Maya Myers - Editor
Charlotte, NC, United States
From the big picture to the tiniest detail, here to help you polish your craft. I work with publishers and individual authors.
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Overview
I am a full-time freelance editor providing a full range of editorial services to individual authors and national publishers. As a former elementary school teacher and literacy teacher, my knowledge of children's and YA literature is particularly strong, but I enjoy working in all genres of fiction and nonfiction. Clients find my feedback constructive, reasoned, detailed, and insightful.
Languages
English (US)
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
History
Nature
Fiction
Children's - Middle Grade
Crime & Mystery
Dystopian
Fantasy
Literature
Thriller
Young Adult & Teen
Work experience
Freelance Editor
Self-Employed
January, 2012
–
Present
(about 7 years)
Proofread and copyedit for national book publishers (HarperCollins, Macmillan, Candlewick) and several independent presses. Provide developmental editing, content editing, deep line editing, copyediting, and proofreading for authors of fiction and nonfiction. Work directly with authors/illustrators of children’s picture books, in developmental and production stages. Write, copyedit, and proofread printed materials and website content for commercial and nonprofit organizations.
Portfolio (49 selected works)
A Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Honor WinnerAt the outset of World War II, Denmark did not resist German occupation. Deeply ashamed of his nation's leaders, fifteen-year-old Knud Pedersen resolved with his brother and a handful of schoolmates to take action against the Nazis if the adults would not. Naming their secret club after the fiery British leader, the young patriots in the Church... read more
The Luck Uglies
Paul Durham
The first in a series with the makings of a modern classic, The Luck Uglies is an irresistible cross between Joseph Delaney's The Last Apprentice and Chris Colfer's Land of Stories series, overflowing with adventure, secrets, friendship, and magic.Rye O'Chanter has seen a lot of strange things happen in Village Drowning: children are chased through the streets. Families are fined for breaking ... read more
One Man Guy
Michael Barakiva
Alek Khederian should have guessed something was wrong when his parents took him to a restaurant. Everyone knows that Armenians never eat out. Why bother, when their home cooking is far superior to anything "these Americans" could come up with? Between bouts of interrogating the waitress and criticizing the menu, Alek's parents announce that he'll be attending summer school in order to bring u... read more
Don't do things that people will remember. Do things that people will never forget. Like eating a fishing worm to make a point. Why is Your Name Upside Down? is a collection of hilariously entertaining stories from award-winning creative director David Oakley's adventures in advertising. For over 25 years, David has been creating provocative brand stories and experiences that people want to sh... read more
Spirit's Key
Edith Cohn
By now, twelve-year-old Spirit Holden should have inherited the family gift: the ability to see the future. But when she holds a house key in her hand like her dad does to read its owner's destiny, she can't see anything. Maybe it's because she can't get over the loss of her beloved dog, Sky, who died mysteriously. Sky was Spirit's loyal companion, one of the wild dogs that the local islanders... read more
Flashback Four #1: The Lincoln Project
Dan Gutman
“History can be hilarious, at least in the hands of author Dan Gutman.” —Washington PostIn New York Times bestselling author Dan Gutman's all-new series, which blends fascinating real history with an action-packed and hilarious adventure, four very different kids are picked by a mysterious billionaire to travel through time and photograph some of history's most important events. This time, the... read more
After the Woods
Kim Savage
"Statistically speaking, girls like me don't come back when guys like Donald Jessup take us." Julia knows she beat the odds. She escaped the kidnapper who hunted her in the woods for two terrifying nights that she can't fully remember. Now it's one year later, and a dead girl turns up in those same woods. The terrible memories resurface, leaving Julia in a stupor at awkward moments-in front of... read more
"Part Narnia. Part Home Alone. It wouldn't have shocked me to learn the book had been written by some guy named Lemony Vonnegut." ―James Patterson, New York Times bestselling author“A terrific read, magic really, an adolescent book for adults, an adult book for adolescents, a funny, wise, enthralling romp from fist page to last . . . So much better than Harry Potter” ―Peter Quinn, Author of Ho... read more
Wishing Day
Lauren Myracle
From beloved and bestselling author Lauren Myracle comes the first book in an enchanting trilogy about three sisters, the magic of traditions, and the extraordinary power of hope. This heartwarming, timeless story is perfect for fans of Rebecca Stead and Ingrid Law.On the third night of the third month after a girl’s thirteenth birthday, every girl in the town of Willow Hill makes three wishes... read more
Tod's story races on in this second book in the TodHunter Moon trilogy, a spinoff of the popular Septimus Heap series. Fans of Septimus as well as fantasy readers new to the world of Magyk will enjoy this next installment in the series ALA Booklist calls "warm and inventive." Full-page illustrations by renowned fantasy artist Mark Zug begin each section and add to the magic!Great for readers o... read more
Julius Zebra: Rumble with the Romans!
