Courtney Andersson

Courtney Andersson – Editor

Experienced science fiction and fantasy editor in love with the art and science of editing. I'll help you tell your story, your way.

Overview

Hi there!

I'm a firm believer that stories have the power to change the world, and I would love the opportunity to provide the perspective, expertise, and guidance that will help you tell the story that will change your world.

Throughout my career as both an in-house and freelance editor I’ve shepherded dozens of books through the publishing process, including one New York Times Best Seller, one Ippy Award winner, and several IBPA Benjamin Franklin Award winners. I know what it takes to write, edit, and publish a book that fans will love, and every book I've worked on has 4 star+ reviews on Amazon.

I take a creative, kind, and conscientious approach while still making sure you end up with a piece that both sounds like you and resonates with the audience you're targeting. Basically, nobody particularly likes being told they have a problem with, say, dangling modifiers, but it's just one of those things that has to be said, and I promise I'll say it nicely. If I can provide cake or pizza to soften the blow, I will.

So, in sum, send me all the stuff! Let's get the word nerd party started.

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PROJECT TYPES: novels (series & standalone), novellas, short stories, blogs, newsletters, website content

GENRE SPECIALIZATIONS: science fiction & fantasy and all its subgenres in the young adult, new adult, and adult categories (epic fantasy, urban fantasy, litRPG/gamelit, paranormal romance, romantic fantasy/romantasy, space opera, dystopian, steampunk, post-apocalyptic, military science fiction, alternate history, time travel, etc.)

EDITORIAL SPECIALIZATIONS: developmental & line editing (world building, character development, plot structure, narrative style), copy editing, ensemble pieces, working with new authors

Services
Fiction
Dystopian Epic Fantasy Gaming & LitRPG Post-Apocalyptic Romantic Fantasy Space Opera Urban Fantasy Young Adult Fantasy
Languages
English (US)
Awards
  • H.W. Hill Scholarship in English
Certifications
  • UC Berkeley Professional Sequence in Editing Certification
  • Bachelor of Arts in English from University of California, Berkeley

Work experience

Self-employed

Jun, 2017 — Present

Founding editor of a freelance editorial service that offers developmental editing, line editing, copy editing, professional critiques, and professional publishing proposals to authors.

Mandala Publishing / Earth Aware Editions / Insight Editions

Jun, 2014 — May, 2017 (almost 3 years)

Acquiring and project editor for all titles under the Mandala Publishing and Earth Aware Editions imprints (10-12 books per year) and project editor for Insight Editions. As the only editor working on the Mandala and Earth Aware imprints, I collaborated closely with authors, designers, salespeople, and marketers throughout the acquisitions, editorial, design, and production phases of publishing.

Book Awards: New York Times Best Seller, IBPA Benjamin Franklin Awards (Gold x3, Silver x1), Nautilus Award (Gold x1, Silver x1), IPPY Awards (Bronze x1)

Portfolio

Copy Editing
Developmental Editing
A doubly disgraced dwarven hero. A band of accident-prone adventurers. Giving redemption a second shot may have been a grave mistake…Still bruised and heartbroken from their last calamitous qu... read more
Copy Editing
The ocean is uncontrollable and dangerous. But to the sirens who swim the warm island waters, it’s a home more than worth protecting from the humans and their steam-propelled ships. Between th... read more
Copy Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
This grimoire from the baddest witch around will teach potential slayers and aspiring wiccans everything they’ll ever need to know about magic in Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Every good witch has... read more
Developmental Editing
Prepare a feast fit for a warchief with World of Warcraft: The Official Cookbook, a delicious compendium of recipes inspired by Blizzard Entertainment’s hit online game.Prepare a feast fit for... read more
Developmental Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
No Way Home

Cooper-Burnett, Christy

Developmental Editing
Seven gods, seven moons, seven tribes, and one planet. Each moon orbiting the planet Chancel is the sovereign domain of one of the gods, and when a human dies on the planet, they are resurrect... read more
Copy Editing
Fierce twenty-two-year-old Addy hasn't had the easiest of circumstances. Then she runs into Adriel, a half-naked young man with major back burns, kickstarting a series of disasters in her life... read more
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Companion to the film Fantastic Fungi. Contributions from Michael Pollan, Andrew Weil, Eugenia Bone, and many more expterts make Fantastic Fungi an awe-inspiring visual journey through the exo... read more
Developmental Editing
Copy Editing
Developmental Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Copy Editing
Shattered Dreams

