Natalie O'Neal Clausen – Editor

As a former university press senior acquisitions editor, I understand what it takes for an idea to become a successful proposal and for that successful proposal to become a published book. With nearly a decade of editing and publishing experience, I have helped shepherd many award-winning academic and trade nonfiction books to publication. My specialties include academic monographs in the humanities and natural sciences, biographies, narrative nonfiction, and creative nonfiction for both trade and academic publishers. Whether you have an idea that needs finessing, a dissertation that needs reshaping into a book, a peer-reviewed manuscript you need a second (or third or fourth) set of eyes on, or a final draft that requires a bit of high-level tweaking, I’m here for it and would love to work with you.

My strengths are in organization, narrative structure and thread, and clarity, resulting in an accessible manuscript that captures an audience no matter the subject. I especially like working on edited volumes and hybrid memoir/nonfiction (where the author incorporates their life experiences for relatability and impact).

I try to edit with compassion and cannot hold back a "who knew?" or "!" when I read a particularly interesting tidbit. I ask prompting questions in the margins and offer gentle and, sometimes, forthright suggestions. Overall, I love a story, and my passion is supporting authors so that their story unfolds clearly over many, many pages.