Olivia Batker Pritzker

Olivia Batker Pritzker – Editor

Developmental editor offering thoughtful, creative collaboration. Specializes in thrillers, suspense, and all things speculative.

Overview

As a writer, editor, and publisher, I have a deep familiarity with all sides of the writing and publishing process. I have nearly a decade of experience editing fiction, nonfiction, and genre-defying books, and have worked as an editor at three publishing companies in addition to many years of freelance work. I also hold an M.F.A. in writing from Otis College of Art and Design.


In 2019 I cofounded an independent press which focuses on feminist horror. As publisher and editor I currently oversee the development of our books through the entire editorial, production, and marketing process. Our books have been nominated for awards including multiple Bram Stoker Awards, and have been widely reviewed, promoted, and purchased.


I am an enthusiastic and dedicated editor who loves working with authors to shape their work into the best possible version of itself. Whether it’s outlining, plotting, character development, or world building in the early stages, providing a meticulous copy edit in the final stages, or any of the work in between, I place a high importance on creating a dialogue with the writers I work with and will utilize my skills and experience to make your book stand out from the early stages to the final polish.


Although I've worked across many genres, I have a particular interest in speculative fiction and thrillers/suspense/dark psychological fiction, as well as queer narratives and stories which push boundaries and defy convention. From commercial to literary, I get excited by a richly detailed world, an innovative idea, a strong narrative voice. Give me your reimagined fairy tales, your unlikable female characters, your post-apocalyptic ghost stories. Let's dig in!



"Olivia is an excellent developmental editor, with an eye for nuance and a great feel for developing characters and plot. She always has a fun and precise way to attack plot problems, and she's able to tease out meaning from my most nebulous of ideas. From crafting plot matrixes to talking through character development, I couldn't have written my novel without her." — Halley Sutton, author of The Lady Upstairs (Putnam, 2020)

Services
Fiction
Horror LGBTQ Fiction Magical Realism Paranormal Romance Post-Apocalyptic Psychological Thriller Romantic Suspense Women's Fiction
Languages
English (US)
Certifications
  • M.F.A. in Writing, Otis College of Art & Design 2018
  • B.A. in Psychology & Comparative Literature, Brandeis University 2012

Work experience

Publishing Company

Feb, 2019 — Present

I oversee the development of our books through the entire publishing process, from acquisition and contract negotiation through editing and production, plus marketing and publicity. From extensive, multi-stage developmental work to line edits, I am a highly involved editor and greatly value the close editorial relationship I've forged with our authors.

C&R Press

May, 2018 — Feb, 2019 (9 months)

As an editor at C&R Press, I edited novels and short story collections. I was also responsible for interior layout design and typesetting, and created ebooks from all the backlist titles as well as the new books. This included prose, poetry, and hybrid works of fiction and nonfiction.

Otis Books

Sep, 2016 — May, 2018 (over 1 year)

At Otis Books, I selected manuscripts to be published and managed authors from contract signing to publication. My responsibilities included editing/copyediting/proofreading manuscripts, interior design and layout, and coordinating printing, distribution, etc. I also represented the press and conferences and book fairs, and ran author events.

Freelance

Sep, 2013 — Present

Veritas Literary Agency

Aug, 2013 — May, 2014 (9 months)

I read and evaluated YA manuscript submissions at Veritas Literary Agency, and wrote recommendations and reports to the agent I worked for.

Olivia has 26 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Jeff P.

Jeff P.

Aug, 2023

Pinned
This was the second time I had worked with Olivia, and it reconfirmed my initial impression: she's an absolute professional. Not only was the value for money obvious in the editorial feedback I received, but the timeliness, clarity, and work ethic that came through our process was extremely reassuring to an author already fretting enough about his own work. If you're serious about your craft an...
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Angie C.

Angie C.

Jul, 2023

Pinned
Olivia was wonderful to work with! She was very communicative upfront which helped me understand what editing services I would need and how we could build out projects to accomplish everything I needed done. My editorial letter was so much more detailed than I expected and provided a perfect amount of feedback and direction that will be instrumental in polishing my manuscript. I plan to hire Ol...
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Matthew M.

Matthew M.

Aug, 2022

Pinned
Olivia is so great to work with! She was more helpful than I could have ever imagined, and was nice enough to work around my own hectic schedule. Her editing skills are far better than I could've ever asked for, and I honestly don't know if I would be writing as much as I currently am if I didn't have someone as reliable as she is to work with.
Lee D.

Lee D.

Jul, 2024

I've had a very easy time working with Olivia on my project. Her editorial assessment was in-depth and full of actionable recommendations that will be truly helpful with certain things I'd been struggling with. Going forward with the next draft of my manuscript will be a breeze thanks to her hard work, and I'd be more than happy to collaborate with her again on future projects.
megan C.

megan C.

Feb, 2024

Olivia did a fantastic job, she gave me exactly what I needed to move my work forward.

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