Rachel Knowles – Editor

ABOUT ME

Writing, editing, and relationship building are at the heart of my professional life. The first step in my career was at Riverhead Books (part of Penguin Group), with a focus on literary fiction and general nonfiction. An impulse to be “of service” led me to leave book publishing for nonprofit fundraising. Even as a busy executive, I took on editing clients because I truly loved the people and the work. After years in the nonprofit world, I moved to Los Angeles and became a full-time writer and freelance editor. I've developed many film and TV projects (with partners like A+E Studios, Atlas Entertainment, and CBS Studios). Editorial clients have sold projects to places like Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, McSweeney’s, GQ magazine, and The New York Times Magazine.

HOW I WORK

Writing is an exercise in finding the truth – it’s my job to help you peel back the layers and get to the heart of the story that you want to tell. Every project is different because every writer has different needs. Following are some recent collaborations:

-- Manuscript evaluation of a nonfiction book

-- Line edit of a novel before the author sent it to his publisher

-- One-hour brainstorm with a writer re: a nonfiction book proposal

-- Developmental edit of a short story

-- Script notes for a feature length film

-- Full edit of a writing sample to be used in an agent search

TESTIMONIALS

"Rachel is a rarity: a brilliant editor with a heart, one who cares about your work as much as you do." -- Daniel Wallace, author of six novels (including Big Fish, adapted into a film and a Broadway musical) and many short stories and essays.

"I can say without hesitation that Rachel is one of the best editors I have worked with." -- Jennifer Murphy, author of the memoir First Responder. Her nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, Time, and Forbes, among others.