David Yurkovich – Editor

book editor - journal editor - graphic novelist - publisher - writer

I'm an experienced copy editor and developmental editor. I am the co-owner of a small press with three publishing imprints. We publish literary, sci-fi, detective, and horror.

I began my editing career in 1987, working as a proofreader and copy editor for Lippincott in Philadelphia. In the mid 1990s, following a grant from Kevin Eastman's (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles) Xeric Foundation, I launched an independent publishing house focused on graphic fiction. In the early 2000s, I relocated to Los Angeles and worked as an editor, and later, as a managing editor, before transitioning to marketing. I've worked as a freelance editor since 2010 and have edited numerous novels and short stories, many of which have gone on to win state or national awards.

Personal stuff: Pronouns are he, him, his. Diversity also is a value of mine, and I'm an adoptive parent of a person of a different race than me. My wife is a writer and editor, and my daughter is a visual artist. We have a dog, two cats, two guinea pigs, and live in Los Angeles.

Why you should work with me: I am detail oriented (some would say meticulous) in helping authors polish their work. I will edit your work keeping in mind both the editorial aspect as well as the reader aspect of the manuscript. In other words, my approach to editing is not merely to edit, but to also read the work as a fan. Having worked with several agents, I've learned that it's good to trust that a skilled editor will objectively spot issues unseen to the author. Ultimately, I would like you to be highly satisfied with the work I perform, derive value from it, and I will strive to ensure that the level of editing performed matches your desired expectations. I make it my mission not to change your voice or rewrite your story. I sometime teach in my comments, because I like all authors to leave our collaboration empowered and better informed about writing and editing. I self-published my graphic novels before there was KDP, and now publish in KDP, Ingram, and Kindle Vella, and run an indie publishing house so I can share insights about self-publishing. I've also been repped by an agent, and can give a little insight there too, and am happy to share my experiences if they're helpful.

I enjoy working on short stories and can turnaround works of up to 5k words within 24-48 hours if needed. I'm usually online and will reply to your messages quickly, often within minutes.

For large format works, I recommend working in batches. Send what you can afford, and send more when you can afford that. With some authors I do a chapter a month. It's more economical for you, the consumer, because it provides you with an opportunity to review my work as we go, and collaborate on revisions.

I look forward to hearing from you!