bestselling author Maia Chance debuts a new series featuring dorky, determined Agnes Blythe and her glamorous Great Aunt Effie as they form an unlikely team to save a crumbling inn and crack a murder case amidst the small-town charm and intrigue of Naneda, NY.When 28-year-old Agnes Blythe, the contented bifocals-wearing half of an academic power couple, is jilted by her professor boyf... read more
Flowers and Foul Play: A Magic Garden Mystery
Amanda Flower
Fiona Knox lost her fiancé and her flower shop―but when she flies to Scotland to inherit her godfather’s cottage and possibly magical walled garden, she may lose her life as well when she’s swept into a murder investigation.Florist Fiona Knox’s life isn’t smelling so sweet these days. Her fiancé left her for their cake decorator. Then, her flower shop wilted after a chain florist opened next d... read more
Filled with deceptions both real and imagined, Death Sits Down to Dinner is a delightful Edwardian mystery set in London.Lady Montfort is thrilled to receive an invitation to a dinner party hosted by her close friend Hermione Kingsley, the patroness of England's largest charity. Hermione has pulled together a select gathering to celebrate Winston Churchill's 39th birthday. Some of the oldest f... read more
Letters to the Lost: A Novel
Iona Grey
An accomplished novel from a talented writer, Letters to the Lost is a stunning, emotional love story. Iona Grey's prose is warm, evocative, and immediately engaging; her characters become so real you can't bear to let them go.Late on a frozen February evening, a young woman is running through the streets of London. Having fled from her abusive boyfriend and with nowhere to go, Jess stumbles o... read more
The Perfume Garden: A Novel
Kate Lord Brown
A sensuously written international bestseller of lost love, family secrets, and the art of creating a perfect perfume, perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Tatiana de Rosnay.High in the hills of Valencia, a forgotten house guards its secrets. Untouched since Franco's forces tore through Spain in 1936, the whitewashed walls have crumbled, and the garden, laden with orange blossom, grows wild. Em... read more
Stars Over Clear Lake: A Novel
Loretta Ellsworth
Mesmerizing and romantic, Stars Over Clear Lake transports readers to the Surf Ballroom, where musical acts became legends in the 1940s and which holds the key to one woman’s deepest secret.Lorraine Kindred’s most cherished memories are of the Surf Ballroom, the place where youth lost themselves to the brassy sounds and magnetic energy of the big band swing, where boys spent their last nights ... read more
The Secrets of Lake Road: A Novel
Karen Katchur
A haunting story about the destructive power of secrets, The Secrets of Lake Road is an accomplished and gripping suspenseful women's fiction debut.Jo has been hiding the truth about her role in her high school boyfriend's drowning for sixteen years. Every summer, she drops her children off with her mother at the lakeside community where she spent summers growing up, but cannot bear to stay he... read more
Fans of the show Mad Men are dying to know how accurate it is. Was there really that much sex at the office? Were there really three-martini lunches? Were women really second-class citizens? Jane Maas says the answer to all three questions is unequivocally "yes." Her book Mad Women, based on her own experiences and countless interviews with her peers, is a fascinating tell-all account of life ... read more
"This book rocks! Scandalously delicious in the same vein as Pretty Little Liars and Revenge, with a wickedly clever plot that kept me guessing right up until the end." -- Gemma Halliday, New York Times bestselling author of Honeymoon in High HeelsAnne Dowling practically runs her exclusive academy on New York's Upper East Side―that is, until she accidentally burns part of it down and gets sen... read more
Max Tudor must contend with his new role as a father as well as a murder all too close to home in Nether Monkslip in the next installment in G. M. Malliet's wildly popular seriesAgatha Award-winning author G. M. Malliet has charmed mystery lovers and cozy fans everywhere with Wicked Autumn, A Fatal Winter, and Pagan Spring, the critically acclaimed mysteries featuring handsome former-spy-turne... read more
I Don't Forgive You
Thompson, Aggie Blum
Anne has 24 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
I turned to Anne after a series of agents' rejections of my mystery manuscript hoping she would find the one fault that was responsible. Well, she found dozens, and though my heart sinks at the prospects of the major rewrite facing me, I am grateful for her friendly but clear-eyed analysis that essentially turned into Mystery Writing 101 for me. I asked her to pull no punches and she didn't, po...
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George Jahn, February 2023
Anne was such a huge help in polishing my manuscript, query letter, and synopsis. She gave actionable, clear feedback and spent time working through her suggested edits with me. I am so happy to have found her and can't recommend her enough!
Meredith Norvell, November 2022
Reply from Anne Brewer
Anne has been incredible to work with in the editorial process. Her attention to plot details and development has been incredible and her suggestions for how to enhance my narrative and character development have been invaluable.
Mary Cece, May 2022
Reply from Anne Brewer
Anne was an excellent editor who went out of her way to understand my project so her feedback could be targeted and impactful.
Amanda Vitale, January 2022
Reply from Anne Brewer
As wonderful as ever!
Bill Black, December 2021
Reply from Anne Brewer
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