Christa Bourg - Editor
Los Angeles, CA, United States
Nonfiction editor and book coach with 18+ years of experience helping authors bring their visions to life
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Overview
18 years of experience providing editorial services (editing, book coaching, ghostwriting, proposal writing) for a wide range of nonfiction books, including multiple award-winning and New York Times bestselling titles. I've worked with both commercially published and self-published authors on more than 100 books in a wide variety of categories, including memoir, lifestyle, humor, health/well being, inspirational/self-help, business, and more.
But really, my clients say it best...
“It’s been an absolute joy working with Christa Bourg, who has helped me write this book. She understood exactly what we wanted to communicate, and captured my voice. She added tremendous value and worked tirelessly to get the best possible product. If you liked the book, she deserves much of the credit.”
—David Novak, Taking People With You (Crown Business)
“A big hug goes to Christa Bourg, my literary mentor and the calm in my perpetual storm. She helped me develop the book from a glint in my eye to a luminous tome and was such an endless source of wit and wisdom.”
—Babe Scott, The Lazy Hostess (Bantam Press UK)
“I want to thank Christa for her amazing strength and ability to piece together the puzzle of my life into something readable. And, while doing so, for being a personal therapist, ally, and dear friend. It has been an amazing experience.”
—Ma-Ling Lee, The Education of a Very Young Madam (Scribner)
“Thank you Christa Bourg, for being with me from the very start with a sharp editing pencil, guidance and friendship.”
—Katharine Sise, Creative Girl: The Ultimate Guide
for Turning Talent and Creativity into a Real Career (Running Press)
“Christa Bourg was the first person to take my book as seriously as I did, and she not only taught me how to write a proposal for it, she also had enough faith to give it, and me, several crucial shoves. She has been a wonderful teacher and friend.”
—Elise Mac Adam, Something New (Gallery Books)
“We would like to thank Christa Bourg, who took the helm of our project and steered it through to the bitter end. Bless you!”
—Clinton Kelly and Stacy London, Dress Your Best (Harmony)
“Believing in this book from the outset was Christa Bourg, whose editing and writing talents, sound judgment, and clear focus held us all together.”
—Estelle Ellis, The Booklover’s Repair Kit (Knopf)
Languages
English (US)
Non-Fiction
Art
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Management
Cooking & Food Wine & Spirits
Health & wellbeing
Home & Garden
Medicine & Nursing & Dentistry
Parenting & Families
Self-help & Self-improvement
Sex & Relationships
Work experience
Freelance Nonfiction Editor, Writer, and Book Coach
Various Publishers, Authors, and Corporate Clients
April, 2013
–
Present
(over 5 years)
Deliver expert creative development and editorial services for nonfiction books and book-related marketing.
As an editor, book doctor, and ghostwriter with eighteen-plus years of experience, Christa Bourg has worked on more than 100 books in a wide variety of nonfiction categories (business, memoir, lifestyle, humor, health, inspirational, etc.), which have been published by top publishing houses like Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, Barnes & Noble Books, Hay House, Zagat, and more. She has also taught seminars on writing nonfiction books and book proposals at Mediabistro in New York, where she has helped numerous students on the path to publishing their own books.
Zagat Senior Editor
February, 2012
–
April, 2013
(about 1 year)
Oversaw the development of restaurant, shopping, and travel-related content for publication in Zagat-branded guidebooks and on G+ Local web and digital platforms. Hired content providers (writers and subject matter experts) from around the world, and oversaw teams of writers, junior editors, quality assurance professionals, and others to produce reviews of local businesses. Edited and assured quality/accuracy of content.
Freelance Editor, Book Packager, and Writing Instructor
Various Clients
September, 2006
–
February, 2012
(over 5 years)
Partnered with a wide variety of corporate clients and individual authors to develop, write, edit, and produce nonfiction books and book-related content (proposals, web sites, cover copy, promotional materials, etc.) Designed and taught seminars on writing nonfiction books and book proposals at Mediabistro in New York, helping numerous students on the path to publishing their own books.
