Gene Hult - Editor
Creative, experienced editor of novels, children's books, and poetry. Let's prepare your manuscript for publication together.
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Overview
I'm a freelance writer and editor, a publisher of poetry and children's books, and a college English teacher. In my more than 30 years as an editor of young adult and middle grade novels and children’s picture and novelty books, I edited hundreds of books for houses including Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, Random House, and Scholastic. I also have written more than 125 books that have been published for children and young adults, and two books of poetry.
Please do the math before you request a quote, because it's no fun writing personalized responses only to have my offers declined from sticker shock. For example, if your fiction manuscript is 10,000 words long, a developmental edit ($.06/word) will cost $600, plus the addition of Reedsy and Stripe fees, which would bring my quote to approximately $680.
Here are the editorial services I offer, with approximate fees (not including the addition of Reedsy and Stripe fees):
Editorial Assessment: I'll read your manuscript and tell you what I think. This stage is about deciding whether a manuscript is worth pursuing, based on interest, originality, age appropriateness, relevance, genre consistency, character development, world-building, language use, voice, style, cinematic visual acuity, and rhythm. You would receive a letter detailing my opinion of all of the above, with some suggestions for improvement. This does not include a line-by-line annotation of the manuscript itself. $.02/word.
Developmental Editing: I'll read your manuscript, tell you what I think, and how to make it better. This pass is about analyzing a manuscript draft for language issues, visual efficiency, pace, structural functionality, scene coherency, character development and consistency, emotional truth, story rhythm and arcs, believability within the book’s own idiom, originality and avoiding clichés, natural-sounding dialogue, and effective dramatization and humor. Includes comprehensive comments, suggestions, and line edits in Microsoft Word, with a long, detailed editorial letter explaining and discussing larger concepts. $.06/word.
Copy Editing: I'll clean up your final manuscript and prepare it for submission to agents and editors, or for layout for self-publishing. This pass corrects or queries a finished manuscript's grammar, spelling, punctuation, word usage, unclear meanings, and inconsistencies in time, character, and setting details. $.04/word.
Proofreading: I'll check your designed book layout for typos. This pass is a final check for errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation, particularly looking for missed mistakes, homophones, and formatting errors. Proofreading is usually done in a final layout suitable for publishing (either in print or electronically) to check exactly how a book will appear, including cleaning up line, paragraph, and page breaks, letter-spacing, and hyphenation. $.03/word.
PLEASE NOTE: Editorial assessment, developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading are NOT done simultaneously. They are different full passes through a book in progress, each a separate job. Sometimes it's best to hire a new editor for every pass, so each approaches the work with fresh eyes. I automatically mark all grammar, spelling, word choice issues, etc. in a developmental edit, but since the goal of that stage is to help you in revising your manuscript on structural, content, and storytelling levels, strict copy editing at the same time would be pointless, as significant text changes are to be expected.
PICTURE BOOK AND POETRY AUTHORS: Because of the necessarily low word count of a picture book or poetry manuscript, that quantity is not a great representation of the work and time involved in editing it. Picture books and poetry are much more thought-intensive than longer fiction — the writing is concentrated, and so the editing is, too. Therefore I either charge $55/hour for editing picture and poetry book manuscripts, or almost double my usual fees, depending on the amount of work necessary, judged from your sample.
Thanks!
Gene
Please do the math before you request a quote, because it's no fun writing personalized responses only to have my offers declined from sticker shock. For example, if your fiction manuscript is 10,000 words long, a developmental edit ($.06/word) will cost $600, plus the addition of Reedsy and Stripe fees, which would bring my quote to approximately $680.
Here are the editorial services I offer, with approximate fees (not including the addition of Reedsy and Stripe fees):
Editorial Assessment: I'll read your manuscript and tell you what I think. This stage is about deciding whether a manuscript is worth pursuing, based on interest, originality, age appropriateness, relevance, genre consistency, character development, world-building, language use, voice, style, cinematic visual acuity, and rhythm. You would receive a letter detailing my opinion of all of the above, with some suggestions for improvement. This does not include a line-by-line annotation of the manuscript itself. $.02/word.
