Jim Spivey

Jim Spivey – Editor

An editor with over twenty years of publishing experience at major houses, who has a sweet spot for genre fiction and comic books.

Overview

I'm an editor with a very diverse background, having started my career in comic book editing before moving into print production and manufacturing and then managing editorial. I have over twenty years of line editing and copyediting experience with major publishers and I've worked in (and enjoy) a variety of genres—ranging from traditional fiction to romance to self-help to sci-fi & fantasy—and in different types of media, such as traditional print, ebooks, manga, and graphic novels. Additionally, I've written scripts for both the page and screen. So if you're looking for an editor with a perspective on the whole lifespan of a manuscript—from inception to publication—as well as the skill to make your story the best it can be, then I'm your guy.

** Please note my current schedule only allows me to work on a small number of manuscripts. Thanks in advance for your understanding! **

Services
Fiction
Action & Adventure Comics & Graphic Novels Cozy Mysteries Fantasy Plays & Screenplays Science Fiction Thriller & Suspense
Non-Fiction
Comics Non-Fiction
Languages
English (US)
Awards
  • Harvey Award (nominee)

Work experience

Self-employed

Apr, 1999 — Present
Highly experienced copy editor and proofreader of manuscripts large and small. Also adept at developmental editing with an approach that encourages the author to be an active participant in the revision process, providing the tools and feedback an author needs to shape his or her story into the best it can possibly be. In addition to my editing experience, I have an extensive background in prepress production (both print and electronic) and am able to usher a manuscript from final edit to finished book.
 
 Current clients include Hachette Book Group (copyediting and proofreading, primarily for their Yen Press imprint), HarperCollins Publishers (proofreading and other editorial services), Action Phase Games (editorial development and copyediting for The Stuff of Legend, an expansion for the popular board game Heroes Wanted, as well as other upcoming projects), Hay House (copyediting and proofreading), and Vendome Press (currently serving as their production director). Prior editorial clients have included Kirkus Editorial (primarily collaborative/ developmental editorial work), Nickelodeon Magazines and Archie Comics (story scripts), and DC Comics (freelance consulting and copywriting on trade editions). Noteworthy projects include development of a three-issue graphic novel series for Tonner Dolls based on a story overview provided by the company, and the script for an eight-page educational story on dinosaurs for Zenscope Entertainment (see portfolio).

Kirkus Media, LLC

May, 2014 — Dec, 2014 (7 months)
As the second director in the service’s history, I was the primary contact for the independent authors and publishing partners who relied upon it. Day-to-day responsibilities included overseeing the editing (developmental, copyediting, and/or proofreading) of manuscripts from both traditionally published authors and those who were planning to self-publish, and personally reviewing most projects once complete to ensure quality.

Hachette Book Group

Mar, 2008 — May, 2014 (about 6 years)
Established the position of production editor for the Yen Press imprint, Hachette’s manga and graphic novel line. This included creating and maintaining Yen’s style guide, modifying HBG’s existing workflows and systems to match the model required by Editorial, and maintaining a very high standard of editorial quality—a standard that did not waver, even as the imprint grew. (At the time of my departure, Yen Press was publishing eight to sixteen manga titles per month, each averaging 192 pages, and at least eight prose titles a year.) At my request, I later took on the production editor role for Orbit’s digital-only science fiction/ fantasy short fiction program and any e-first titles published by the imprint, as well as select print titles on the Little, Brown for Young Readers list.

Time Warner Book Group/Hachette Book Group

Nov, 1999 — Mar, 2008 (over 8 years)
Primary responsibility was the production and manufacture of at least five hardcover titles per month with press runs ranging from 20,000 to 650,000+ copies. Due to my background in four-color production, I handled most color titles, including the acclaimed Sopranos Family Cookbook and its sequel, Entertaining with the Sopranos.

