Heather Rubert

Heather Rubert – Editor

Enthusiastic sci-fi/fantasy editor with 6 years of experience in both publishing and freelance. Dragons, fairies, and robots encouraged.

Overview

Got cyborgs? How about superheroes or dinosaurs? As an editor specializing in sci-fi & fantasy books, I’m thrilled by anything to do with wizards, astronauts, and other fantastical mayhem. Though content edits are my jam, I also have extensive experience completing copy edits and going over query letters.


Between publishing and freelancing, I have six years of experience with MG, YA, and adult fiction. Some of these writers have self-published, and others have gone the traditional route; either way, I’m here to help you navigate the world of publishing by making your work market-ready.


As your editor, I will be your first and biggest advocate. I’ll collaborate with you to make your work the best it can be, with professional insights on everything from character development to dialogue tags to comma usage. With my background as an acquisitions editor, I can also offer insights into queries, pitches, and what makes books sellable.


Here’s what to expect from the developmental editing process:

--First, you’ll send me a double-spaced Word document of your manuscript.

--Next, I’ll send it back filled with lots of comments about sentences that sing, dialogue tags that need work, plot twists I didn’t see coming, and more.

--Along with the returned document, I’ll pass along a sheet of content or style recommendations, typically the 3 or 4 changes that take highest priority.

--Once you've had a chance to review my notes and recommendations, we'll spend about an hour on Zoom chatting about your manuscript and discussing any questions you may have.


Here's what to expect from the copy editing process:

--First, you'll send me a double-spaced Word document of you manuscript.

--Next, I'll spend 2-3 weeks going over your manuscript and adjusting sentences that could flow better, removing unnecessary dialogue tags, and making other sentence-level changes.

--Along with your edited manuscript, I'll send you back a style sheet explaining the top 3-4 most recurring style changes I made and explain why, helping you be an even better writer.


I can’t wait to work with you on your manuscript!

Services
Fiction
Dystopian Gaming & LitRPG Middle Grade Fantasy Paranormal Romance Post-Apocalyptic Urban Fantasy Young Adult Fantasy
Languages
English (US)
Certifications
  • BA in Professional Writing

Work experience

Future House Publishing

Dec, 2015 — Jun, 2016 (6 months)

Selected MG/YA fantasy/sci-fi books for publication. Communicated virtually with 20+ accepted authors on initial content edits for their manuscripts. Read 10+ manuscript submissions weekly. Accepted pitches and query letters from a variety of authors.

Future House Publishing

May, 2015 — Dec, 2015 (7 months)

Edited 5+ YA fantasy/sci-fi books for publication, 200+ pages each, in stages ranging from content recommendations to proofreading. Completed all communication with authors virtually. Wrote letters of content critique, including suggestions on pacing, character development, and writing style.

Freelance

May, 2014 — Aug, 2019 (over 5 years)

Edited 15+ books, 150-250+ pages each, for both content and grammar. Made thousands of corrections on punctuation, parallel construction, dangling participles, spelling errors, and other grammatical corrections. Wrote letters offering critique on content, including character development, pacing, detail, and description.

Heather has 25 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Matthew A.

Matthew A.

Jun, 2024

This is my second time hiring Heather as my editor, and I am so glad to have her as my developmental editor. She's prompt, communicative, and very thorough with her editing. She's not afraid to call out out-of-place details or identify inconsistencies. Heather also comments about sections she enjoys and what passages stand out her. The only minor critique I have is a few questions noted in my ...
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Evelyn H.

Evelyn H.

Jun, 2024

Heather did a fantastic job with my book! She stepped in for book 2 of a series, was timely with updates and easy to get a hold of, generous with praise as well as critique, and overall a lovely human to work with. Will definitely be hiring her again for the rest of the series!
Romance W.

Romance W.

Apr, 2024

I loved everything about my interaction with Heather. She gave me in depth insight on a the first novel in my series, made helpful suggestions and detailed comments throughout the manuscript. This was for a content edit. I will use her services again for the next 2 books in the series.
Jon D M.

Jon D M.

Apr, 2024

Heather possesses a unique ability to deliver feedback that, as a writer, I initially find challenging to accept. Pouring one's heart into a project only to have its flaws exposed can be painful. After our last collaboration, it took me nearly four weeks to revisit my writing. However, once I implemented her suggestions, I not only rediscovered my passion for the project but also realized the v...
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Romance W.

Romance W.

Mar, 2024

Heather was wonderful to work with. She was very thorough in her edits, made helpful suggestion and gave me a detailed document to accompany the manuscript she edited. We also had a lenghty Zoom conversation to go over any question I could possibly have. Her perspective and professionnalism are impressive and I am glad I chose to work with her. I will be using her services for my future work as...
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