Gary Northfield
What happens when you mix the gladiatorial combat of ancient Rome with a fast-talking creature who is DEFINITELY NOT A STRIPY HORSE?From a smelly water hole on the African savanna, Julius Zebra is captured, along with Milus the scarred lion and Cornelius the clueless warthog. Transported to the ferocious clamor of the Colosseum, Julius Zebra and his motley menagerie of friends must gear up to ... read more
The Cost of All Things
Maggie Lehrman
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind meets We Were Liars in this thought-provoking and brilliantly written debut that is part love story, part mystery, part high-stakes drama.What would you pay to cure your heartbreak? Banish your sadness? Transform your looks? The right spell can fix anything…. When Ari's boyfriend Win dies, she gets a spell to erase all memory of him. But spells come at a c... read more
Rites of Passage
Joy N. Hensley
In this fast-paced, high-stakes debut novel, sixteen-year-old Sam McKenna discovers that becoming one of the first girls to attend a revered military academy means living with a target on her back. As Sam struggles to prove herself, she learns that a decades-old secret society is alive and active . . . and determined to force her out. Fans of Simone Elkeles and Trish Doller will love Rites of ... read more
Chicago-style politics is front and center. When a sitting president has his roots in this sullied political heritage, it makes for news and leads to speculation. NOT BLACK AND WHITE is a fictional account of many of the events that led to the meteoric rise of a local charismatic street politician to become America's first African-American President, and the downfall and imprisonment of two co... read more
Starry Night: A Novel
Isabel Gillies
Sometimes one night can change everything. On this particular night, Wren and her three best friends are attending a black-tie party at the Metropolitan Museum of Art to celebrate the opening of a major exhibit curated by her father. An enormous wind blasts through the city, making everyone feel that something unexpected and perhaps wonderful will happen. And for Wren, that something wonderful... read more
The Leveller
Julia Durango
Gamers and action fans of all types will dive straight into the MEEP, a virtual-reality gaming world, thanks to Julia Durango's cinematic storytelling. A touch of romance, constant twists, and a vivid, multidimensional journey through a tricked-out virtual city will keep readers flying through to the breathtaking end.Nixy Bauer is used to her classmates being very, very unhappy to see her. Aft... read more
Hillary Rodham Clinton: Do All the Good You Can
Cynthia Levinson
An inspiring and meticulously researched middle grade biography of Hillary Rodham Clinton—First Lady, senator, secretary of state, and the first female presidential nominee in United States history.Hillary Rodham Clinton is a true leader. Growing up in Park Ridge, Illinois, Hillary was inspired by the philosophy of John Wesley, who urged his followers to "do all the good you can." Rising to pr... read more
A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird)
Claudia Gray
Cloud Atlas meets Orphan Black in this epic dimension-bending trilogy by New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray about a girl who must chase her father's killer through multiple dimensions.Marguerite Caine's physicist parents are known for their groundbreaking achievements. Their most astonishing invention, called the Firebird, allows users to jump into multiple universes—and promises t... read more
Danny Bernstein makes a great national park buddy as she takes you through the seventy-one parks in the South. In her attempt to become a Southerner one park at a time, Danny shows that every national park has a human story as well as great scenery. In the Smokies, she leads us to long-forgotten cemeteries. She walks around New Orleans to find the story of jazz. She meets Henry Allen, who marc... read more
Dare to Disappoint: Growing Up in Turkey
Ozge Samanci
- 2016 New York Book Show Award- 2016 Middle East Book Award Growing up on the Aegean Coast, Ozge loved the sea and imagined a life of adventure while her parents and society demanded predictability. Her dad expected Ozge, like her sister, to become an engineer. She tried to hear her own voice over his and the religious and militaristic tensions of Turkey and the conflicts between secularism a... read more
