Ben Fong-Torres – Editor

I'm a former editor and writer at Rolling Stone, have published ten books of my own and edited four others. I've mixed writing, editing, broadcasting and other work. I am doing creative consulting and editing on two book projects, one by a first-timer, who identifies as Millennial; the other by one of the all-time legends in popular music. My areas of focus and knowledge include music, entertainment and media.

Depending on the writer and project, I can handle proofreading, copy editing, and developmental editing.

My style might be considered tough love. I'm firm on style, grammar and spelling; gentle with comments and questions; free with suggestions for restructuring or rephrasing; adamant about helping writers maintain their voice. (And, sometimes, with finding it.) At Rolling Stone, at the San Francisco Chronicle and elsewhere, and as a book author and editor, I've written hundreds of headlines and chapter titles, and can help in that area. I have a decent sense of humor, and that comes into play, as I seek comfortable, pleasant, and productive relationships with my fellow writers. At the end of editing, you should have a clean, clear manuscript; well-thought out and structured, ready for you to take to the next step.

One more thing: I work fast. Been doing this since college in the '60s, when I was editor of the San Francisco State daily. And at that rock magazine, we produced a new issue every two weeks. Crazy, but also crazy-successful!