Kelli Christiansen - Editor
Chicago, IL, United States
As an editor/book doctor/writer/ghost/agent, I work with individuals and publishers alike to make publishing dreams come true.
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Overview
After more than two decades in publishing, I'm still delighted and amazed that I get to do what I love—read manuscripts, edit manuscripts, write manuscripts, sell manuscripts, and work with books in various stages all day every day—and get paid for it!
Since working as a bookseller back in the day and then morphing into an agent/editor/ghostwriter, I have acquired, edited, written, and published hundreds of books on a variety of topics, from business/finance/investing to history/military history to sports to self-help to memoir.
I launched bibliobibuli professional editorial services in 2007 after having spent years working as a full-time in-house editor with such houses as Publications International, Ltd./Consumer Guide, McGraw-Hill, and ABA Publishing. I also am the founder of Chicago Publishing Network and of Chicago Book Review.
A former newspaper reporter and still a writer, my work has appeared in such media as Book Business Magazine; Carol Stream Press; Chicago Book Review; Chicago Life; Chicago Literati; Collections & Credit Risk Magazine; Faith, Hope & Fiction; Midwest Book Review; Midwestern Gothic; Sacramento Book Review; and San Francisco Book Review. Like most writers, I have drawers full (as it were) of manuscripts of my own in various stages of completion as well as files full of ideas and concepts just waiting to be written about.
Today, I help authors make their publishing dreams come true, working as an agent, editor, writer/ghostwriter, and consultant. From concept to proposal to manuscript to publication, I nurture authors through the entire process as they fulfill their publishing dreams. Because books matter.
Languages
English (UK)
English (US)
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Business & Management
Career Guides
Finance & Accounting
Health & wellbeing
History
Publishing
Self-help & Self-improvement
Fiction
Literature
Women's Fiction
Awards
- 2016 James Friend Memorial Award for Literary and Dramatic Criticism
Work experience
President
Self-employed
March, 2007
–
Present
(over 11 years)
From bookselling to writing to acquisitions to editing to agenting, I have been lucky enough to work in all aspects of publishing. Over the years, I have worked with scores of authors to publish hundreds of books as an agent, editor, and ghostwriter. From concept through publication and beyond, I work closely with authors to help them realize their publishing dreams.
Recent titles include business titles such as The Inequality Equalizer by Jena Abernathy (Ankerwyke, 2016), Critical Selling by Nick Kane and Justin Zappulla (Wiley, 2015), The Breakthrough Challenge by John Elkington and Jochen Zeitz (Jossey-Bass, 2014); history titles such as From the Dugouts to the Trenches by Jim Leeke (University of Nebraska Press, 2017), Don't Hurry Me Down to Hades by Susannah J. Ural (Osprey, 2013), and The Rice Paddy Navy by Linda Kush (Osprey, 2012); and a variety of titles in other genres, including Suddenly Single After 50 by Barbara Ballinger and Margaret Crane (Rowman & Littlefield, 2016).
Executive Editor
ABA Publishing
October, 2005
–
March, 2007
(over 1 year)
Led the American Bar Association's publishing program for the Section of Business Law, acquiring and editing books for lawyers and professionals.
Senior Editor
McGraw-Hill
March, 1998
–
April, 2005
(about 7 years)
Acquired and edited books in business/finance/investing, including titles honored by such publications as Barron's, BusinessWeek, and Library Journal.
Acquisitions Editor
Publications International, Ltd./Consumer Guide
January, 1995
–
March, 1998
(about 3 years)
Hired authors, editorial consultants, illustrators, photographers, and other talent for dozens of books every year, covering a variety of subjects including collecting, crafts, health, history, and other general and consumer interest titles.
City Editor
Press Publications
September, 1992
–
December, 1994
(about 2 years)
Wrote features and news articles covering breaking news, government, and local issues.
Senior Bookseller
B. Dalton Bookseller (a division of Barnes & Noble)
November, 1989
–
December, 1996
(about 7 years)
Hand-sold key frontlist and backlist titles to a variety of readers covering a variety of genres. Specialized in business, fiction, and history sections.
