Kara Levy

Kara Levy – Editor

Creative, collaborative book editor with 10+ years experience. I consult on your whole book process, from first idea to finished product.

Overview

I'm a developmental editor with over a decade of experience with seasoned and first-time writers. As a fiction writer myself, I care deeply about story and I understand your personal investment in your own writing. In addition to copy editing for HarperCollins, Penguin, and Scholastic for ten years, I've done developmental editing for hundreds of fiction, memoir, business, and academic manuscripts.

My process is as collaborative as you are. If you'd like a partner to help you develop plot, character, theme, and language, then edit the results, that's no problem. I'm also happy to simply take what you've written and offer an edit -- anything from a developmental consult to a straightforward copy edit. My priority is to help your prose shine and your ideas make the biggest impact.
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Business & Management History Humanities & Social Sciences
Fiction
Historical Fiction Humor & Comedy Literary Fiction Middle Grade Science Fiction Short Story Young Adult
Languages
English (CAN) English (UK) English (US)
Awards
  • Steinbeck Fellow in Fiction, San Jose State University, 2006-2007
  • Pushcart Prize special mention, 2010
  • Hedgebrook Fellow, 2010
  • Writing Between the Vines Fellow, 2016
Certifications
  • TEFL Certification to teach English as a foreign language (ITC Barcelona, 2003)

Work experience

Joyland Magazine

Sep, 2010 — Present

I select, solicit, and edit short fiction for regionally-curated international literary magazine. I also organize Bay-area literary events and collaborate with local reading series to bring great fiction to a wider readership. Collaboration partners have included City Lights Bookstore, Why There Are Words reading series, and Dog Eared Books.

Stanford University Graduate School of Business

Aug, 2010 — Present

I provide individualized executive coaching for MBA candidates in effective written and oral communication, including building charisma and leadership qualities; storytelling for business; extemporaneous and prepared speaking; presentation skills; active listening; information synthesis; and persuasive and analytical writing.

I also teach weekly workshops on themes in business communication. Recent workshop themes include: Storytelling, Tone Modulation for Difficult Audiences, Building Presence and Charisma, Impromptu Speaking Salon, Prepared Speaking Salon, and Business Writing.

Columbia University

Jan, 2005 — May, 2006 (over 1 year)

I led second-year medical students in an introductory fiction workshop as part of the Narrative Medicine program. Developed and taught INTRO fiction-writing class to Columbia undergraduates and graduate students.

Kara Levy Editorial + Coaching

Jun, 2004 — Present

I provide developmental editing, editorial consulting, writing coaching, ghost writing, and copy editing for book projects such as doctoral dissertations, business articles, science research papers, memoirs, creative nonfiction, fiction, education, and young-adult fiction.

Private clients include entrepreneurs, fiction writers, academics, memoirists, children's book writers, and developers. 10+ years of experience working for publishing houses such as HarperCollins, Penguin, and Scholastic.

Portfolio

Rebel (Reboot)

Amy Tintera

The sequel to the action-packed Reboot is a can't-miss thrill ride, perfect for fans of James Patterson and Marie Lu.After coming back from death as Reboots and being trained by HARC as soldiers, Wren and Callum have finally escaped north, where they hope to f... read more
The seventh book in the internationally bestselling Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage, featuring the funny and fantastic adventures of a wizard apprentice and his quest to become an ExtraOrdinary Wizard.New York Times Bestselling Series“To wrap up her deserve... read more
Retro 4 is the latest collection of the best, the funniest, the strangest, and the most affecting stories from the award winning literary magazine, Joyland.
Joyland is an online and print literary magazine that selects fiction regionally. Praised for its unique approach by Time Out, the Atlantic, and the CBC, Joyland now brings its best stories into print with Retro Vol. 1. No 3. Authors include PEN/Faulkner final... read more
Joyland is an online and print literary magazine that selects fiction regionally. Praised for its unique approach by Time Out, the Atlantic, and the CBC, Joyland now brings its best stories into print with Retro Vol. 1. Issue 2. From writers both emerging and ... read more
From writers both emerging and acclaimed come short stories about spontaneous combustion on a dance floor, love affairs with predators, a very bad day for a purchase display consultant and what happens when a man decides he wants to be pregnant. As Quill & Qui... read more
Tad is back and he's blogger than ever, in a laugh-out-loud sequel to the book Jon Stewart called "hilarious to anyone who ever went through, is currently in, might go to, or flunked out of middle school."Tad may have survived seventh grade, but his troubles a... read more
Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel are some of the most highly trained people in the military, with a job description that spans defusing unexploded ordnance to protecting VIP's and state dignitaries. EOD are also one of the first military groups to w... read more
This final book in Debra Driza's exhilarating MILA 2.0 series is perfect for fans of books filled with suspense and imagination, like The Bourne Identity and Legend, and it will surprise and thrill readers to the very end.Mila has been running for her life for... read more
My Lady Jane

Cynthia Hand

New York Times Bestseller * Publishers Weekly Best Young Adult Book of 2016 * Bustle Best Young Adult Book of 2016 * YALSA 2017 Best Fiction for Young AdultsThis comical, fantastical, romantical, New York Times bestselling, (not) entirely true story of Lady Ja... read more
In the course of the nineteenth century, four-hand piano playing emerged across Europe as a popular pastime of the well-heeled classes and of those looking to join them. Nary a canonic work of classical music that was not set for piano duo, nary a house that c... read more

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