Michelle Hope

Michelle Hope – Editor

Professional editor to top-tier authors, including George R. R. Martin, Terry Brooks, Blake Crouch, and romance great Connie Brockway.

Overview

My editorial background is diverse and robust, with years working in-house at a trade publisher, experience at a literary agency, and an MFA in fiction. An editor for authors, I've worked on nearly four hundred titles, including dozens of works by best-selling and award-winning authors, and I approach each new project with calm, precision, and good humor. I bring my background in writing and publishing to each new editorial project, and I'm dedicated to helping authors, veteran and beginner alike, polish their manuscripts to publishing-house quality.


I appeared on PBS NewsHour as a commentator on the future of the fantasy genre in a segment about the Game of Thrones phenomenon. Also, check out some quick advice from me and other editors on writing fantasy: https://blog.reedsy.com/writing-fantasy/


I am currently accepting new clients for copy editing or proofreading.


Acknowledgments:


"Fantastic, thoughtful, and detailed job with a very long manuscript.”

-LIBBIE HAWKER, author


“An editorial delight.”

-BRENDA PETERSON, best-selling author & SARAH JANE FREEMAN, award-winning literary agent


"Michelle is an outstanding editor and has a sincere passion for the craft. It was such a pleasure to manage her and help shape her innate talent. She works so hard and delivers what she promises. I am pleased to see how she has grown her freelance business to serve a wide variety of clients. I would recommend Michelle for any editing job."

-RACHELLE LONGE, Managing Editor, Sasquatch Books

Services
Fiction
Fantasy Historical Fiction Mystery & Crime Romance Science Fiction Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction Young Adult
Languages
English (AUS) English (UK) English (US)
Awards
  • Glimmer Train: Very Short Fiction Contest, Honorable Mention
  • Edith K. Draham Award for Creative Writing
  • Eugene Van Buren Prize for Fiction
  • Loren D. Milliman Scholarship for Prose (runner up)
  • Waddell Prize
Certifications
  • Certificate in Editing--University of Washington
  • MFA in Prose--University of Washington

Work experience

University of Washington

Sep, 2014 — Jun, 2016 (over 1 year)

Courses taught:
Writers on Writing
Beginning Short Story Writing
The Craft of Prose, with Professor David Shields

Michelle Hope Editing

Aug, 2010 — Present

Copyediting, proofreading, and project management. Specialties include: literary fiction, fantasy, romance, thriller/mystery, sci-fi, young adult, narrative nonfiction, lifestyle, and cookbooks.

Past projects range from a graphic novel by George R. R. Martin to a YA novel by a Pulitzer Prize nominee, a literary fiction title nominated for the Man Booker Prize to many delicious New York Times best-selling romances and thrillers.

Sasquatch Books

Aug, 2010 — Aug, 2014 (about 4 years)

Veteran editor in production department, managing 50-70% of list, including cookbooks, narrative non-fiction, travel guides, and children's books

Manage e-book production according to print publication schedule: price monitoring, sales updates, PDF creation and uploading, epub conversion standards, etc.

Train and mentor assistant editors and quarterly editorial interns

Manage manuscripts through editing, production, design, printing; production scheduling

Negotiate contracts and manage freelance editors/indexers

In-house copy editing, proofreading, and fact-checking on a variety of projects

Edit cover copy, blogs, press releases, and other marketing and sales materials

Write for Sasquatch Books Blog

Hire/supervise quarterly editorial interns and editorial submissions process

Wales Literary Agency

Mar, 2010 — Jun, 2010 (3 months)

Reading and evaluating full manuscripts, proposals, and submissions

Portfolio

The prize-winning author of Edinburgh Twilight returns to the darkening shadows of nineteenth-century Scotland to track a killer on a profane mission of revenge.A wicked Scottish winter has just begun when pioneering female physician Sophia Jex-Blake calls on ... read more
A brilliant, twisty novel about a missing woman, an unfaithful husband, and the dark secrets that will destroy two perfect families.A scandalous revelation is about to devastate a picturesque town where the houses are immaculate and the neighborhoods are tight... read more
Street Freaks

