Jon Roemer

Jon Roemer – Editor

My focus is memoir, upscale fiction and LGTBQ+ in all genres. I run an award-winning publishing house and editing genuinely thrills me.

Overview

I'm a seasoned senior editor at an award-winning indie publishing house, working for over ten years with experienced and debut authors of acclaimed nonfiction and fiction books. I studied writing at Northwestern and, before working as a book editor, delivered big editorial projects for a lot of big brands.As a book editor, here's my core principle: to fully embrace and uphold each author's vision. My job is to refine your voice, message and story authentically, true to you and in service of your readers. That holds for any category or genre, from business books to memoirs to novels. We'll work together to make sure your message or story lands with your readers the way you want it to.I have one bias. I'm a big believer in concision -- always striving for fewer, more powerful words. Precision in writing is more engaging and persuasive, and that's one of the few personal preferences I'll advocate for with anybody's work.We can start from scratch together, you can lean on me for a final polish, or if you're stalled or uncertain, I can find ways to keep your manuscript moving forward. Regardless of our starting point, we'll work in stages, with clear deliverables and timeframes, so you can move at your own pace, charging ahead or pausing if you need to. We'll find a process and rhythm that works best for you. Editing thrills me. I look forward to working together!
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs LGBTQ Non-Fiction
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction LGBTQ Fiction Literary Fiction
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Outpost19 Books

Aug, 2011 — Present
For the past 13 years, I've served as senior editor/publisher of an award-winning indie publishing house, earning praise from major and indie media as well as booksellers nationwide. Authors and books have been featured in the New York Times, the Los Angeles Times, Publishers Weekly, and by dozens of others. My primary focus is literary fiction and mainstream nonfiction, principally novels, memoirs and biographies but also LGBTQ titles and business/management titles. Each project stands on its own legs, and I work to help each author realize their own vision, refining and elevating their individual voice and message. Clients I work with via Reedsy are engaged with separately from the editing and publishing services provided by my imprint.

Jon has 19 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Craig M.

Craig M.

Oct, 2025

Jon provided me with a very detailed assessment of my manuscript. As I read through the detailed comments, I could easily understand his references without having to refer to the manuscript. It was clear that his intent was to give me recommendations that supported the characters, narrative and p...
Read more
Michael L.

Michael L.

Aug, 2025

Jon helped me this summer to review and revise my query letter and the first three chapters of my MS. Thanks to his guidance and insight, I feel ready to do the work that is necessary to continue to edit my entire MS and to go in for a second round of querying. His comments have changed not just ...
Read more
Stephen C.

Stephen C.

Jul, 2025

Working with Jon took my project to a new level. His insightful edit guided me toward opportunities to add depth and expand thematic threads throughout the manuscript that were only hinted at before, leaving the potential for a stronger book. That's what I was hoping for, and that's what I got. H...
Read more
Andrew M.

Andrew M.

Jun, 2025

Jon was incredibly helpful to me in thinking through the publication pathways for my project. He is knowledgeable and warm; and his advice is specific, concrete, and helpful. He's also super accessible and responsive, which I appreciated so much as new questions and ideas came to me. I would hire...
Read more
Jon R.
Andrew has a great project on his hands, and he's driven to make the most of it. He's also super-personable and incredibly insightful and organized. I'm excited to see where this book goes.
Kassidy S.

Kassidy S.

May, 2025

Excellent editor! Clear, precise, and to the point!

Sign up to read more reviews

Create a free Reedsy account to connect with Jon and thousands of other publishing professionals on Reedsy.

Professionals similar to Jon

Get a range of offers by requesting quotes from multiple professionals.

Tara M.

Tara M.

Highly skilled developmental editor with an inquisitive style. Specialty: non-fiction. I help authors succeed and refine their craft.

Toronto, Ontario, Canada

100% reply rate

View profile
Linda Epstein

Linda E.

Literary Agent and Developmental Editor (contemporary/historical/literary fiction, romcom, speculative/SFF, BIPOC, LGBTQ+). Query help, too!

New York, NY, USA

100% reply rate

View profile
Lesley Trites

Lesley T.

Diligent developmental and copy editor of fiction and non-fiction. Specialities: literary fiction, non-fiction, and scholarly manuscripts.

Montreal, QC, Canada

100% reply rate

View profile