Developmental Editing: I'll read your manuscript, tell you what I think, and how to make it better. This pass is about analyzing a manuscript draft for language issues, visual efficiency, pace, structural functionality, scene coherency, character development and consistency, emotional truth, story rhythm and arcs, believability within the book’s own idiom, originality and avoiding clichés, natural-sounding dialogue, and effective dramatization and humor. Includes comprehensive comments, suggestions, and line edits in Microsoft Word, with a long, detailed editorial letter explaining and discussing larger concepts. $.06/word.
Copy Editing: I'll clean up your final manuscript and prepare it for submission to agents and editors, or for layout for self-publishing. This pass corrects or queries a finished manuscript's grammar, spelling, punctuation, word usage, unclear meanings, and inconsistencies in time, character, and setting details. $.04/word.
Proofreading: I'll check your designed book layout for typos. This pass is a final check for errors in grammar, spelling, and punctuation, particularly looking for missed mistakes, homophones, and formatting errors. Proofreading is usually done in a final layout suitable for publishing (either in print or electronically) to check exactly how a book will appear, including cleaning up line, paragraph, and page breaks, letter-spacing, and hyphenation. $.03/word.
PLEASE NOTE: Editorial assessment, developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading are NOT done simultaneously. They are different full passes through a book in progress, each a separate job. Sometimes it's best to hire a new editor for every pass, so each approaches the work with fresh eyes. I automatically mark all grammar, spelling, word choice issues, etc. in a developmental edit, but since the goal of that stage is to help you in revising your manuscript on structural, content, and storytelling levels, strict copy editing at the same time would be pointless, as significant text changes are to be expected.
PICTURE BOOK AND POETRY AUTHORS: Because of the necessarily low word count of a picture book or poetry manuscript, that quantity is not a great representation of the work and time involved in editing it. Picture books and poetry are much more thought-intensive than longer fiction — the writing is concentrated, and so the editing is, too. Therefore I either charge $55/hour for editing picture and poetry book manuscripts, or almost double my usual fees, depending on the amount of work necessary, judged from your sample.
Thanks!
Gene
Languages
English (UK)
English (US)
Fiction
Action & Adventure
Comics & Graphic Novels
Fantasy
LGBTQ (Fiction)
Literary Fiction
Middle Grade
Poetry
Science Fiction
Work experience
English Instructor
San Jacinto College South
August, 2019
–
Present
(10 months)
Teaching English Composition to college students, including uses of rhetoric and writing techniques.
Writing Workshop Instructor
Uptown Stories
April, 2014
–
May, 2015
(about 1 year)
Taught writing in a non-profit after-school program to children ages 9-12. Workshops included Adventure Stories and Introduction to Non-fiction.
Executive Editor
Simon & Schuster
June, 2005
–
February, 2007
(over 1 year)
Oversaw the creation of 30-40 coloring, activity, puzzle, and devotional books per season in various formats for all markets, including the bestselling Kids' Book of Sudoku series and the #1 New York Times children's bestseller A Treasure's Trove: Secrets of the Alchemist Dar, as well as coloring and activity properties such as Dora the Explorer, SpongeBob SquarePants, Care Bears, Thomas and Friends, VeggieTales, and Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. My duties encompassed managing an editorial staff, line editing, design and art conception, trafficking, author and title acquisition and presentation, developing new formats, maintaining schedules, communication with licensors, packagers, and agents, and computing production finances.
Senior Editor
Scholastic
March, 2002
–
July, 2005
(over 3 years)
Edited 25-40 children's books per season in a full range of formats, all based on licensed properties, particularly Shrek 2, Batman Begins, Spider-Man 2, The Batman, Teen Titans, Clifford, Maya and Miguel, Tonka, Duel Masters, Barbie, Krypto, G.I. Joe, Care Bears, Trollz, Rescue Heroes, Strawberry Shortcake, and Dragon Ball Z.