In February 1944 an American infantry company lost its way behind enemy lines near Anzio, Italy, and Jack Dower and his comrades would spend the remainder of the war in captivity. With candor and humor, Dower describes his nearly fifteen months as an unwilling guest of the Third Reich.Rare memoir of life as a World War II prisoner of warColorful account of Dower’s experiences, including forc... read more
Birding is one of the most popular and fastest-growing outdoor activities, but it can seem intimidating for beginners who don't know where, when, or how to search for birds. Fortunately, Pete Dunne, one of the most popular and respected writers in the field, has written a guide that will help even the most casual observers identify the skills and tools they need to develop their interest in bi... read more
Fireborn: A Dragonborn Novel
Toby Forward
Cabbage is an apprentice wizard, and it is harvest time, when wizards travel to make the harvest safe. But when Cabbage and his master, Flaxfield, try to work the harvest spells, they encounter magic that turns the field to flames.Bee is an apprentice wizard, and tomorrow is her twelfth birthday, when apprentices learn their true names. Bee's is Flame, a powerful name that her greedy master wa... read more
Froelich's Ladder
Jamie Duclos-Yourdon
When Froelich disappears from the fourth-tallest ladder in the world, his nephew’s quest to find him interlaces with the journeys of two spunky young women who outwit their guardians. In a Wild West populated with immigrants, skittish Civil War veterans, hungry clouds, a circus menagerie, and a few murderers, this fairy-tale twist on the American dream explores the conflict between loyalty and... read more
Blood, Bullets, and Bones provides young readers with a fresh and fascinating look at the ever-evolving science of forensics.Since the introduction of DNA testing, forensic science has been in the forefront of the public’s imagination, thanks especially to popular television shows like CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. But forensic analysis has been practiced for thousands of years. Ancient Chin... read more
Lies I Live By
Lauren Sabel
These are the facts: My name is Callie Sinclair. I am seventeen years old. I live in San Francisco. I love my boyfriend, Charlie. I work for a secret governmental agency. I am a psychic spy. This romantic, action-packed twist on the classic spy novel is perfect for fans of Ally Carter’s Embassy Row series or for any reader who enjoys cinematic writing and stories of romance and intrigue.At sev... read more
Someone I Wanted to Be
Aurelia Wills
When an insecure teen starts impersonating someone else, her life spirals dangerously out of control in a realistic, relatable novel about finding yourself—and discovering your true friends.Leah Lobermier dreams of becoming a doctor, but it’s hard to stay focused on getting good grades when boys make oinking sounds at her in school and her mother spends every night on the couch with a bottle o... read more
Hell and High Water
Tanya Landman
The heart-stopping tale of a young man's attempt to clear his father's name, from the Carnegie Medal-winning author of Buffalo Soldier.From the Carnegie Medal-winning author of Buffalo Soldier Tanya Landman comes this heart-stopping tale of a young man's attempt to clear his father's name. When his father is arrested and transported to the Colonies, Caleb is left alone. After a desperate journ... read more
Wish
Barbara O'Connor
A touching story about a girl and her dog, perfect for young animal loversEleven-year-old Charlie Reese has been making the same secret wish every day since fourth grade. She even has a list of all the ways there are to make the wish, such as cutting off the pointed end of a slice of pie and wishing on it as she takes the last bite. But when she is sent to the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Car... read more
True Letters from a Fictional Life
Kenneth Logan
If you asked anyone in his small Vermont town, they’d tell you the facts: James Liddell, star athlete, decent student, and sort-of boyfriend to cute, peppy Theresa, is a happy, funny, carefree guy.But whenever James sits down at his desk to write, he tells a different story. As he fills his drawers with letters to the people in his world—letters he never intends to send—he spills the truth: he... read more
The Plot to Kill Hitler: Dietrich Bonhoeffer: Pastor, Spy, Unlikely Hero
Patricia McCormick
Perfect for fans of suspenseful nonfiction such as books by Steve Sheinkin, this is a page-turning narrative about Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a pastor and pacifist who became an unlikely hero during World War II and took part in a plot to kill Hitler. Written by two-time National Book Award finalist Patricia McCormick, author of Sold and Never Fall Down and coauthor of the young reader’s edition of ... read more
