Leah Brown - Editor
Wordsmith with a decade of experience as an in-house and freelance editor specializing in genre fiction. I'm here to polish your diamond.
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Overview
I have worked as an editor since 2011, working at small and mid-sized publishing houses, including Beyond Words/Atria Books (an imprint of Simon & Schuster, Inc.). As a freelance editor I have worked with self-published authors and traditional publishers, including Taylor & Francis, Routledge, IT Revolution Press, Beyond Words Publishing, and Radiant Crown Publishing. I have worked with writers at the very beginning of the process—helping them craft their characters, plot, and general structure—as well as at the end of the process, hunting for the last typos before their book was shipped off to press. I look forward to seeing how we can work together to polish your next manuscript.
Languages
English (US)
Non-Fiction
Business & Management
Education & Reference
Fiction
Dystopian
Fantasy
Literary Fiction
Science Fiction
Urban Fantasy
Young Adult
Certifications
- Master's Degree in Book Publishing
Work experience
Production Editor
Beyond Words Publishing
January, 2015
–
August, 2015
(7 months)
Duties including developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading adult and children's titles. Worked directly with authors, freelance editors, and designers to ensure quality in every finished product.
Freelance Editor
Self
October, 2011
–
Present
(over 11 years)
Work directly with authors and publishers on content development, copyediting, and proofreading. Topics have included everything from YA fiction to business to self-improvement.
Marketing Coordinator
Beyond Words
October, 2011
–
December, 2014
(about 3 years)
Responsible for coordinating the implementation of marketing plans and managing the online promotions and marketing of the Beyond Words brand, its products, and its content providers. Duties included copywriting, copyediting, proofreading, social media management, etc.
Senior Editor
RainTown Press
October, 2010
–
October, 2011
(about 1 year)
Curated new titles for acquisition. Worked directly with authors on content editing, copyediting, and proofreading.
Editor
Ooligan Press
September, 2009
–
June, 2011
(over 1 year)
Duties included acquiring new titles, content editing, copyediting, contract negotiations, etc.
Portfolio (25 selected works)
CLASSIC CYBORGLIQUID COOL: THE CYBERPUNK DETECTIVE SERIESFrom the Crazy Maniac Files (Book One) It's Sci-Fi Meets the Crime Thriller! It's Blade Runner Meets The Maltese Falcon! It’s cyberpunk reimagined. LIQUID COOL is the action-packed (and funny) cyberpunk detective series. Tag along with Cruz, our private eye (and unlikely hero), in the fifty-million-plus, supercity of Metropolis— ever-rai... read more
Fragile Chaos
Amber R. Duell
A GOD OF WAR SEEKING RESTORATION.AN UNWILLING SACRIFICIAL BRIDE.BETRAYAL THAT COULD DESTROY THEM BOTH.“[E]very fiber of my being is woven from the rage of mortals.”Theodoric, the young God of War, has a talent for inciting conflict and bloodshed. After being stripped of his powers by his older brother, King of Gods, he sets out to instigate a mortal war to prove himself worthy of being restore... read more
Ignited (Dance of the Elements) (Volume 1)
A. M. Deese
A NOBLE DAUGHTER. A FORMER SLAVE. SCORCHED EARTH AND DANGEROUS GAMES. “Jura imagined it sounded like rain.” Juggling death is nothing new for seventeen-year-old Jura, daughter of the First of the Thirteen, successive rulers of the Republic of the Sand Sea. However, when a blood chain ensnares her father, she is thrust into the seat of power and forced to rule her elders. “To Tylak, water had n... read more
Submerged (Dance of the Elements)
A M Deese
A WARRIOR PRINCESS.A DOPPLEGÄNGER.CHAOTIC SEAS AND ANCIENT SECRETS."Jura pictured her friend's beautiful face."Jura and Tylak have successfully infiltrated the nation of Kitoi in search of answers but come upon a web of lies that will unravel the world as they know it. With the Tri-Alliance shattered and puppets controlling the Republic of the Sand Sea, they must find a way to save their natio... read more
Black and Blue (Red and Black)
Nancy O'Toole Meservier
The masks are off.Dawn Takahashi has achieved her dreams by becoming Bailey City’s first superhero, but is it worth the cost? After the fall of Calypso, Bailey City has been shaken. An anti-superhero movement lead by former mayor Edison Kent is starting to rise. Fortunately, most people are on Dawn’s side, viewing her superhero persona, Hikari, as an asset to the city. Former supervillain Faul... read more
It's Over or It's Eden
Zornow, Rebecca M.