Associate Editor/Project Manager
John Boswell Book Packaging
August, 2002
–
September, 2006
(about 4 years)
Oversaw the development and delivery of dozens of nonfiction books each year published by major publishing houses like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Barnes & Noble Books. Shepherded project-specific teams of writers, illustrators, designers, researchers, photographers, experts, copyeditors, proofreaders, and others in the execution of books on schedule and within budget. Edited manuscripts and oversaw the layout and design process. Conceived of new ideas and wrote proposals to sell those ideas to publishers.
Portfolio (19 selected works)
“AN IMPORTANT BOOK ABOUT MOTIVATION FROM A PROVEN MOTIVATOR.” —JACK WELCHYum! Brands CEO David Novak learned long ago that you can’t lead a great organization of any size without getting your people aligned, enthusiastic, and focused relentlessly on the mission. But how do you do that? There are countless leadership books, but how many will actually help a Taco Bell shift manager, a Fortune 50... read more
Does even the thought of entertaining inspire panic attacks? Do you have an allergy to cooking so severe it practically requires doses of Ephedrine? Well help is at hand for you hotplate avoidant harlots. Babe Scott's new book The Lazy Hostess will show you how to host a sizzling cocktail party without stretching your pocketbook or inducing a stress headache. This luminous tome will transform ... read more
Painting Your Way Out of a Corner: The Art of Getting Unstuck
Barbara Diane Barry
In the tradition of The Artist’s Way, an exciting program that introduces painting as a jumping-off point for realizing one’s full creative potential in all areas of life. Based on author Barbara Diane Barry’s popular course Art for Self-Discovery and supported by research in psychology and the science of brain function, Painting Your Way Out of a Corner guides readers through the process of o... read more
Ever wished you could break free of the rat race and pursue what really matters to you? JB Glossinger did just that, exchanging the golden handcuffs of corporate success for a three-hour workday and the freedom to golf, write, spend time with family, and guide others toward realizing their dreams. Now in The Sacred Six: A Simple, Step-by-Step Process for Focusing Your Attention and Recovering ... read more
Great Expectations: Becoming a Dad: The First Three Years
John C. Carr LCSW
Few authors are better prepared to write about fatherhood than John C. Carr, a social worker and psychotherapist who understands the psychological development of both infants and men. And, as a dad of three, he's on the front lines of fathering.Carr covers not only practical how-tos,” but also the more elusive, emotional side of being a father. Plus, he discusses the crucial impact a father's... read more
ACHIEVE the HIGHEST LEVEL of PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIP - BECOMING an INDISPENSABLE PARTNER in YOUR CLIENT'S SUCCESS Are you looking for the keys to far more successful sales relationships, and client conversations that don't require manipulation, probing, and closing - yet which produce profoundly more powerful impact and results? The Ultimate Sales Revolution clarifies how to reach the highes... read more
Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That's Right for Your Body
Clinton Kelly, Stacy London
The 8 million fans of TLC’s hottest show, What Not to Wear, know it as the place to go for real-life fashion advice. Now the show’s hosts, Clinton Kelly and Stacy London, offer spot-on fashion wisdom—with an attitude—in this fully illustrated, authoritative, and irreverent fashion guide to dressing your best for every occasion. Clinton and Stacy’s surefire method for boosting appearance rests ... read more
DISCOVER STRATEGIES TO SHELTER YOUR CAREER AND YOUR LIFEYou’ve heard the horror stories of malpractice―of doctors who lost their license andwere forced to close their practice. With so much time, energy, and money on the line, itonly makes sense to protect your livelihood.World’s best Doctors shows how you can safely practice medicine and protect your businessfrom legal trouble. With over a de... read more
Delicious Dating
Babe Scott
If Chelsea Handler were armed with a fork and a champagne flute, then she would sound something like this. Delicious Dating is not your run of the salt mill dating book. It's side-splittingly funny and unapologetically saucy. After splitting from a boyfriend with the romantic skills and dietary habits of Homer Simpson, this self-confessed manthropologist goes in search of men who don't think c... read more
The Illustrated Timeline of Art History: A Crash Course in Words & Pictures
Carol Strickland PhD