The Cruelty
Scott Bergstrom
When Gwendolyn Bloom’s father vanishes, she sets off on a journey she never bargained for. Traveling under a new identity in a world of assassins, spies, and criminal masterminds, she uncovers a disturbing truth. To bring her father back alive, she must become every bit as cruel as the men holding him captive.Taken meets The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and The Bourne Identity in this action-pa... read more
Inspired by a tragic true event in his past, Allan Wolf examines the circumstances of one boy’s inexplicable murder and the fateful summer leading up to it.Everybody likes Chris Goodman. Sure, he’s a little odd. He wears those funny bell-bottoms and he really likes the word ennui and he shakes your hand when he meets you, but he’s also the kind of guy who’s always up for a good time, always ha... read more
Righteous Rebels: AIDS Healthcare Foundation's Crusade to Change the World
Patrick Range McDonald
In this thought-provoking portrait of AIDS Healthcare Foundation, the world’s largest HIV/AIDS medical care provider, award-winning journalist Patrick Range McDonald reveals the nonprofit’s unlikely rise from a feisty grassroots organization during the 1980s AIDS crisis in Los Angeles to its position today as an aggressive, global leader in the ongoing fight to control HIV and AIDS. This rivet... read more
Like Magic
Elaine Vickers
"An endlessly endearing story of three girls’ pursuit of friendship and the beauty and challenge of what it means to be 10.” —Kirkus Reviews (starred review)“Like Magic is truly a treasure.” —Liz Garton Scanlon, author of The Great Good Summer“Debut novelist Vickers has created three appealing, diverse characters with distinct talents and voices. A sweet story of friendship.” —School Library J... read more
Nicknamed the "Ghost Division" because of its speed and habit of turning up where its enemies least expected, the German 11th Panzer Division wreaked havoc in the East and West in World War II, playing a pivotal role in some of the biggest engagements, including Barbarossa, Stalingrad, Kursk, and the West.Detailed reconstruction of the 11th Panzer Division's wartime exploitsExplores the role p... read more
The Doll's Eye
Marina Cohen
All Hadley wants is for everything to go back to the way it used to be―back when she didn’t have to share her mother with her stepfather and stepbrother. Back when she wasn't forced to live in a musty, decomposing house. Back when she had a life in the city with her friends. As Hadley whiles away what’s left of her summer, exploring the nearby woods and splitting her time between her strange, ... read more
Whatever.: or how junior year became totally f$@cked
S. J. Goslee
It's like the apocalypse came, only instead of nuclear bombs and zombies, Mike gets school participation, gay thoughts, and mother-effin' cheerleaders.Junior year is about to start. Here's what Mike Tate knows:His friends are awesome and their crappy garage band is a great excuse to drink cheap beer. Rook Wallace is the devil. The Lemonheads rock. And his girlfriend Lisa is the coolest. Then L... read more
Orphan Island
Laurel Snyder
"A wondrous book, wise and wild and deeply true." —Kelly Barnhill, Newbery Medal-winning author of The Girl Who Drank the MoonFor readers who loved Sara Pennypacker's Pax and Lois Lowry's The Giver comes a deep, compelling, heartbreaking, and completely one-of-a-kind novel about nine children who live on a mysterious island.On the island, everything is perfect. The sun rises in a sky filled wi... read more
Beautiful Broken Girls
Kim Savage
Remember the places you touched me.Mira and Francesca Cillo were beautiful, overprotected by their father, and, frankly, odd. To the neighborhood boys they seemed untouchable. But one boy, Ben, touched seven parts of Mira: her palm, hair, chest, cheek, lips, throat, and heart. After the sisters drown themselves in the quarry lake, a post-mortem letter from Mira arrives in Ben's mailbox. The le... read more
The Other F-Word
Natasha Friend
Milo has two great moms, but he's never known what it's like to have a dad. When Milo's doctor suggests asking his biological father to undergo genetic testing to shed some light on Milo's extreme allergies, he realizes this is a golden opportunity to find the man he's always wondered about. Hollis's mom Leigh hasn't been the same since her other mom, Pam, passed away seven years ago. But sudd... read more
The Hour of Daydreams
Renee Macalino Rutledge