Blue Thread (The Blue Thread Saga)
Ruth Tenzer Feldman
The women’s suffrage movement is in full swing in 1912 Portland, Oregon—the last holdout state on the West Coast. Miriam desperately wants to work at her father’s printing shop, but when he refuses she decides to dedicate herself to the suffrage movement, demanding rights for women and a different life for herself. Amidst the uncertainty of her future, Miriam’s attention is diverted by the mys... read more
An honest and poignant collection of essays by women about losing their virginity in their teens. The V-Word captures the complexity of this important life-decision and reflects diverse real-world experiences. Includes helpful resources for parents and teens.Losing it. Popping your cherry. Handing in your V-card. First time sex is a big unknown. Will it be candlelight and rose petals or quick ... read more
In this hilarious guide full of honest, real-life experiences, veteran teacher Luke Reynolds skillfully and humorously shows kids how to not only survive, but thrive and even enjoy the wild adventure that is middle school.Middle grade series like The Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Dork Diaries bring an authentic voice and vision to fiction about middle schoolers. Now, for the first time a nonfiction... read more
The Book of What If...?: Questions and Activities for Curious Minds
Matt Murrie, Andrew R McHugh
From the creators of the What If…? Conference comes a quirky book that encourages kids to explore and engage with the world around them by asking more than eighty wild, absurd, and thought provoking questions.What if a book didn’t just tell you how to think or what to know, but rather encouraged you to think for yourself? What if there was a book that focused on asking questions instead of jus... read more
The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win
Gene Kim, Kevin Behr, George Spafford
Bill is an IT manager at Parts Unlimited. It's Tuesday morning and on his drive into the office, Bill gets a call from the CEO. The company's new IT initiative, code named Phoenix Project, is critical to the future of Parts Unlimited, but the project is massively over budget and very late. The CEO wants Bill to report directly to him and fix the mess in ninety days or else Bill's entire depart... read more
The DevOps Handbook: How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability, and Security in Technology Organizations
Gene Kim, Patrick Debois, John Willis, Jez Humble
Increase profitability, elevate work culture, and exceed productivity goals through DevOps practices.More than ever, the effective management of technology is critical for business competitiveness. For decades, technology leaders have struggled to balance agility, reliability, and security. The consequences of failure have never been greater―whether it's the healthcare.gov debacle, cardholder ... read more
Love animals? Make your passion your profession with this comprehensive guide that reveals a whole host of careers that work hands-on with animals of all shapes, sizes, and species in the tenth book in the Be What You Want series.Do you remember what career you dreamed of having when you were a kid? Right up there along with firefighter, doctor, and astronaut, you’ll find veterinarian as one o... read more
A Seat at the Table: IT Leadership in the Age of Agility
Mark Schwartz
Agile, Lean, and DevOps approaches are radical game changers, providing a fundamentally different way to think about how IT fits into the enterprise, how IT leaders lead, and how IT can harness technology to accomplish the objectives of the enterprise. But honest and open conversations are not taking place between management and Agile delivery teams.In A Seat at the Table, CIO Mark Schwartz ex... read more
Making Work Visible: Exposing Time Theft to Optimize Work & flow
Dominica Degrandis
If someone stole your wallet, you'd notice it. So why don't people notice when they are robbed of something much more valuable than their wallet―time?Today's workers are drowning: nonstop requests for time, days filled to the brim with meetings, and endless nights spent heroically fixing the latest problems. This churn and burn is creating a workforce constantly on the edge of burnout. In this... read more
Corilan is happier than she ever imagined. She’s bonded to Earthos and has been mothering her children for the past eighteen years. Fourth generation students are in school, including hers, but something is wrong. Allegiant descendants’ students are brimming with insolence, bullying and fighting the inborns—the original members’ children. Instead of a solution the board unknowingly increases t... read more