Editor
HarperEntertainment
June, 1998
–
March, 1999
(10 months)
Edited children's media tie-in series paperbacks, including Two of a Kind, The New Adventures of Mary-Kate and Ashley, Patrick's Pals, Life with Louie, Mystic Knights of Tir na Nog, NASCAR Pole Position Adventures, Noddy, and the new Captain Kangaroo.
Writer/Editor
Self-employed
July, 1997
–
Present
(almost 23 years)
Writing and editing fiction, non-fiction, novelizations, poetry, calendars, interactive storybook apps, and web content. Author of more than 125 published books, mostly under the children’s book pseudonym J. E. Bright.
Editor
Daniel Weiss Associates/17th Street Productions
September, 1994
–
July, 1997
(almost 3 years)
Edited the book series Sweet Valley High (Bantam), Extreme Zone (Pocket), Super Hoops (Bantam), Sports Mysteries (Scholastic), and Indigo Island (Reader's Digest). My duties included composition of original plot outlines, line editing, author acquisition and instruction, and the creation of new series. I also organized and directed shoots for photographic covers.
Managing Editor
Denver Quarterly
March, 1992
–
August, 1994
(over 2 years)
In charge of all production areas for the award-winning literary journal, from solicitation of original manuscripts to distribution to subscribers and bookstores, with duties including layout design, proofreading, line editing, evaluating manuscripts, processing all finances, scheduling, and organizing a staff of thirty unpaid graduate students.
Portfolio (34 selected works)
Catherine Lescault
Walter Idlewild
Which form of art is the finest? In the delirious and vitalizing novel Catherine Lescault, alternative incarnations of Honoré de Balzac’s classic characters from The Unknown Masterpiece enact romances of lunacy and obsession to dramatize their search for the reality of artistic creation. The novelists Frenhofer and Porbus, the painter and muse Gillette, the troubadour Nicolas, and the sculptor... read more
R for Revenge (Sweet Valley High)
Francine Pascal
Was that a cheer ... or a scream?The Sweet Valley High cheerleaders have been kidnapped! Co-captains Jessica Wakefield and Heather Mallone thought they'd found the perfect faculty advisor for their cheer squad in Nancy Swanson. But the cheerleaders don't know about the dark secret in Nancy's past. Or how dangerous she really is. Until Sweet Valley High's cheerleaders start disappearing ... one... read more
You Can Hear the Ocean: An Anthology of Classic and Current Poetry
Gene Hult, William Yeats, Emily Dickinson, Rainier Rilke, Walt Whitman, Oscar Wilde, Edna Millay
The verse of renowned poets collected with the voices of select modern writers, all inspired by the ceaseless splendor of the sea.Includes a reading guide for teachers and book groups, and biographies of the poets inside.Classic Dante AlighieriJoseph AuslanderThomas Lovell BeddoesElizabeth Barrett BrowningGeorge Shepard BurleighLord ByronBliss CarmanStephen CraneH. D.Emily DickinsonA. E.Ralph ... read more
Catfish and After
Gene Hult
I can't prove anything he says.Some cyber-psychos deliberately deceive. Catfish is a long poem about being in love with an ideal but fraudulent man on a chat app. After is an imagist cycle of poetry about psychic, creative, and romantic reconstruction in the aftermath.Scrolling through mug shotsand search results,failing to track downtraces of something true.My buspirone stops sustaining.Voice... read more
Spirit Guides
Rosemarie Koch
Poems embracing mediumship and motherhood.This is the ancestral gathering.These are the impossible mosaicsthat proliferate not by shattered glassor fastening. They are the facetsof everything that was and is,the essential tableauxof whispering and release.All one side of the curtain.
Bernie's Best Jokes
J. E. Bright
Why do cats always win video games? They get nine lives! More than 350 goofy jokes inside, plus quirky pictures on every page! This kooky cat’s collection of kid-friendly clean jokes has tons of nutty funniness so everybody gets the giggles. Don’t miss the silliness in Bernie’s Best Jokes by J. E. Bright!
