Meg Toth

Meg Toth – Editor

Experienced and passionate developmental editor in the humanities who has helped authors publish books with Oxford UP, Cambridge UP, etc.

Overview

"Meg is a close and attentive reader. She’s also an intuitive editor: the suggestions she made for my work made it so much better. Plus she was a pleasure to work with — upbeat, encouraging, and genuinely interested in making my writing better." -- Sarah Chinn, author of Disability, the Body, and Radical Intellectuals in the Literature of the Civil War and Reconstruction (Cambridge University Press) and Spectacular Men: Race, Gender, and Nation on the Early American Stage (Oxford University Press)


"Meg has a sharp and discerning editorial eye, from the global, structural level of argument and idea to the fine-grained level of individual sentences. She is at once rigorous and affirmative, and always upbeat; her feedback has been a boon to my writing!" -- Joseph Entin, author of Living Labor: Fiction, Film, and Precarious Work (University of Michigan Press) and Sensational Modernism: Experimental Fiction and Photography in Thirties America (University of North Carolina Press)


I hold a Ph.D. in English and taught college literature, film, and writing courses for over ten years before moving into editing. I have offered my expertise in developmental editing to scholars who have gone on to publish their books with premiere academic presses, including Cambridge UP, Oxford UP, and UNC Press. I also have extensive experience in academic journal publishing, as a writer, editor, and reviewer. In 2016, I became a Consultant for Legacy: A Journal of American Women Writers, a formal position that entails providing authors with extensive developmental editing notes. I also have served as an ad hoc reviewer for dozens of literary presses and journals, including Oxford UP, Cambridge UP, the African-American Review, and Modern Fiction Studies. My own work has been published in prestigious journals (Modern Fiction Studies, Adaptation, etc.) and reprinted in the Norton Critical Editions series. While I focus on film and the literary arts, my own work is interdisciplinary, crossing into several fields. Similarly, the books I've offered developmental editing on contribute to multiple disciplines: education, pedagogy, history, visual culture, literature, disability studies, women's studies, queer studies, and labor studies.


When it comes to working with clients, I start with one fundamental premise: every writer is different. I like to begin a client relationship with a conversation about where and how I can best help you achieve your goals. While I especially enjoy helping authors realize their vision through developmental editing, I am also highly skilled in proofreading and copyediting. Do you need help structuring your ideas or creating an outline? Expanding or tweaking your argument? Or maybe just polishing your prose? I can help at every stage of the writing and publication process.

Services
Non-Fiction
Art History Philosophy Photography Writing & Publishing
Languages
English (UK) English (US)
Awards
  • Pushcart Prize Nominee
  • PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers Nominee
  • Wellstone Residency
  • Ragdale Residency
  • Developmental Grant, Recovery Hub for American Women Writers
  • Winterthur Research Fellowship
Certifications
  • Ph.D. in English

Work experience

Early American Studies: An Interdisciplinary Journal

Sep, 2024 — Present

Oversee production of a quarterly academic journal devoted to the study of early America from an interdisciplinary approach (history, literature, visual culture, politics, etc.).

Conjunctions Magazine

Jul, 2023 — Present

Read short fiction manuscripts for a prestigious literary journal and make recommendations/write editorial suggestions for the Managing Editor and Editor.

Legacy: A Journal of American Women Writers

Nov, 2016 — Present

Read non-fiction manuscripts about women's writing, visual media, and history and write extensive developmental editing notes for authors.

Manhattan College

Aug, 2008 — May, 2024 (over 15 years)

Taught courses on U.S. literature, film, and writing at the college level. Expertise in the following genres: women's writing, film noir, horror cinema, U.S. literature, and Gothic literature.

Portfolio

Developmental Editing
Living Labor: Fiction, Film, and Precarious Work (Class : Culture)

Entin, Joseph B.

University of Michigan Press

Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing

Professionals similar to Meg

Get a range of offers by requesting quotes from multiple professionals.

Helen Thomas

Helen T.

15 years of in-house editorial experience specialising in children's fiction (MG, teen and YA). Previously Editor-at-Large for Hachette.

United Kingdom

100% reply rate

View profile
Hannah Close

Hannah C.

Experienced editor specialising in developmental editing and editorial assessments for fantasy and romance novels.

Newbury, UK

100% reply rate

View profile
Emma Driver

Emma D.

Non-fiction editor with 20+ years’ experience in all kinds of non-fiction texts – from music biographies to memoirs to how-to guides.

Sydney NSW, Australia

100% reply rate

View profile