Jon Arlan – Editor

I am passionate and professional editor and writer specializing in non-fiction, memoir, biography, and travel. Whether working with an idea, an early draft or an almost-finished manuscript, I want to collaborate with authors to empower them to connect their words with their vision.

I'm the author of the New York Times-recommended book Mountain Lines, a travelogue about walking across the French Alps. (The Times called it a "disarmingly engaging memoir by a millennial Kansan.") I've written travel and humor articles and essays for The Los Angeles Times, Off Assignment, Literary Hub, and many other places.

I spent my formative publishing years in New York City, first as a bookseller at the Strand, and then in various editorial roles at small and medium-sized publishing houses. I was an intern at Europe Editions before working my way up the ladder to Editor at Skyhorse Publishing.

In 2015, I took my show on the road, and have been a world-traveling freelance editor and writer ever since. I've edited books while crossing Siberia on a train, reviewed proposals in a river boat on the Nile, and even in a hut while hiking the highlands of Iceland. In the last seven years, I've been lucky enough to work on everything from coffee table books about German tanks to memoirs from inside the Kennedy administration to new editions of classic Louis L'Amour westerns.

I love personal stories with strong narratives that leave me surprised and inspired. I've been praised by authors for my patience, my easy-going attitude, and my ability to clarify, de-clutter, and organize work.

Having sold books, edited books, written books, and published books, I've seen the process from a number of different perspectives. I do my best to bring all of that experience to every project I work on. I'm always excited and deeply grateful for the opportunity to collaborate with authors to tell their stories.