Recess Heroes Face the Moon Fumes (Volume 1)
J. E. Bright
Created to engage middle-grade reluctant readers and all science fiction fans! Pick Your Powers! Scott, Matt, and Jett are keeping a secret about their school’s jungle gym. It turns into a spaceship, launching them on important adventures as the Recess Heroes! For every mission, they each choose whatever awesome power they want. There’s one rule: they can’t use the same power twice. Then a coo... read more
Disney Frozen 2: Journey of Sisters: Elsa and Anna's Hero Journal (A Hero Journal)
Editors of Studio Fun International
Go on a journey with beloved sisters Elsa and Anna in this graphic, guided journal based on the much-anticipated Frozen 2!When the natural elements are mysteriously swept out of Arendelle in Frozen 2, Elsa and Anna travel further than ever before, and each faces a unique path of self-discovery on her own. Readers will be enchanted with this Hero Journal format that follows Elsa on one side, an... read more
Cover Girls (Sweet Valley High Book 129)
Francine Pascal
Fashion! Models! Deadlines! Identical twins Elizabeth and Jessica Wakefield are interning at Flair--the hippest fashion magazine ever! As the assistant to famous photographer Quentin Berg, Jessica thought she'd be working on glamorous photo shoots. Instead, she has to clean up after Simone, a supermodel with a bad attitude. But not for long. Jessica comes up with a scheme to ditch Simone and g... read more
Night Terrors (Extreme Zone)
M.C. Sumner
The moment Noah and Harley meet, they feel an immediate connection-- a connection that goes deeper than either ever could have believed. Alone, both are lost in their personal terrors of the night. Their last hope lies in learning to trust each other, but in the Extreme Zone, they can never trust anyone-- including themselves...
CRASHING THE BOARDS (Super Hoops No 1)
Hank Herman
The stars of the Branford Bulls live and breathe basketball, and they can really play, but when their coach and his sons--two of their best players--move away, they wonder if they still have what it takes.
The Legend of the Ancient Scroll (Mystic Knights #1)
Michael Teitelbaum
A legend of brave heroes and great warriors... Rohan was an orphan, a lowly apprentice to the King's magical adviser Cathbad...until a fragment of an ancient scroll revealed his true identity. Now, along with his companions Angus, Ivar, and Princess Deirdre, Rohan must fulfill his destiny--become a Mystic Knight and save the Kingdom of Kells! You, dear reader, must use the power within you to ... read more
Patrick's Pals #1: Runnin' with the Big Dawgs
Robb Armstrong, Bruce Smith
Who's Got SkillsWhen Patrick first meets Dikembe-'the new kid intown'-he's really pumped to have a new player on his team. He and Dikembe see eye to eye on just about everything'-and it's not just because they're both so tall! There's only one problem. Patrick's team, the Sky Walkers, say Dikembe just doesn't have the skills to run the drills. When they tell Dikembe to walk, Patrick has to cho... read more
Noddy's Super Busy Day
Enid Blyton
It's a busy day in Toyland! Noddy has lots of errands to run, but everything keeps going wrong. With a little determination . . . and lots of luck, things turn out even better than planned. Full color.
Shrek 2: Cat Attack!
zuuka
When Shrek and Donkey meet a mysterious stranger named Puss in Boots in the deepest, darkest part of the woods, will they be in terrible danger . . . or meet a new friend? Maybe a little of both! A beautifully illustrated full-color storybook, based on a wonderful, funny scene from the moition picture, Shrek 2.
Shrek Tales #2
Micheal Anthony Steele
SHREK TALES continue the adventures of Shrek and his friends. In this episode, Shrek meets his long-lost brother -- an abominable snowman!Shrek is thrilled when Snowgre, his long lost brother, comes for a visit. There's only one problem: Snowgre is a snowman -- an abominable snowman -- who quickly makes a disaster out of Shrek's swamp.It's up to Fiona, Puss In Boots, and Donkey to teach this m... read more
Tonka: I'm a Great Big Monster Truck!