Portfolio (14 selected works)
The Inequality Equalizer
Jena Abernathy
In The Inequality Equalizer, career coach and executive search consultant Jena Abernathy shares real-world success strategies for young professionals in a no-nonsense guide that will help them balance their “junkyard dogs” and “pedigrees,” strategize their careers, and gain the confidence, skills, and know-how they need to get results, make winning impressions, and build long-lasting success o... read more
Critical Selling: How Top Performers Accelerate the Sales Process and Close More Deals
Nick Kane, Justin Zappulla
Master these top-performing sales skills to dominate the marketplace Critical Selling is a dynamic and powerful guide for transforming your sales approach and outperforming your competition. This book is based on Janek Performance Group's, an award winning sales performance company, most popular sales training program, Critical Selling®. Let authors Justin Zappulla and Nick Kane, Managing Part... read more
The Breakthrough Challenge: 10 Ways to Connect Today's Profits With Tomorrow's Bottom Line
John Elkington, Jochen Zeitz
The world’s most forward-looking CEOs recognize the real challenge facing business today: a fundamental shift in the nature of commerce. While sustainability programs, government action, and nonprofits are all parts of the solution, CEOs and other leaders must focus on social, environmental, and economic benefit—not only because it will make the world a better place, but because it will ensure... read more
Suddenly Single After 50: The Girlfriends' Guide to Navigating Loss, Restoring Hope, and Rebuilding Your Life
Barbara Ballinger, Margaret Crane
A stressful, protracted divorce. A difficult, painful death of a beloved husband. And suddenly, after age 50, you’re on your own again. Your children have moved out, your parents are aging fast or deceased, your friends’ lives continue onward, seemingly unchanged. Being suddenly single after age 50 can be terrifying, but eventually it can also be liberating. It can be fraught with worry and de... read more
Practical guidance and a fresh approach for more accurate value-based pricing Pricing Done Right provides a cutting-edge framework for value-based pricing and clear guidance on ideation, implementation, and execution. More action plan than primer, this book introduces a holistic strategy for ensuring on-target pricing by shifting the conversation from 'What is value-based pricing?' to 'How can... read more
In Battlefield Angels historian Scott McGaugh pays homage to the thousands of medics, hospital corpsmen, and battlefield nurses, doctors, surgeons who have provided succor and healing to the more than 40 million warriors who have served in America's armed forces since the nation's founding.McGaugh tells the story of Jonathan Letterman, a Union surgeon during the Civil War who is considered the... read more
Swing trading is gaining popularity as a powerful method to increase returns―and potentially lower risks―by profiting from short-term price moves. The Master Swing Trader explains how traders can use technical analysis, charting, and market sentiment to make trades that hold through price fluctuations and noise with wider stops. This complete, practical guide to making profitable short-term tr... read more
Forgotten Sacrifice: The Arctic Convoys of World War II (General Military)
Michael G. Walling
Hitler called Norway the “Zone of Destiny” for Nazi Germany because convoys from Churchill's Britain and Roosevelt's United States supplied Stalin's Soviet Russia with critical equipment and foodstuffs during the darkest days of the German invasion. The words "Murmansk Run" conjure visions of ice-laden ships and thoughts of freezing to death in seconds. For five long years, thousands of men an... read more
An Evidence-Based Approach to Personality and LeadershipA leader’s bullying and constant dismissal of his team’s concerns nearly take down an entire company―and the global financial system. The U.S. Government has to provide a $182 billion bailout. A new CEO transforms a near-bankrupt auto company and its infamously competitive culture becomes more collaborative and thrives―making it the only ... read more
Baseball, like the rest of the country, changed dramatically when the United States entered World War I, and Jim Leeke brings these changes to life in From the Dugouts to the Trenches. He deftly describes how the war obliterated big league clubs and largely dismantled the Minor Leagues, as many prominent players joined the military and went overseas. By the war’s end more than 1,250 ballplayer... read more
Outsmarting the Smart Money : Understand How Markets Really Work and Win the Wealth Game
Lawrence A. Cunningham
How to invest using straightforward common sense instead of misleading"hot tips" While market pundits argue the rational market theory, one theory gets almost universal consensusthat of the irrational investor. Outsmarting the Smart Money outlines where most investors go wrong and explains how to instead approach the markets with intelligence and calm. Filled with hard-hitting insights and u... read more
The trading strategies of legends Jesse Livermore, Bernard Baruch, Gerald Loeb, and more provide ways to triumph in the market Today's bookshelves are so laden with Johnny-come-lately experts, eager to sell their knowledge to any and all, that it's sometimes hard for traders to know which way to turn or whom to trust. Lessons from the Greatest Stock Traders of All Time makes the choice simple,... read more
Behind Devil's Rock
Sylvester Youlo
When Dan Freeman, a native Liberian, moved from his small hometown to attend school at the prestigious Cape Palmus High School in Harper City, little did he know that he would one day become entangled in an intricate web of racism, sex, infidelity, politics, deceit, voodoo, and even murder. But when his best friend, Mo, a talented and popular young musician, goes missing, Dan soon finds himsel... read more
The 13th Apostle
Arkady Povzikov
The Thirteenth Apostle uncovers a jarring world secret through loss, love, and human experience culminating beyond simple answers and instead in ultimate truth. Upset over the tragic loss of his infant son to a freak genetic abnormality writer Sasha Komarov, sets out on a quest for answers regarding his family's mysterious and illustrious past. His travels take him from Canada to Siberia, wher... read more
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