Jeff Seymour – Editor

As a freelancer and at Harlequin's Carina Press imprint, I've worked with top-notch indie and traditionally published authors on more than a hundred genre novels, including New York Times and USA Today bestsellers. My clients have sold hundreds of thousands of books on Kindle (Jennifer Foehner Wells), landed agency representation and traditional publishing deals (Wayne Santos), and made the New York Times bestseller list (Felix R. Savage) after working with me. No matter where you are on your publishing journey, I can help you get better.

Whether I'm coaching or editing, I look to help authors answer three key questions: What are they writing? Why is it exciting? And what do they need to do it better? I always put the client first, and I make sure I identify what's working well and how we can strengthen it as well as what isn't working.

Working with me is a collaborative experience. In my coaching calls, we start with how you're doing and work together on the need of the moment. In my editorial evaluations and manuscript notes, I explain potential issues and ask questions to help you engage with your work more deeply. Ultimately, I want to help you improve from book to book until you meet your goals, whether that means writing bestselling thrillers, award-winning literary fiction, heartrendingly beautiful experiments in storytelling, or something else. As an author myself (with novels published indie as well as with Penguin Random House), I aim to be a writer's dream editor.

Helping authors succeed is the most fun part of my career. I love unraveling knotty questions of structure and characterization, teaching early career authors the tricks of the trade, helping veterans break new ground, and polishing prose until it gleams. I begin every project with the same enthusiasm I felt as a kid at the library, and I'd love to take a look at yours.

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Testimonials:

“Jeff is simply a fantastic editor. A joy to work with. His attention to detail is breathtaking, not only on micro-editing detail, but in the large-scale “what is this story trying to accomplish” sense. Hire him, and your story will shine.” - Nick Webb (USA Today-bestselling author of the PAX HUMANA SAGA)

"Great comments, as always. Thank you. This is always a good use of my time/money.” - Jennifer Foehner Wells (Kindle bestselling indie author of FLUENCY)

“You’re the BEST editor I have ever met, including all the editors I worked with lo these many years ago in my trad-pub period.” - Felix R. Savage (New York Times-bestselling indie author of the EARTH'S LAST GAMBIT and FLETCHER CONNOLLY series)