Michael Anthony Steele
#3 in the awesome I'M A GREAT BIG series, this realistic and factual 8x8 storybook describes the features and activities of a giant monster truck from its point of view.Monster trucks are awesome! There's a very good reason why kids love monster truck rallies in stadiums and on TV--the huge trucks rumble and loom, smash and flatten, and roar as they race! They're great. They're big. They're gr... read more
Tonka: Big Trucks in Action (Tonka)
Victoria Hickle
With moving parts on every spread, along with secret surprise flaps to lift, kids will love learning about big Tonka trucks while they play!A follow up to the popular TONKA: FIRE TRUCKS IN ACTION!, this novelty board book has a moving paper-engineered part on every spread . . . along with secret suprise oversized flaps to lift! Kids can learn amazing facts about the coolest Tonka trucks while ... read more
Batman Begins: The Movie Storybook
Ben Harper
Go back to the beginning! When the mysterious origins of Batman's background are explained, Scholastic will be there with books based on the new movie BATMAN BEGINS!See the full story of the exciting new motion picture BATMAN BEGINS, told with full-color stills from the movie! Also find out amazing behind-the-scenes info about the new Batmobile redesign!
Dora the Explorer Phonics Boxed Set #1
Quinlan B. Lee
Introducing the first ever phonics box starring Dora the Explorer!Based on the best research on how children develop reading skills, these twelve books introduce a carefully selected progression of letter sounds-starting with the easiest and most common. Each book helps build a young reader's confidence with repeated examples of the letter sounds being focused on, as well as "words to learn" a... read more
G.i. Joe
H. Kowitt
G.I. Joe defeats Cobra Commander and the Neo-Vipers once again in the first GI Joe 6x9 reader. Boys will love the story and the cool tattoos inside!The COBRA creeps are in the Alaskan wilderness trying to melt huge chunks of the frozen wasteland in order to mine the gold and silver underneath, and it's up to the G.I. Joe team to stop them!
Halloween Howl (Clifford's Puppy Days)
Gail Herman
Before Clifford was a Big Red dog, he was a very small puppy.The beginning of the new school year brings a new neighbor to the apartment building where Emily Elizabeth lives. Clifford and his friends are scared by a strange wailing noise coming from the new neighbor's apartment. And they begin to wonder if a monster isn't living there--especially when they find a huge tooth. Clifford finally m... read more
Read along with Clifford in a new BIG RED READER!Clifford is running for President . . . of the Birdwell Island dog park! Emily Elizabeth needs to put up a candidate for a class project, so of course she nominates the Big Red Dog who's always a big winner!
The heartwarming, magical, beautifully illustrated fantasy story inside Secrets Of The Alchemist Dar is only the first layer in the book's appeal. Because hidden throughout the intricate pages are clues to the secret location of 100 precious rings hidden across the world. Will you be the clever reader who figures out how to find the fortune?
The Batman: Maximum Justice (Scholastic Readers)
Devan Aptekar
Welcome back to Gotham City! Scholastic is thrilled to announce a new line of tie-in books based on the new animated series THE BATMAN on the Kids' WB!The first BATMAN chapter book -- based on two episodes from the new animated TV show! Also includes an 8-page, 4-color insert with scenes from the show.
America’s Next Top Model is a runaway runway series and must-see television for millions of teens and tweens. Young women of various backgrounds, shapes, and sizes are mentored by today’s top fashion stylists and industry experts. With chapters that focus on beauty, health, and education, and filled with tips on hair, makeup, nutrition, and fashion dos and dont’s, this is the first and only bo... read more
Famous American Folktales
J. E. Bright
Famous American Folktales gathers the most famous and shared folktales. Beautifully illustrated, it is a perfect book for bedtime. It will include: "The Phantom Train of Marshall Pass,"" Sasquatch," "The Maid in the Mist," "Paul Bunyan and the Hard Winter," "Moll Pitcher the Fortune Teller," "Guardian of Yosemite," and "Jackalope."J. E. Bright lives in Washington Heights, New York. He has writ... read more
When Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson attend a charity magic performance, they discover an archenemy has a few tricks up his sleeve! The Joker hypnotizes the entire audience, and only Batman is immune to his mesmerizing powers. As the Joker's twists on classic magic tricks become more terrifying, the Dark Knight must stop him before he hurts anyone—or saws Robin in half!