Terry Brooks

It begins with a dire call-right before his father disappears and his skyscraper home's doors explode inward. Street Freaks is the kind of thrilling futuristic story only New York Times bestselling author Terry Brooks can tell."Go into the Red Zone. Go to Stre... read more
The Language of Hoofbeats

Catherine Ryan Hyde

From the bestselling author of Pay It Forward comes a story of the heartbreak and healing power of family. New to a small town, Jackie and Paula envision a quiet life for their kids: a young adopted son and two teenage foster children, including the troubled S... read more
For fans of All the Light We Cannot See, Beneath a Scarlet Sky, and The Nightingale comes an emotionally gripping, beautifully written historical novel about extraordinary hope, redemption, and one man’s search for light during the darkest times of World War I... read more
Beautiful Exiles

Meg Waite Clayton

From New York Times bestselling author Meg Waite Clayton comes a riveting novel based on one of the most volatile and intoxicating real-life love affairs of the twentieth century.Key West, 1936. Headstrong, accomplished journalist Martha Gellhorn is confident ... read more
Rebel warrior Roselle St. Sismode returns in the second book of the epic Secondborn series by USA Today bestselling author Amy A. Bartol.In the Fates Republic…Firstborns reign supreme.Secondborns kneel in servitude.Thirdborns face death.And Census shadows them... read more
Repressed (Deadly Secrets)

Elisabeth Naughton

RITA Award winner, Romantic Suspense. Hidden Falls is exactly as Samantha Parker left it—small, insular, and prone to gossip. Eighteen years have passed since she witnessed her brother’s murder, but she’s still the talk of the town. Until a handsome child psyc... read more
The bestseller with over half a million readers that People magazine called a “live-wire debut.”A decade ago, fourteen-year-old Suzanne Lombard, the daughter of Benjamin Lombard—then a senator, now a powerful vice president running for the presidency—disappear... read more
2014 Winner — Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award — RomanceThe Earl of Marcham has decided to put the excesses of his colorful youth firmly behind him so that he may find a wife and beget himself an heir. But a straitlaced spinster may stand in his way after she r... read more
Roulette

Megan Mulry

Megan Mulry, USA Today bestselling author and recipient of NPR’s Best Book of 2012 (A Royal Pain), takes readers on a sexy, stylish journey of high-stakes passion in her latest book. Roulette was hailed as a Best New Romance Novel by the Washington Post.Miki D... read more
A Wall Street Journal bestseller.Gibson Vaughn, hero of the bestselling novel The Short Drop, returns in a smoldering thriller.When jailed billionaire Charles Merrick hints publicly that he has stashed a fortune in an offshore cache, a school of sharks converg... read more
Pie & Whiskey is the tent revival of literary events where writers such as Anthony Doerr, Steve Almond, and Elissa Washuta present original works based on prompts that include the words pie and whiskey. This anthology collects the best of that writing along wi... read more
Italy, 1943—Germany occupies much of the country, placing the Jewish population in grave danger during World War II.As children, Eva Rosselli and Angelo Bianco were raised like family but divided by circumstance and religion. As the years go by, the two find t... read more
Serious Sweet

A. L. Kennedy

Longlisted for the Man Booker Prize.“Kennedy’s prose is lively and assured.” —The New York Times Book Review A good man in a bad world, Jon Sigurdsson is fifty-nine and divorced, a senior civil servant in London who hates many of his colleagues and loathes his... read more
The third book in the internationally bestselling series that inspired the Fox TV show.Secret Service agent Ethan Burke arrived in Wayward Pines, Idaho, three weeks ago. In this town, people are told who to marry, where to live, where to work. Their children a... read more
2014 Hugo Award finalist for Best Graphic Story Based on the short story by George R.R. Martin, bestselling author of A Game of Thrones, Meathouse Man is a darkly poignant tale set on a collection of planets called corpse worlds. On these planets, corpse handl... read more
The delicious sequel to Venom and Vanilla, from USA Today bestselling author Shannon Mayer.Alena Budrene is not just a gifted Seattle baker—she’s also a supernatural. Having survived the virus that made her transformation necessary and outwitted an attack by a... read more
From James Beard Best Chef-nominee Rachel Yang, My Rice Bowl is a cookbook with 75 recipes based on her deeply comforting Korean fusion cuisine, inspired by cultures from around the world. As co-owner of the popular Seattle restaurants, Joule, Trove, and Revel... read more
"I walked into my boss’s office to ask for a $150,000 raise..."After skipping college, Steve Oliverez worked a series of low-paying jobs before setting a remarkable goal for himself - to double his income every year. In The Book on Making Money, he reveals wha... read more
Soon to be divorced, attorney Nora Linde is finding her way as a single mother, and even falling in love again, when she’s asked by her childhood friend Detective Thomas Andreasson to help in a disturbing investigation. Marcus Nielsen, a university student, ha... read more
Paris Still Life: A Novel

