Emily D.

Emily D. – Editor

Experienced editor and proofreader with publishing, literary agency, and Hollywood experience specializing in literary fiction and YA.

Overview

I am a publishing professional passionate about helping storytellers of every level produce their best work possible! I have a unique perspective and background that I bring to every project I work on: not only do I have years of experience in the traditional publishing industry, I have also worked in book to film representation.

I started my career at a small literary agency where I read and evaluated a wide range of submissions across genres. While there, I developed strong instincts for how to assess material, and also provided notes for authors at various stages in their career. I then moved to Penguin Random House, where I worked as a member of the managing editorial department. My background in managing editorial makes me extremely attentive to detail and gave me experience both proofreading and copyediting. I also shepherded books through the production process and oversaw freelance copyeditors and proofreaders. Most recently I have worked in IP representation at a small film/TV management and production company, evaluating books for their viability in the highly competitive film/TV landscape and representing authors and publishers selling their titles to film/TV producers and studios.

Throughout these various stages of my career, I have developed skills that would be invaluable to any aspiring author: I have a strong understanding of every phase of the publishing industry and of the various trends and players. I am skilled at reviewing material and giving comprehensive notes, and have worked with writers throughout every stage of development.

I am friendly, communicative, and highly organized. I believe strongly in a collaborative working process, particularly when it comes to working with writers. I particularly believe in preserving the unique voice that every writer has within them: my goal is not to fix your writing, but to bring out the very best in it. I focus on detail and accuracy, as well as on the overall strength of the work.

My core areas of interest are literary fiction, historical fiction, young adult fiction, and memoir/personal fiction. I am particularly interested in helping underrepresented voices find their way in publishing, and championing diverse storytellers.

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Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs History
Fiction
Comics & Graphic Novels Historical Fiction Historical Mysteries Literary Fiction Women's Fiction Young Adult
Languages
English (US)
Awards
  • Jeremiah Dalziel Prize for British History
Certifications
  • B.A, Bryn Mawr College
  • MSc, University of Edinburgh

Work experience

Penguin Random House

Jan, 2015 — Aug, 2017 (over 2 years)

• Managed corrections and repackaging for the Vintage and Anchor Books backlist catalog
• Produced, copyedited, and proofread front and back matter for new and reissued titles
• Coordinated with editorial, production, and design departments to prepare titles for press

Gotham

Jan, 2019 — Present

• Represent film/TV rights on behalf of authors and publishers, negotiate deals, and maintain
up-to-date knowledge of current and forthcoming titles, as well as industry trends.
• Serve as main liaison to clients, literary agents, publishers, scouts, and industry executives.
• Managed incoming and outgoing submissions of material. Research and track rights to literary
properties and write comprehensive coverage of incoming material.

Anderson Literary

Jan, 2014 — Jan, 2015 (about 1 year)

• Evaluated proposals and manuscripts and provided reader reports
• Acted as liaison to authors, subagents, scouts, and editors
• Processed royalty statements, payment advices, and invoices

Emily has 4 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Chavonne M.

Chavonne M.

Sep, 2021

Working with Emily was exactly what I needed! She was extremely thorough and detailed oriented with feedback. Her well thought out suggestions helped challenge me along the way. She was an excellent mentor during this process and encouraged me to unleash my creativity even more!
Malikah W.

Malikah W.

May, 2021

When I sent my first chapter to Emily for copyediting, she promptly responded and offered her personal opinion which I greatly appreciated. She recommended that I have a developmental edit before the copyediting phase and I'm so happy that I did. She was very thorough in her editorial letter providing examples on how to make my manuscript stronger. I'm currently working through the edits and de...
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Hanna S.

Hanna S.

Aug, 2020

Emily is easy to work with and her attention to detail with my project was excellent. I would definitely hire her again.
Emily D.
Thank you, Hanna! It was a pleasure working on your book, and I would likewise be happy to work with you again!
Matt M.

Matt M.

Jul, 2020

Emily provides needed feedback and makes excellent list of important words and concepts about your work. As a first-time author, she was especially helpful to me.
Emily D.
Thanks, Matt! It was a pleasure working with you and best of luck with your book!

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