Heroes of the High Seas (DC Super-Pets)
J. E. Bright
Deep in the ocean, TOPO THE OCTOPUS plays some relaxing music for AQUAMAN. Suddenly, a huge whirlpool appears in the distance, threatening the city of ATLANTIS. Without a moment to lose, AQUAMAN leaps aboard his SUPER-SEAHORSE, STORM, and jets toward the liquid tornado. While the SEA KING rescues a whale caught in the deadly current, his SUPER-PETS discover the source of the problem . . . MIST... read more
This follow-your-own-destiny romance series lets the reader choose her fate. Will her decisions lead to terminal embarrassment...or a delicious first kiss?You share an instant connection with Mike, the star of your school's rival soccer team. Too bad he's dating your best friend, Sally. When Mike starts flirting with you, do you flirt back? Should you confess your feelings to Sally, or keep th... read more
A Song for Caitlin (Love Stories)
J.E. Bright
Brad Myers has never been happier. A junior at Webster High, he's madly in love with his girlfriend, Caitlin Dawes; his band is booking a lot of gigs; and he's doing great in school. With all the positive things going on, Brad has everything to look forward to.But Brad's hopes and dreams come crashing down when Caitlin is diagnosed with cancer. Brad can't bear to see the most important person ... read more
Bella Sara #9: Coral and the Pearl Diver
Felicity Brown
Journey to the world of magical horses . . .A beautiful water horse, Coral is destined to meet a special girl in need of her guidance. Coral must lead the young girl to important discoveries that will change the course of their destinies forever.
All young Vikings must prove they are fierce and strong enough to fight dragons. But Hiccup isn't as brawny as his friends and fails miserably at dragon training. So he invents a new weapon that can take down the fiercest dragon in the sky—and when it actually works Hiccup has a choice to make. Can he really kill a dragon? Or will he make a new friend instead?
Savage Sands (Green Lantern)
J. E. Bright
The immortal super-villain VANDAL SAVAGE is loose! He has escaped prison and fled to the timeless tombs of Egypt, where he raises an army of living mummies. HAL JORDAN, as GREEN LANTERN, soars into the shifting sands to defeat the zombie-like rampage, but VANDAL SAVAGE has another weapon. He animates the sleeping Sphinx itself! HAL must solve the ancient riddle of the stone-cold creature, or h... read more
Gene has 10 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
Gene's editorial advice was concise, straight forward and thorough. His suggested directions improved my manuscript.
Kristen Milne, August 2019
I thought Gene's editorial comments regarding point of view especially, but other suggestions regarding street locations and traveling route as well as grammatical points, word choice at times, were very useful to me and made me work that much harder getting my novel into a better state. I also appreciated that he would pass on my story to publishers and/or agents who have a connection to Reedsy.
jack augenblick, November 2018
I am fully satisfied with Gene’s work. Thank you so much for your detailed editing Gene!
His explanations and suggestions are clear and very helpful.
Very appreciative of his time and expertise to guide the development of my work.
Aaliyah Mubeen, August 2018
Reply from Gene Hult
I highly recommend Gene. He was able to take my manuscript to the next level without changing my style of writing. My story was beautifully edited. Somehow he was able to impress me with my own writing. I will definitely be using him in the future.
Rikki Strouse, July 2018
Reply from Gene Hult
Gene was very thoughtful, detailed and helpful. Very happy with the critique. Would recommend.
Scott Moore, July 2018
Reply from Gene Hult
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