Rosalind Brackenbury

After the death of her art dealer father, forty-year-old Gaby Greenwood’s unmoored grief drives her to Paris alone, leaving her American husband behind. Where better for an existential crisis than the city so many artists have loved?Walking through the streets... read more
A fierce detective risks everything to unravel a tangle of secrets and corruption protecting a killer in this spellbinding seventh mystery in the tension-filled Maria Kallio series.When Petri Ilveskivi is murdered in the street on his way to a city-planning me... read more
The climactic final volume of The Venom Trilogy by USA Today bestselling author Shannon Mayer.Humble baker turned supernatural Alena Budrene is lovely and lethal, and for the first time, she’s owning it. Finally rid of her low-life ex-husband, she’s free to da... read more
Three years ago, Alec McClane and Raegan Devereaux lived every parent’s worst nightmare: their one-year-old daughter, Emma, was abducted from a park when Alec turned his back for just a moment. Emma was never found, and presumed dead. The crushing trauma, plus... read more
Can broken hearts risk love again? India’s life has always gone according to plan. But when she decides to call off her high-profile wedding and take time off from her network television job, everything turns upside down. A tranquil resort in the moody Smoky M... read more
At Papercuts, “the tiny Boston icon” (The Guardian), we’re passionate about great books and we’re delighted to present our own. Inside you’ll find rare works of fiction, nonfiction, and poetry from the distinct authors we hosted in our first year. From New Yor... read more
What if your mind became your worst enemy?Struggling with evolving psychic abilities, seventeen-year-old Anna Morgan and her equally exceptional friends are on the run from the ruthless Graham Cregg, leader of a covert operation known as the Delphi Project. Cr... read more
It’s never wise to talk to strangers…and that goes double when they’re dead. Unfortunately, seventeen-year-old Anna Morgan has no choice. Resting on a park bench, touching the turnstile at the Metro station—she never knows where she’ll encounter a ghost. These... read more
Go beyond guacamole! Research shows that adding an avocado a day to your diet helps improve your overall health, and this cookbook will show you how to enjoy avocados in 70 delicious and different ways. Even most avocado lovers don't know what to do with them ... read more
Shining Sea

Mimi Cross

Seventeen-year-old Arion Rush has always played the obedient sidekick to her older sister’s flashy femme fatale—until a mysterious boating accident leaves Lilah a silent, traumatized stranger. As her sister awaits medical treatment with their mother, Arion and... read more
The Tulip Factory

