Marco Palmieri – Editor

I'm a developmental editor of books, podcasts, games, and screenplays. My career spans nearly thirty years and hundreds of titles, including award winners and bestsellers. I've been a senior editor for two leading U.S. book publishers, Simon & Schuster and Macmillan, and a creative producer for the fiction podcast studio, Realm.

My specialty is speculative fiction, but I'm also interested in thrillers, noir, and psychological suspense. I've helped writers developed everything from media tie-ins to literary fiction, standalones to serials, secret histories to epic futures, family dramas to societal upheavals, BIPOC and LGBTQ+ heroes.

Whether it's improving your plot, refining your voice, shaping your characters, building your world, punching up your dialogue, or honing your craft overall—this is what I love doing. You can count on me to be honest and direct, but also easygoing, upbeat, and encouraging.

Please note: I do not edit A.I.-generated manuscripts.

TESTIMONIALS:

“As a writer, what you need first and foremost from an editor is a combination of the following elements: honesty, knowledge, directness, integrity. You need a partner, a cheerleader, a collaborator, and I was lucky enough to find an editor who had all these qualities when I started working with Marco.”

—James Swallow, New York Times bestselling author

“Marco took a novelette that I had put through months of workshop, and unclogged my brain to release exactly what the story needed. He didn't suggest plot or story elements, didn't want the characters to become different people than I made them; he just tried to listen to them deeply as human beings, discussed their histories and motivations with me just like you'd discuss people you knew in real life. That kind of empathy and insight are rare and valuable qualities in any person. Channelled into editing, they work something like magic. My characters did not feel violated or misunderstood, only motivated to show more sides of themselves on the page. No other editor has helped my work grow so organically before.”

—Mimi Mondal, Hugo Award finalist

“Instead of driving a book toward his own vision, Marco meets every story on its own terms, discovers the best elements in each scene and character, and helps bring those to the surface. He does this while keeping a clear view of the whole novel, the themes and character arcs, the major dramatic beats and subtle emotional rhythms that are the breath and blood of every story. My books would not be what they are without his wide-ranging perspective, keen insight, and gentle guidance.”

—Brian Staveley, David Gemmell Award-winning author

“Marco's in-depth assessment of my work was professional, thoughtful, and candid. His recommendations for areas of improvement were immensely helpful and his sense of humor was a pleasure. Marco is the real deal and I'm looking forward to working with him again.”

—C. L. Schneider, award-winning self-published author

"I trust Marco with my words, and as a writer, I can offer no higher praise.”

—Kirstin Beyer, New York Times bestselling author

More testimonials available upon request.