Molly Gendell – Editor

I'm an avid reader and passionate editor with ten years working in the publishing industry. I spent five years as an editor at HarperCollins where I edited and published a range of fiction and nonfiction, specializing in upmarket, book club, and literary fiction with the occasional romance and thriller. Books I've worked on have become bestsellers, award winners, and celebrity and retail book club picks.

More recently, I worked as a literary scout, working closely with 20+ international publishers and film/TV studios to recommend books from the US for them to pick up for translation and adaptation. I read and wrote reports on books across all genres, from romantasy to self-help to literary fiction. I also developed strong contacts throughout the publishing industry, giving me a uniquely big-picture view of the publishing world.

The most rewarding part of my job as an editor has always been collaborating with authors and helping them polish their manuscripts to be the best they can be. I view the editing process as a conversation: my edits are meant as suggestions to help get your book to where you want it to be, but you as the author know the book the best and I never want to change your unique voice.

I am available for editorial assessments, developmental editing, line editing, and query letter review. I also have extensive experience with writing cover copy, so can help assist with reviewing or writing selling descriptive copy as well, including finding comparative titles and figuring out how to best position your book. If you aren't quite sure what services you need, I'm also more than happy to discuss and figure out what would be the best fit based on where you are with your project and what you're looking for!

Please be in touch with any questions about the services I offer or my past experience, I'm looking forward to working with you!