Kacie Davis Idol

Before they exchange even a single word, Corrine knows that James will change everything. And sure enough, their serendipitous meeting in a North Carolina coffee shop sets off a whirlwind of desire and possibilities for the two.Timing, however, isn’t on the co... read more
It’s a beautiful day for a regatta—until one of Sandhamn Island’s most prestigious residents is killed aboard his sailing yacht.Oscar Juliander was a rich lawyer and deputy chairman of the prestigious Royal Swedish Yacht Club. While at first his death seems li... read more
Life hasn’t been quite the same for computer engineer Island Chaptal since March, an OCD-ridden professional killer, burst into her life to clean her bedroom and take her on a global chase for a legendary diamond. Sadly, the (hit) man doesn’t just break bones;... read more
Noora Nieminen was destined to become a world champion. But when the sixteen-year-old skating sensation is found slain with her own skates, her promising career is unexpectedly cut short.Detective Maria Kallio is seven months pregnant, but that isn’t going to ... read more
In the small town of Woodstock, Vermont, Christmas means white snow and warm traditions. For ex-Marine Jack Reynolds, it’s a chance to visit home and sort out his life. He’s engaged but unhappy, his brother is missing in action, and he often thinks about Hope,... read more
After an alien invasion devastates humanity, a battered group of survivors huddles in a remote outpost, fighting to endure in a now-hostile world. Resources are dwindling, and internal power struggles threaten to tear apart the fragile last vestige of human so... read more
When Zenobia takes control of her own fate, will the gods punish her audacity?Zenobia, the proud daughter of a Syrian sheikh, refuses to marry against her will. She won’t submit to a lifetime of subservience. When her father dies, she sets out on her own, purs... read more
What would you do if your life was a lie—and everyone knew but you?Jane has come a long way from the dark days of the horrific car accident that robbed her of many memories. Living the life of a shopgirl with a charming boyfriend—a handsome, green-eyed doctor ... read more
On a hot July morning on Sweden’s idyllic vacation island of Sandhamn, a man takes his dog for a walk and makes a gruesome discovery: a body, tangled in fishing net, has washed ashore.Police detective Thomas Andreasson is the first to arrive on the scene. Befo... read more
As war rages in 1944, young army lieutenant Lucas Athan recovers a sarcophagus excavated from an Egyptian tomb. Shipped to Princeton University for study, the box contains mysteries that only Lucas, aided by brilliant archaeologist Simone Rashid, can unlock.Th... read more
Shuttered Life

Florentine Roth

When her uncle suffers a heart attack, young Berlin photographer Elisa Westphal returns to her family home in Düsseldorf for the first time in many years. Relations have been strained ever since her father’s death, and Elisa finds the reunion desperately uncom... read more
At eighteen, Lorelei Pratchett couldn’t wait to get out of her hometown. Twelve years later, her Hollywood dreams have fizzled and she’s back—temporarily, she thinks. Though she throws herself into saving the old theater and starting a baking business, small t... read more
Tidewater: A Novel

Libbie Hawker

A clash of desire and hatred, of friendship and fear, of stark ambition and desperate survival.In 1607, three ships arrive on the coast of Virginia to establish Jamestown Colony. Their only hope of survival lies with the Powhatan tribe. John Smith knows this. ... read more
When seventeen-year-old Skylar escapes the time-bending Enforcers who secretly control Earth, her troubles have just begun. She and her friend Win take refuge on Win’s home space station with his fellow rebels, but the fate of Skylar’s planet still spins out o... read more
“An elegant, impeccably researched exploration of early Rome...Elisabeth Storrs weaves a wonderful tale!” —Kate Quinn, author of The Empress of Rome sagaFour unforgettable characters are tested during a war between Rome and Etruscan Veii.Caecilia has long been... read more
“An enthralling tale of political intrigue, romance, and corruption.” —M. Louisa Locke, author of Maids of MisfortuneDuring a bitter siege between Rome and the Etruscan city of Veii, three women follow different paths to survive.Caecilia, Roman born but Etrusc... read more
It happens whenever wolf shifter Roni Axton is near Marcus Fuller: a crackle of sexual awareness that’s intoxicating…and deeply annoying. Marcus is a pack enforcer who oozes power, but Roni is lethal in her own right—nothing like the flirty females who flock a... read more
Collin Dailey is a trapped man: struggling to make a living as a fisherman, deep in debt to the gangster he does business with…and shackled to his destiny as a Curse Keeper. Sworn to guard the sealed portal to hell, Collin yearns to escape the dark duty that b... read more
Adrenaline-fueled adventure and epic romance mix seamlessly in the third installment of New York Times bestselling author Anita Clenney’s Relic Seekers series.Relic hunter and archaeology expert Kendall Morgan has a lot on her mind. After finding the Fountain ... read more
The touching and heartwarming fourth novel in the wildly popular Not Quite series from New York Times bestselling author Catherine Bybee.Romance author Dakota Laurens believes that happily-ever-afters exist only between the covers of her sexy novels. But to he... read more
Vivienne embarks upon the summer of her dreams as one of the few students selected for a training program back east at Liberty Farms. But as focused as she is on her riding, Vivvie also has a secret agenda: to investigate the death of Joel Parker, her friend w... read more
Of Noble Birth