Wilkinson, Shirley

Developmental Editing
Copy Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
When life gave Fenrir Goldson a second chance, he asked for a gift receipt.Mr. Goldson is filthy rich. He’s also callous and cruel and hasn’t got a festive bone in his ancient body. Naturally,... read more
Copy Editing
Developmental Editing
Copy Editing
Editorial Assessment
Cryogenesis is a dual narrative of discovery, shifting between the towering starscrapers of a futuristic Earth to the post-apocalyptic landscape of fallen super-cities.In the year 2994, Ambass... read more
Copy Editing
Oath Breakers

Saygo, Andrei

Copy Editing
Haxfuri

Hemfrey, N J M

Copy Editing
Order of the Spirits: Fragments

Radojković, Vladimir

Copy Editing
Pride of Ashna (Foundra)

Arriaga, Emmanuel M

Copy Editing
Part fiction, history, and mythology, this unconventional retelling of the life of divine spiritual master Guru Nanak, founder of the Sikh religion and revered by Muslims and Hindus alike, pro... read more
Developmental Editing
Set in a world of kings and queens, celestial battles, invisible foes, and family rivalries, this epic tale forges legends in the fires of betrayal and prophecy.In this one-of-a-kind trilogy b... read more
Developmental Editing
Welcome to the royal city of Ayodhya, a realm ruled by the Sun dynasty, where peace reigns among the citizens while discord simmers behind the palace walls. A prophecy predicts that a son of t... read more
Developmental Editing
Silent Kingdom reveals the world beneath the waves in an ethereal collection of black-and-white underwater photography. Through stunning black-and-white images, award-winning photographer Chri... read more
Developmental Editing
Art Wolfe’s immersive photos capture the wonder humans have felt about trees for millennia.From the biblical Tree of Life to the Native American Tree of Peace, trees have played an archetypal ... read more
Developmental Editing
Insightful quotes written in Tibetan calligraphy are paired with photos of Buddhas from around the world to create this collection of timeless iconography. Calligraphy has held an honored plac... read more
Developmental Editing
Pet cats don’t just eat, sleep, and manipulate humans. Some, like Mett, are wise teachers who make deep, permanent changes to their beloved humans’ lives in ways that other humans cannot. To T... read more
Copy Editing
Discover the man behind the movement in this intimate biography of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, founder of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).In 1965, a sevent... read more
Developmental Editing
Within the heart of every woman lies a champion just waiting to be unleashed. In You Go Girl: 25 Ways to Step into Your Greatness, author and motivational speaker Chandra Broadnax-Payne will t... read more
Copy Editing
Discover the biggest issue in conservation today. This companion to the documentary Cowspiracy explores the impacts of the most environmentally destructive industry on the planet: animal agric... read more
Developmental Editing
Filled with chakra activation charts, images and descriptions of over eight hundred poses, and Sanskrit translation guides, this comprehensive encyclopedia makes the spirituality, practice, an... read more
Developmental Editing

Courtney has 53 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Virginia N.

Virginia N.

Feb, 2023

Pinned
Courtney does it again. She is a true professional and her work was impeccable. The comments she gave me were extensive, and well thought out. This is my second time working with Courtney and will continue to work with her as she has a keen eye for finding inconsistencies and where things might improve. Courtney was always on schedule and communicated with me the entire time. I always knew whe...
Read more
KT H.

KT H.

Jul, 2022

Pinned
This was my first time working with an editor, and I could not have found a better editor than Courtney. Courtney provided a sample edit with her quote and was extremely communicative throughout the process. The attention to detail and level of feedback she provided was above and beyond. Courtney provided comments and suggestions from the macro through to the micro level, providing a style guid...
Read more
Andrei S.

Andrei S.

Jun, 2019

Pinned
If you need an editor, look no further, Courtney is the best! She really goes above and beyond to make sure your book is the best it can be. Excellent suggestions, great communication, she brings clarity and cohesion while preserving your writing style. I'm really glad that I had the opportunity to collaborate with her on my first book. Thank you!
Stephanie S.

Stephanie S.

Dec, 2024

This was my first time working with an editor, and I'm so glad I chose to work with Courtney for my developmental edit. She made sure I knew what to expect before we started and was able to find ways to improve my book that I never would have thought of on my own. Her feedback on every chapter was detailed and easy to follow. I would absolutely love to work with her again on future projects.
Rivers C.

Rivers C.

Nov, 2024

Absolutely fantastic editor who shows her experience with great advice, professionalism, and suggestions to make your book better. I plan to use her for the foreseeable future with my series.

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