DC Comics

Nov, 1993 — Apr, 1999 (over 5 years)
From 1993 to 1995, as an editor in the DC Universe group, I was the editor for the monthly titles Damage, Hawkman, and Primal Force, and I was the editor of the feature “Homecoming” from the anthology Showcase, which won Spain’s Haxtur Award for Best Short Story. From 1995 to 1997, as a member of the Special Projects editorial group, I worked on the art direction and editorial development for DC’s line of trading cards, and served as primary liaison and co-developer for the DC Comics edition of Fleer’s OverPower trading card game. From 1997 to 1999, while serving on the editorial staff for Collected Editions, I worked on a variety of titles, including the Eisner and Harvey Award-winning collections Jack Kirby’s New Gods and Plastic Man Archives Volume One, and I was co-editor of the Harvey-nominated Manhunter: The Special Edition.

Portfolio

Made with Reedsy
The Nothing Within

Andy Giesler

"This magical, terrifying, and whimsical debut is a genuinely original and immersive take on post-apocalyptic SF." -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) What unforgivable sin would you commit ... read more
Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Toxic Octopus (A Spy Shop Mystery Book 1)

Lisa Haneberg

A popular marine biologist is dead. An octopus named Fred is accused of killing her. Can Xena interrogate Fred and solve the crime before more people die?Xena Cali is a somewhat overzealous in... read more
Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Utopia PR

Adam Bender

Public-relations extraordinaire Blake Hamner (the n is silent) put off his honeymoon for his big break: joining a major political campaign for president. Now, the "Hammer" struggles to make ti... read more
Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Snowlands

Morr Meroz

A brand-new, full-color graphic novel series for animal fantasy fans that delivers a daring adventure and a mysterious threat that has animals–prey and predator alike–disappearing.
Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Three Grams of Elsewhere

Giesler, Andy

Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
The Wanderer and the New West

Adam Bender

The Wanderer and the New West reinvents the Western novel with a dystopian outlook on a possible America that fully protects the rights of armed citizens to stand their ground.In the near futu... read more
Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Dead Pelican (Spy Shop Mystery)

Haneberg, Lisa

Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Stiff Lizard

Haneberg, Lisa

Developmental Editing
Made with Reedsy
Folie à Deux: Mermaid Aslyum Book 2 (The Mermaid Asylum)

Mary Widdicks

Cressida is back. And this time she’s not alone...Another body washes up on the shores of the Mermaid Asylum. The police rule it a suicide: the impetuous act of a woman obsessed with a dangero... read more
Developmental Editing
Discovery Channels Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Predators (Discovery Channel Books)

Neo Edmund

Zenescope's second book in its new, all-ages imprint, Silver Dragon Books, takes you on an adventure back in time with Discovery Channel's Dinosaurs & Prehistoric Predators. Nothing captures the imagination of kids like the prehistoric world of Dinosaurs, and ... read more
Manhunter: The Special Edition

Archie Goodwin

When former big-game hunter and intelligence officer Paul Kirk was trampled by an elephant in the African outback, it seemed as if the legendary adventurer's life had come to a poetic close. But when a fanatical organization called the Council repaired and alt... read more

Jim has 33 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Adam W.

Adam W.

Aug, 2022

As a first time writer, I didn't know what to expect in an editor. I found Jim to be honest and thorough. Getting back the edit and overview was a little overwhelming. After reading it over, I found that everything makes sense and I'm more encouraged to see this process through. Jim takes the tim...
Read more
Andy G.

Andy G.

Jul, 2022

This is the second novel Jim has helped me with, and he did a great job this time, just as with the last one. He provided me with both a developmental edit and a copy edit. Both edits greatly improved the book. The developmental edit was largely reassuring, but he also had some great insights a...
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Dave W.

Dave W.

Jun, 2022

Jim Spivey is a well-deserved editor. His take on writing and simplifying the author's thoughts is mind-blowing. He is very thoughtful and full of information. I just wish I could work with him on a continued basis. Thank you so much, Jim.
Dave W.

Dave W.

Dec, 2021

This was an incredible eye-opener. I thought there was nothing else wrong with my novel, but J. Spivey put me on game son!! I'm so pleased with his assessment. I am most definitely hiring him for editing! Give that man a raise too!!
Scott H.

Scott H.

Aug, 2021

All input was measured and constructive. I would gladly hand my work (and by extension my fragile ego) over to Jim's care again in the future.

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