Brenda Novak

Furious at his aristocratic father for abandoning him as an infant, Nathaniel Kent spends his days exacting revenge…in a most lucrative way. The handsome, blue-eyed pirate captain attacks his father’s boats, plundering their cargo and reaping the rewards. When... read more
Honor Bound

Brenda Novak

Lieutenant Crawford Treynor has fought valiantly for everything he has. The bastard child of a noblewoman, he was handed over as an infant to a poor farmer—and beaten so badly that he ran away at age fourteen. Now a respected officer, he vows to command his ow... read more
Seventeen-year-old Skylar has been haunted for as long as she can remember by fleeting yet powerful sensations that something is horribly wrong. But despite the visions of disaster that torment her, nothing ever happens, and Sky’s beginning to think she’s craz... read more
Dame Beatrice is summoned by schoolmistress Alice Boorman, who has found herself in a bit of a predicament. While hosting two candidates for a rival teaching position, the group visits the mine shafts of Pigmy's Ladder, where the two visitors explore under gro... read more
The rebels have been disbanded, their plans ruined. Betrayed by those she trusted most, Skylar finds herself herded, along with a small group of Earthlings, into a living museum—a human zoo—on the Kemyates’ space station, subject to her captors’ every whim. An... read more
A thief’s good deeds are never done.Loch and her crew are determined to stop the ancients from returning to reclaim the world they once ruled, but the kidnapping of a friend throws their plans awry. When a desperate rescue turns into a shocking reunion, the an... read more
Mercer Girls

Libbie Hawker

It's 1864 in downtrodden Lowell, Massachusetts. The Civil War has taken its toll on the town - leaving the economy in ruin and its women in dire straits. That is, until Asa Mercer arrives on a peculiar, but providential, errand: he seeks high-minded women who ... read more
In the hilarious and uproarious world of Asteroid Made of Dragons, a lone goblin researcher has stumbled across an artifact of mysterious import that delivers a terrifying message: the world is ending. Soon. And the apocalypse will hail from the skies in the f... read more
From Book 1: In England’s Regency era, manners and elegance reign in public life—but behind closed doors treason and deception thrive. Nicholas Langdon is no stranger to reserved civility or bloody barbarity. After suffering a battlefield injury, the wealthy, ... read more
Camino Beach

Amanda Callendrier

In this poignant debut loaded with humor, heartbreak, and Southern charm, old friends road-trip their way to solving a mystery and righting a long-ago wrong.Sarah Martin had every intention of skipping her high school reunion. Once a popular girl and valedicto... read more
North Haven

