Haley Biermann

Haley Biermann – Editor

Sharp fiction and CNF editor. Experience: Hachette, Macmillan, and MIT Press. Let's free that book from your mind's captivity.

Overview

I am a creative writer and editor based in Nashville, TN. After working in three leading acquisitions and editorial departments, I am well-prepared to guide your manuscript to a shiny, compelling, and publishable state.


I am lucky to have collaborated on books by Ijeoma Oluo, Philip Ball, and Tatyana Fazlalizadeh. But don't be intimidated by the big names—I've also worked on stories by my friend and emerging writer, Ben, with equal enthusiasm (Ben says hi!).


Author of six short creative works and graduate of Emmanuel College's publishing program, I thrive working on imaginative and character-driven stories. Writing's hard. I'm going to be the little voice (and email and Zoom call and picture of a cat that kind of looks like Kurt Vonnegut) telling you to keep going. The feeling you get after receiving an acceptance letter? It's totally worth it.


So, let's talk about what you're working on!

Do you have a killer idea for a novel, but you're scared an attempt at structure will . . . well, kill it? Have you finished a draft of your short story collection but think it's lacking in consistent style or clean prose? Is your memoir starting to read like a clash between David Sedaris and Ernest Hemingway but NOT in a fun way?


Whatever stage you're in, I'm excited to work with you on making your story's vision a reality. I'd love to help with developmental editing, structural editing, line editing, copyediting, or proofreading. Don't know what your story needs? I'd love to help with that too.


So, you hired me! (Or not . . . It's fine . . . I'm not bitter or anything . . .) Now what?

Once we've established your goals and ideal timeline, I will outline the steps for your chosen editorial need. You will understand exactly what I'm responsible for assisting you with, and all of my suggestions will be highlighted for your approval.


Think of me as your book midwife: This is YOUR baby. I'm here to ensure a smooth and positive experience for you and your manuscript.


Happy writing! I hope to connect soon.


* * *


"I worked with Haley B. on a short fiction project, and I was thrilled with her service. She worked within my timeline—and style—to provide a blend of developmental, in-line, and proofreading edits. With the more significant and impactful revisions, she gave me clear and concise reasons why a particular word or passage wasn't working, but she also pointed out sections that worked well. In fiction, an editor must understand the protagonist's world. Haley quickly absorbed the culture in which my protagonist was operating, and her developmental comments were sound and logical. After working with Haley, my story was better, but I also felt that I had improved as a writer!"

—Pearson O'Meara, Crime Fiction Writer

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Literary Fiction Psychological Thriller Short Story Women's Fiction Young Adult
Languages
English (US)
Certifications
  • Emerson College - Professional Copyediting

Work experience

MIT Press

Oct, 2019 — Present

Works with authors to prepare MS Word and LaTeX manuscripts and artwork for editorial and production
Performs manuscript reviews and provides developmental feedback
Manages the peer review process for new projects and solicits endorsements for forthcoming books
Proofreads endorsements, book descriptions, author bios, and other cover copy
Leads project management with external art and production contributors
Prepares production estimates and publishing plans
Drafts title information sheets for internal sales and marketing use

Hachette Book Group

Sep, 2018 — Dec, 2018 (3 months)

Read authors' book proposals and wrote reader reports analyzing content, author profile, and marketability 
Conducted author and competition research using NPD BookScan sales figures
Completed metadata projects such as updating Amazon book descriptions and researching keywords
Drafted cover copy including book descriptions and author bios
Corresponded with authors and agents regarding publishing contracts

Macmillan Publishers

Jul, 2018 — Sep, 2019 (about 1 year)

Edited full history and English textbooks for design, format, grammar, spelling, and punctuation
Proofread first and second pass pages between production and compositor to make necessary edits using Adobe Acrobat Pro
Coded manuscript for design composition including headings, features, and artwork

Haley has 6 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Cris T.

Cris T.

Oct, 2022

Excellent work. Don't think I could have asked for better. I thought the manuscript was in pretty good shape but Haley proved me wrong especially in areas such as capitalization and over used words. In addition her comments in all areas were right on target and brought up numerous issues and suggestions I had not considered.
Patrick C.

Patrick C.

Sep, 2022

Professional, talented, insightful. Top-notch all the way through.
Pearson O.

Pearson O.

May, 2022

This is my third project with Haley, and I can’t wait for the fourth!
Stephen P.

Stephen P.

Mar, 2022

Haley was a wonderful person to work with. Professional, efficient and responsive from start to finish. She was incredibly attentive to my goals throughout and approached the assignment in a kind, friendly and nurturing manner. Her assessment of my manuscript went above and beyond my expectations, leaving me feeling confident that the advice given would only better my work. being a first-time ...
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Roya N.

Roya N.

Feb, 2022

Haley is amazing to work with! She did a fantastic job editing my manuscript and gave very good feedback as well as options for each suggestion. Haley responded quickly and communicated very clearly! As a new writer, she explained and made the process very easy for me!

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