Manolo Lualhati, a respected doctor in the Philippine countryside, believes his wife hides a secret. Prior to their marriage, he spied her wearing wings and flying to the stars with her sisters each evening. As Tala tries to keep her dangerous past from her new husband, Manolo begins questioning the gaps in her stories―and his suspicions push him even further from the truth. The Hour of Daydre... read more
Little Wrecks
Meredith Miller
In this haunting and explosive debut, Meredith Miller explores the truth behind three girls on the cusp of adulthood, and all the shocking realizations that come under the guise of growing up. Perfect for fans of I’ll Give You the Sun and Girl in Pieces. Ruth, Magda, and Isabel are different from everyone else. They can see beneath the seemingly perfect, cookie-cutter exterior of their small t... read more
Superstar
Mandy Davis
“Lester’s first-person narrative is honest and pure.” —Kirkus (starred review)Perfect for fans of Fish in a Tree and Wonder, this uplifting debut novel from Mandy Davis follows space-obsessed Lester Musselbaum as he experiences the challenges of his first days of public school: making friends, facing bullies, finding his "thing," and accidentally learning of his autism-spectrum diagnosis.Leste... read more
Finding Perfect
Elly Swartz
To twelve-year-old Molly Nathans, perfect is:―The number four―The tip of a newly sharpened No. 2 pencil―A crisp white pad of paper ―Her neatly aligned glass animal figurinesWhat’s not perfect is Molly’s mother leaving the family to take a faraway job with the promise to return in one year. Molly knows that promises are sometimes broken, so she hatches a plan to bring her mother home: Win the L... read more
Queen of Spades
Dr. Michael Shou-Yung Shum
“Michael Shou-Yung Shum’s Queen of Spades is a remarkable debut by an enormously talented young writer who has produced a literary delight that circles the dead center of a very dangerous pleasure―casino gambling. ”―Frederick Barthelme, author of Bob the Gambler Queen of Spades revamps the classic Pushkin fable of the same name, transplanted to a mysterious Seattle-area casino populated by a p... read more
Inside Story tackles the myriad approaches to the burgeoning genre of creative nonfiction—from memoir to criticism to literary journalism to the lyric essay—by deeply exploring each stage of the generation, reportage, writing and editing of stories. Drawing on and integrating examples and advice from diverse practitioners in the field, Inside Story extends beyond idea and inspiration with prac... read more
Village: a novel
Stanley Crawford
This rollicking ride through a single day in the ill-fated village of San Marcos will leave you reeling with laughter, even as you cringe at the misadventures of the hapless Porter Clapp and his pitiable wife, Steph; the jaundiced Onésimo Moro and his ever-watchful spouse, Isabel; and the rest of Crawford’s riotous cast. At this story’s beginning, a meeting notice from the state water agency, ... read more
Dress Codes for Small Towns
Courtney Stevens
“A poetic love letter to the complexities of teenage identity, and the frustrations of growing up in a place where everything fits in a box—except you.”—David Arnold, New York Times bestselling author of Kids of Appetite"Courtney Stevens firmly reasserts herself as a master storyteller of young adult fiction; crafting stories bursting with humor, heart, and the deepest sort of empathy."—Jeff Z... read more
Maya has 2 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
Value
Communication
I am so pleased to have found Maya. Her detailed suggestions will not only help me improve my novels but grow as an author. She provided everything that we agreed upon in our contract and more, at a surprisingly reasonable cost. She also delivered early. I will not think twice about using Maya again and highly recommend her!
Read moreSusan Lowry, May 2018
Thank you, Susan! It's been a pleasure working with you, too. I'll look forward to the next project!
Reply from Maya Myers
Maya is both professional and a pleasure to work with. I trust her stylistic knowledge and creative instincts, implicitly, and would recommend her to any writer, wholeheartedly.
Read moreBrett Schneider, March 2017
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Nathan Bransford
Former literary agent, published author, creator of award-winning blog for writers. Has worked with NY Times bestsellers.
New York, NY, USA
Laura Atkins
Children's book author, editor and teacher with 25 years of experience and a focus on diversity and equity in the children's book world.
Berkeley, CA, USA