Sarah Moriarty

Sarah Moriarty’s stunning debut is a portrait of the family scars and faults passed along the generations, brilliantly capturing life on the Maine coastline, where time seems to stand still even as the waters never stop moving.On an island in Maine, four sibli... read more
Let Scandinavian Gatherings be your hygge handbook (pronounced hoo-ga) for cozy retreats in the comfort of your own home! With this darling collection of Scandinavian-inspired recipes, crafts, and entertaining ideas, you can turn your home into a stress-free h... read more
For women who enjoy hiking, camping, backpacking, and other outdoor recreation or those inspired by Cheryl Strayed’s Wild, this is the definitive guide to being a woman in the great outdoors. This friendly handbook covers the matters of most concern to women, ... read more
Everyone has a story to tell. Learn how to write your memoir and get published with the help of two well-known publishing professionals. Your Life is a Book guides budding writers though the transformative process of memoir writing to publication. In addition ... read more
An insidious evil has taken root in the small town of Hope’s Peak, North Carolina…In the midst of an internal investigation, the police department is thrown into chaos when Captain Frank Morelli is gunned down on his own front lawn. Detective Jane Harper suspe... read more
The tiny Swedish island of Sandhamn has always been a haven for lawyer Nora Linde. With trouble brewing in her marriage, she finds its comforts more welcome than ever, even in the depths of winter. That is, until her two young sons trip across a severed arm in... read more
Told with warmth and wit, I Wish You Happy explores the sometimes-dark complexity of relationships, the transformative power of friendship—and the magic of hope.Rescuing abandoned animals is easier for Rae than attempting relationships with people. According t... read more
The decluttering craze meets a passion for sustainable living and interior design in this gorgeous new book for readers of The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.Your external space reflects your internal state. What does your home say about you? This book prom... read more
In the second book in The Hundredth Queen Series, Emily R. King once again follows a young warrior queen’s rise to meet her destiny in a richly imagined world of sorcery and forbidden powers.Though the tyrant rajah she was forced to marry is dead, Kalinda’s tr... read more
Sassy, spirited Peyton Clark is back—and she’s not alone!After agreeing to let the spirit of Drake Montague inhabit her body, Peyton soon discovers that the twentieth-century French policeman may be dead but his lothario longings sure aren’t. Now she has to fi... read more
Welcome to Hope Springs, Texas, where redemption grows…and where love blooms.Dark-haired beauty Indiana Keller buys a property in Hope Springs, Texas, for three reasons: to expand her vegetable business, to harvest and sell delicious honey from the property’s ... read more
This bookish history of Seattle includes essays, history and personal stories from such literary luminaries as Frances McCue, Tom Robbins, Garth Stein, Rebecca Brown, Jonathan Evison, Tree Swenson, Jim Lynch, and Sonora Jha among many others. Timed with Seattl... read more
Lemons add a fresh, tangy burst of flavor to both sweet and savory dishes and have a way of making all the other ingredients in a dish shine. From savory meals like Meyer Lemon Risotto with Dungeness Crab Tarragon, and Créme Fraîche, to sweet treats like Lemon... read more
“All the drama and sensuality expected of a historical romance, plus a sensitivity to the realities of life in a very different time and world.” —Ursula Le GuinIn 406 BC, to seal a tenuous truce, the young Roman Caecilia is wedded to Vel Mastarna, an Etruscan ... read more
Create the DIY home you've always wanted with over 100 recipes, tips, and inspirational ideas from blogger Erica Strauss (Northwest Edible Life). Covering everything from cooking, canning and preserving to making your own nontoxic home and personal care produc... read more
Promise Me Heaven

Connie Brockway

Lady Catherine “Cat” Sinclair will do whatever necessary to save her family from financial ruin—including marrying the ton’s most eligible bachelor for money. Lacking the skills to seduce the rich lord, Cat seeks out a legendary rake to school her in the art o... read more
This power-foods healthy-living guidebook will inspire readers to eat well, lose weight, and embrace food as medicine. “Food as medicine” is a powerfully healing way to eat and was embraced by nutritionist Jennifer Adler as she recovered from a malnour­ished c... read more

Michelle has 119 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Patrick E.

Patrick E.

Mar, 2024

Michelle is an incredibly professional editor. I hope to be able to use her talents again, on future projects.
Peter O.

Peter O.

Mar, 2024

A very positive experience. Tactful and professional. Will seek her out for future projects.
JS K.

JS K.

Feb, 2024

I really enjoyed that Michelle was not afraid to tell me that my manuscript wasn't ready for the edits we were supposed to do. She sent me samples of why she thought that way, and it opened my eyes to what I was missing. She was super accommodating in figuring out a new path, and worked around my lateness like the pro she is. I would definitely work with her again on my next project.
Steven G.

Steven G.

Feb, 2024

Michelle edited a short story for me. My dialogue structure was horrible. Michelle corrected and showed me what I was doing wrong. She also suggested some sentence changes that worked better. This is my first time working with an editor and I am glad it was Michelle.
Aaron B.

Aaron B.

Feb, 2024

Michelle is an excellent editor. She's thorough, communicative, detail-oriented, and went above and beyond what I expected. 10/10 would recommend and will use her services again.

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