Chris Barcellona

Chris Barcellona โ€“ Editor

Former Big 5 editor with 10+ years of experience in publishing/media. Fave genres: romance, sci-fi, fantasy, YA, historical

Overview

I excel at editing genre fiction, and love to assess and restructure plots (I typically use the Save the Cat method of plotting.) I've also helped out literary fiction authors with plotting issues using techniques I've learned from editing genre fiction.

While at Macmillan, I worked with high-profile authors, including R.L. Stine and Meg Cabot.

I am also a strategically-minded person with a solid understanding of both the traditional publishing and self-publishing businesses.

Favorite genres:
๐ŸŽ” romance (especially LGBTQ+)
๐ŸŽ” fantasy
๐ŸŽ” historical
๐ŸŽ” science fiction
๐ŸŽ” young adult
๐ŸŽ” non-fiction
๐ŸŽ” middle-grade

Types of edits that I offer:
โœŽ Developmental Edit
โœŽ Editorial Assessment
โœŽ Copy Edit
โœŽ Proofread
โœŽ Query letter review

I'm also happy to work with you to figure out an out-of-the box service that will best help you with your project.

For example:
โ˜… If you're in the planning stages of a new project, I can read your character descriptions and beat sheet/plot summary and give feedback
โ˜… If you're actively drafting something, I can act like a critique partner and read your pages week by week (or month by month) and give feedback while you're still working on it.
โ˜… If there's something else you need help with, let me know!

And of course, if youโ€™re unsure of what service you need, let me know!


Also, Iโ€™d like to try to work with your budget, so if you have one, please let me know. I set my prices based on a variety of factors, including (but not limited to) word count, type of edit, amount of work the manuscript needs, etc.



Selected past experience:
๐Ÿ•ฎ Editor at Macmillan Children's Publishing Group (5 years)
๐Ÿ•ฎ Editorial and project management for nonfiction projects at McGraw-Hill (2 years)
๐Ÿ•ฎ Head of Production at chart-topping podcast + serialized fiction studio (3.5 years)
Services
Fiction
Coming of Age Fantasy Historical Fiction LGBTQ Fiction Middle Grade Romance Science Fiction Young Adult
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Realm (formerly Serial Box)

May, 2018 โ€” Dec, 2021 (over 3 years)

Ushered projects through the editorial and production process, project managed serialized audiobooks and podcasts, wrote and proofread copy for new projects.

Macmillan

Jan, 2014 โ€” May, 2018 (over 4 years)

From 2011-2018, I worked in the editorial department at Macmillan Children's Publishing Group, working my way up from intern to editor. I edited a variety of projects, including young adult books (mostly romance, historical, fantasy, and non-fiction) and middle grade novels. I also wrote, edited, and proofread cover and jacket copy, wrote selling points, and project managed a variety of books.

McGraw-Hill Education

May, 2012 โ€” Oct, 2013 (over 1 year)

Project managed nonfiction books, researched and requested permissions, and handled editorial schedules.

Condรฉ Nast

Sep, 2010 โ€” Dec, 2010 (3 months)

Fact-checking, writing, interviewing, researching, web editing.

The Fordham Ram

Jan, 2010 โ€” Dec, 2011 (almost 2 years)

As a section editor at Fordham University's journal of record, I brainstormed story ideas, contacted writers, edited stories, designed The Ramโ€™s 3-4 page opinions section in InDesign, wrote stories almost weekly. Also created graphics featured in the publication.

WFUV (90.7 FM)

May, 2009 โ€” Dec, 2009 (7 months)

Copywriting, research, image and newsletter creation.

Portfolio

Chris has 34 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Gaia B.

Gaia B.

Nov, 2023

This is my second time working with Chris, and I'm so happy with how my manuscript improved after their thorough editing. Thank you again, Chris, for your fantastic work!
Gaia B.

Gaia B.

Oct, 2023

Chris did an amazing job copy-editing my manuscript. They have an unmatched attention to detail, provide super clear comments, e.g. why a certain editing decision was taken, and give spot-on improvement suggestions. I also found the Style Sheet Chris provided along with my edited manuscript to be extremely helpful when writing the next book in the series. I'm so happy with how much better my...
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Alex C.

Alex C.

Oct, 2023

I canโ€™t recommend Chris enough! Their editorial letter was comprehensive, insightful, and kind to boot. I wasnโ€™t sure how to approach my second draft, and Chris put their finger on all of the big picture issues that were eluding me and gave me constructive advice on how to implement them in revisions. They were also happy to answer my follow-up questions with just as much care and detail. I wou...
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Tyler A.

Tyler A.

Sep, 2023

Chris was such a delight to work with! They provided a rundown of how they edit before we even got started. Their response time was extremely prompt, and my manuscript was edited and sent back to me days before the deadline. They were precise and gave helpful, constructive criticism and helped me see things from a different perspective. I would love to do more collaborations with them!
J.T. H.

J.T. H.

Aug, 2023

Chris was fantastic to work with! They are highly responsive, professional, and friendly. The copy edits were incredibly detailed and they also caught a few big-picture issues. I will definitely be working with Chris again.

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