Halley Sutton

Halley Sutton – Editor

Experienced editor passionate about collaborating to polish your manuscript—mysteries, thrillers, and select nonfiction—to meet your goals.

Overview

I have 14 years of editorial experience, specializing in memoirs, select nonfiction (leadership and higher education), and for fiction, crime novels, thrillers, and mysteries. I've mentored authors from developmental manuscripts through signing with an agent, and major publication deals. I've worked in traditional professional publishing since 2010. I'm also a USA Today-bestselling writer of crime and mystery novels myself, and happy to leverage my experience in traditional publishing to offer assistance on everything from querying an agent to what you can expect with your first book deal.


I really want our work together to be a collaborative process—I want to help YOU tell the story you're most excited about, not the story I think you should be writing! I typically start with a call (though we can do this virtually, if you prefer!), where we get to know each other, and I learn more about your specific goals for this project and your creative life overall. I give kind but thorough notes, offering feedback on what I think is working in your project, as well as places where I think you can shore up certain aspects of your manuscript. Finally, I can offer a plethora of resources in the next steps after you've written your strongest manuscript, whether your goals include self-publishing or pursuing the traditional publishing route. Let's work together!

Services
Non-Fiction
Business & Management Career Guides
Fiction
Historical Mysteries Psychological Thriller Women's Fiction Young Adult
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Putnam

May, 2019 — Present

I write and traditionally publish (via Putnam, an imprint of Penguin Random House) crime novels. My first novel, The Lady Upstairs, came out in 2020, and my second novel, The Hurricane Blonde, came out in 2023 and was an instant USA Today bestseller.

Self-employed

May, 2019 — Sep, 2021 (over 2 years)

I mentored fledgling authors through their manuscript revision via PitchWars—we worked on developmental edits, line edits, and even putting together a query letter and ideal agent submission list. My mentees wound up signing with agents and landing book deals after working with me.

Wiley

Jul, 2010 — Present

I've worked in editorial for 14 years, working on everything from leadership titles to higher education titles and periodicals. I specialize in developmental editing from proposal through publication.

Portfolio

All Her Little Secrets: A Novel

Morris, Wanda M.

William Morrow Paperbacks

Editorial Assessment Query Letter Review Book Coaching
She's Too Pretty to Burn: A Novel

Heard, Wendy

Square Fish

Developmental Editing Book Coaching
We'll Never Tell

Heard, Wendy

Christy Ottaviano Books

Developmental Editing Book Coaching
Dead End Girls

Heard, Wendy

Christy Ottaviano Books

Developmental Editing Book Coaching
Hurt for Me

Levy, Heather

Montlake

Developmental Editing Proofreading Query Letter Review Book Coaching
Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading
Developmental Editing Copy Editing Proofreading
Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading
Copy Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading
Editorial Assessment
You Can Trust Me: A Novel

Heard, Wendy

Bantam

Developmental Editing Book Coaching
The Favorites: A Novel

Fargo, Layne

Random House

Developmental Editing Query Letter Review Book Coaching
Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment
Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment
Glitter in the Dark

Lyuzna, Olesya

Mysterious Press

Developmental Editing Copy Editing Proofreading Query Letter Review
Walking Through Needles

Levy, Heather

Polis Books

Developmental Editing Copy Editing Query Letter Review Book Coaching

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