Philip Athans – Editor

“The world of publishing is growing more complicated, but also more interesting for those willing to think outside the box. I know I am, and having Phil Athans out there as a resource takes the scare out of it.”

—R.A. Salvatore, author of The Legend of Drizzt

It's not just my job to find what's wrong with a book, but to preserve and encourage what's right about it.

No two manuscripts, and no two authors, are exactly the same. No two edits will be either. So what do I look for when I start an edit?

Everything.

And I mean literally everything from big-picture issues like story structure and worldbuilding to grammar and usage, always with your unique goals and your unique voice in mind.

I’ve worked with a wide range of publisher, author, and other clients including Pixar Animation Studios, Adams Media, Simon & Schuster, Penguin Random House, Amazon/57 North, Pyr, Appalachian Mountain Club Books, Wizards of the Coast, Permuted Press, and almost too many indie authors--at all experience levels across a range of genres and categories--to count.

I’ve worked extensively in fiction (primarily fantasy, science fiction, and horror, but other genres as well), non-fiction (from books on the software industry to camping and kayaking guides), gaming (digital and tabletop), and more.

I've been working in publishing in one role or another since 1986 and as a full time editor for every day of the past 30 years.

IF IT’S GOT WORDS, I CAN HELP MAKE IT BETTER.

I'm proud to work with LGBTQI+, POC, indigenous, and all other human authors. I will not work with "AI"/LLM/ChatBot-generated text, nor will I ever use "AI"/LLM/ChatBot "tools" in any step of your edit.