Leah Brown

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.

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.
Services
Non-Fiction
Business & Management Education & Reference
Fiction
Dystopian Fantasy Literary Fiction Science Fiction Urban Fantasy Young Adult
Languages
English (US)
Certifications
  • Master's Degree in Book Publishing

Work experience

Beyond Words Publishing

Jan, 2015 — Aug, 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.

Self

Oct, 2011 — Present

Work directly with authors and publishers on content development, copyediting, and proofreading. Topics have included everything from YA fiction to business to self-improvement.

Beyond Words

Oct, 2011 — Dec, 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.

RainTown Press

Oct, 2010 — Oct, 2011 (about 1 year)

Curated new titles for acquisition. Worked directly with authors on content editing, copyediting, and proofreading.

Ooligan Press

Sep, 2009 — Jun, 2011 (over 1 year)

Duties included acquiring new titles, content editing, copyediting, contract negotiations, etc.

Portfolio

It's Over or It's Eden

Zornow, R.

Black and Blue (Red and Black)

Nancy O.

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 ris... read more
Submerged (Dance of the Elements)

A M.

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... read more
Ignited (Dance of the Elements) (Volume 1)

A. M.

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. How... read more
Fragile Chaos

Amber R.

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 s... read more
Classic Cyborg: Liquid Cool: The Cyberpunk Detective Series (From the Crazy Maniac Files Book 1)

Austin D.

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 ... read more
The Dragon's Name (Reign of Shadow Book 1)

Stiner, R.

Eclipsed

Hoff, K.

Realm of Wraiths

Balasavage, T.

Finding the Elsewhere

Gregory A.

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 Pr... read more
Beyond Normal

Alexandria V.

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 ki... read more
Sleepy Meadows

Jana H.

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 ... read more
The Unsound Theory (STAR Academy Book 1)

Emilia Z.

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 spac... read more
Ignite

Danielle R.

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 caug... read more
Project to Product: How to Survive and Thrive in the Age of Digital Disruption with the Flow Framework

Mik K.

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 techn... read more
The Imminent Threat (The School of Acncestral Guidance Book 3)

Thorn O.

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 w... read more
Making Work Visible: Exposing Time Theft to Optimize Work & flow

Dominica D.

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 ni... read more
A Seat at the Table: IT Leadership in the Age of Agility

Mark S.

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 hon... read more
So, You Want to Work with Animals?: Discover Fantastic Ways to Work with Animals, from Veterinary Science to Aquatic Biology (Be What You Want)

J. M.

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 yo... read more
The DevOps Handbook: How to Create World-Class Agility, Reliability, and Security in Technology Organizations

Gene K.

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 agil... read more
The Phoenix Project: A Novel about IT, DevOps, and Helping Your Business Win

Gene K.

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 massiv... read more
The Book of What If...?: Questions and Activities for Curious Minds

Matt M.

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... read more
Surviving Middle School: Navigating the Halls, Riding the Social Roller Coaster, and Unmasking the Real You

Luke R.

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 ... read more
The V-Word: True Stories about First-Time Sex

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.L... read more
Blue Thread (The Blue Thread Saga)

Ruth T.

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, dema... read more

Leah has 22 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Tara D.

Tara D.

Oct, 2022

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 D.

Tara D.

Sep, 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.
Rayna S.

Rayna S.

May, 2020

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!
Kathryn H.

Kathryn H.

Feb, 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!
Tyler P.

Tyler P.

Sep, 2019

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!