From cave paintings to Jeff Koonsthat’s where this stunningly illustrated history of art takes you. Filled with pictures of paintings, sculptures, museum artifacts, and architectural standouts, and a cross-cultural approach that encompasses European, American, Asian, and Islamic masterpieces, it proceeds on a thrilling visual tour. Carol Stricklandauthor of the bestselling Annotated Mona Lis... read more
From the spear to the printing press to the computer: this colorful, vastly informative timeline covers these and practically every other significant invention that came before and after. Find out which civilization discovered irrigation technology and who created everything from buttons, glass, the first cart with wheels, and clocks to telescopes, submarines, telegraphy, patent medicines, mac... read more
At Home with Art: How Art Lovers Live with and Care for Their Treasures
Estelle Ellis, Caroline Seebohm, christopher simon sykes
At Home with Art is about art lovers, their passion for art, and their seemingly unquenchable desire to bring home the works that have captured their hearts. Whether the artworks are Picassos or posters, these people want to acquire and live with the art they love. "I wake up in the morning and exercise where I can look at it," says John Robson about one of the paintings in his San Francisco t... read more
The Booklover's Repair Kit: First Aid for Home Libraries
Estelle Ellis, Wilton Wiggins, Douglas Lee
One of a kind * Everything in one * Do-it-yourselfEvery booklover knows the feeling when a favorite book is damaged: by water, a ripped dust jacket, a loose page. To throw the book out is unthinkable! The damage isn't serious enough for professional attention, but you don't want to risk further damage. What do you do? This elegant do-it-yourself kit containing manual and mending materials prov... read more
French cats are never fat—they are trim, slim, slender. In a word, they are svelte.What is their secret?The secret, mes amis, lies within your grasp, in the pages of this délicieux little book.The sensationnel French diet that will turn even the pudgiest patate de divan (couch potato) into a chic, café kitty.
My Year with Eleanor: A Memoir
Noelle Hancock
“I honestly loved this book.”—Jim Norton, New York Times bestselling author of I Hate Your Guts“Eleanor taught Noelle that, first and foremost, Courage Takes Practice. Her yearlong quest to face her terrors, great and small, is moving, enriching, and hilarious—we readers are lucky to be along for the ride.”—Julie Powell, bestselling author of Julie & JuliaIn the tradition of My Year of Living ... read more
O Great One!: A Little Story About the Awesome Power of Recognition
David Novak, Christa Bourg
Rather than explain the power of recognition in a typical business book, acclaimed CEO David Novak wrote a fun story that draws on his real-world experiences at Pepsi and Yum! Brands, as well as his personal life.When was the last time you told your colleagues how much you value them? It sounds like a trivial thing in the middle of a busy work day. But as Novak discovered during his years as a... read more
The Dysfunctional Family Christmas Songbook
John Boswell, Lenore Skenazy
Somewhere, someone is having a perfect Christmas, filled with chestnuts roasting and sleigh bells ringing…Screw ‘em.Most of us are having just the opposite: a nutcrackin’ nightmare of anger, hurt feelings, evil in-laws, and carbs beyond counting. A time when grudges grow and gasses pass. A time of maxed-out credit cards and a ham that the vegetarians are ready to hurl through the frosty window... read more
"When it comes to exercise, most of us have gotten the message but still lack the motivation. That's why we need this remarkable book." --Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us"No Sweat provides a step-by-step program for staying motivated to exercise. Michelle Segar shows us how easy it is to apply science to achieve a lifetime of fitness, well-being, an... read more
Christa has 3 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
Value
Communication
Working with Christa has been fantastic. She's knowledgeable, thorough, and easy to work with. I never felt pressured or worried that she would charge me extra for side questions and clarifications here and there, and she was a good source of support as I pushed to get my first book to publication! Highly recommend.
Read moreMichael Sorensen, June 2017
Christa was a joy to work with and I was exceptionally pleased with the value she added to my project. I look forward to working with her again in the future.
Read moreBeverlyn Elliott, April 2017
Working with Christa has been fantastic. She is knowledgeable, experienced, and respectful—yet not afraid to push back or speak up if she thinks I'm off on something. She's been a valuable help through my first book—highly recommend!
Read moreMichael Sorensen, April 2017
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Editor, graduate of the University of Denver Publishing Institute, twenty-five years of experience serving authors and publishing houses.
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