As tech giants and startups disrupt every market, those who master large-scale software delivery will define the economic landscape of the 21st century, just as the masters of mass production defined the landscape in the 20th. Unfortunately, business and technology leaders are woefully ill-equipped to solve the problems posed by digital transformation. At the current rate of disruption, half o... read more
Ignite
Danielle Rogland
In the ruins of London, the Empire rules through fear and fire."Everyone knew about 'The Flames' and how much trouble they had caused for the Empire. They were the only rebel group anyone knew about that had lasted longer than a few months without getting caught, leaving candles behind whenever they snatched somebody out of the Empire's grasp. Getting involved with people like them is stupid. ... read more
The Unsound Theory (STAR Academy Book 1)
Emilia Zeeland
Yalena Russo, your STAR Academy invitation has arrived.Unlike other teenagers across the near worlds, Yalena isn't space-crazed. But a surprise invitation to join the exclusive STAR Academy opens a window to her unknown origins, making her ponder… What if space is where she belongs?Mystified by the leadership trio known as the O'Donnells, as well as the reason they brought her on board, Yalena... read more
Sleepy Meadows
Jana Hunter
Necromancer Kylie McGovern is working in her late father’s funeral home, Sleepy Meadows. Her life is simple and quiet: just how she likes it, but all that changes when her boss, the seemingly respectable Uncle Bob, goes missing and a murder victim is found in the crematorium. Drawn into a web of inter-generational revenge and family secrets, Kylie’s own life begins to unravel as she works desp... read more
Beyond Normal
Alexandria Victor
Special Agent Lea McCormack thought she knew everything about her job. She had spent years studying people with unusual abilities and keeping their existence a secret. Her life is however shaken to the core when eighteen-year-old Calvin Apostle accidentally kills members of his own fraternity with the abilities he possesses; bringing the powerful world of supers that she tried so hard to hide ... read more
Finding the Elsewhere
Gregory Allen Mendell
Finding the Elsewhere is a boy-meets-girl-meets-aliens science fiction adventure! Ket, a vibrant math genius, jokes about quantum bras. Rube, an introspective virtual-body designer, worries about past fiascos. Both are graduate students in India in the Mars Program. Both must avoid personal entanglement to make the cut for the next mission. But sparks fly when Rube gets near Ket at a demo mean... read more
Realm of Wraiths
Balasavage, Taylor
Eclipsed
Hoff, Kathryn
The Dragon's Name (Reign of Shadow Book 1)
Stiner, Rayna L.
Leah has 22 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
Her clean up of my synopsis was pretty straight forward. A simple amount of unnecessary sentences found, adjectives and verbs changed up. She cleared out one whole page out of seven. Not bad. Keeping her in my back pocket for later needs.
Tara Dobbs, October 2022
First time working with a professional editor. I knew what I was needing in copyedits and any POV issues found. She delivered perfectly. Finding POVs I didn't notice at all. One was a surprise and it made me laugh. A few passive voice issues, too. Which is my most difficult writing problems. It's good to learn from my mistakes. I want to work with Leah again.
Tara Dobbs, September 2022
It was great working with Leah. She really helped polish up my ms to get it ready for publication. I appreciate the attention to detail and catching errors I've overlooked. Thank you!
Rayna Stiner, May 2020
Leah was a lifesaver, taking on an urgent copy edit and getting it done ahead of her promised date, for a very reasonable cost.
Thanks, Leah!
Kathryn Hoff, February 2020
Leah Brown was an amazing editor to work with! The quality of work completed and the professionalism Leah showed were first class! I would recommend this editor to anyone!
Tyler Parr, September 2019
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Luke Finley
Freelance copy-editing, proofreading and plain language support; working with publishers, businesses, charities, students and other writers.
North Shields, United Kingdom
Julie Perry
I have edited hundreds of books over a decade at Skyhorse Publishing. I take a thorough approach and pride myself on attention to detail.
Greenwich, CT, USA
