Rachel Kambury - Editor
Experienced editor at Twelve Books, with a particular interest in war/military, history, and political non-fiction.
Request a quote
Verified identity
Overview
I am an editor and ghostwriter based in New York City. With two years publishing industry experience and over six years editorial and ghostwriting experience, I currently work at Twelve Books, a prestige, boutique publisher of bestselling political, historical, and current events-related non-fiction. I have considerable experience editing war and military fiction and non-fiction, history, memoir, "idea" books, and more.
I am available to assist with everything from book proposals to almost-finished manuscripts. I am thorough, attentive, flexible, and I love a good Pilot G-TEC C-4 fine-point pen. In red, obviously.
Publishing can be a brutal process, but it doesn't have to be. All you need is some deft maneuvering, a solid proposal/manuscript/query letter, patience, and gumption. I've worked with hardened pros and nervous newbies alike, and I love working with them and everyone in between.
PRAISE FOR RACHEL:
"Rachel, please run for high office!"
"One of the best partners you could ever ask for in publishing."
"My god, if I was running a publishing company, I’d hire you immediately based on your carefully considered insights and eloquent writing."
"You’re the kind of editor I really work best with: someone who makes suggestions without trying to rewrite the book yourself."
"Rachel really helped me understand the publishing process."
"I couldn't have asked for a better (or nicer) editor."
I am available to assist with everything from book proposals to almost-finished manuscripts. I am thorough, attentive, flexible, and I love a good Pilot G-TEC C-4 fine-point pen. In red, obviously.
Publishing can be a brutal process, but it doesn't have to be. All you need is some deft maneuvering, a solid proposal/manuscript/query letter, patience, and gumption. I've worked with hardened pros and nervous newbies alike, and I love working with them and everyone in between.
PRAISE FOR RACHEL:
"Rachel, please run for high office!"
"One of the best partners you could ever ask for in publishing."
"My god, if I was running a publishing company, I’d hire you immediately based on your carefully considered insights and eloquent writing."
"You’re the kind of editor I really work best with: someone who makes suggestions without trying to rewrite the book yourself."
"Rachel really helped me understand the publishing process."
"I couldn't have asked for a better (or nicer) editor."
Languages
English (US)
Non-Fiction
Entertainment
History
Political Science & Current Affairs
Fiction
Historical Fiction
Literary Fiction
Short Story
Work experience
Editorial Assistant
Twelve Books
July, 2016
–
Present
(almost 4 years)
I have managed the production of a number of bestselling titles, including:
• NATURAL CAUSES (NYT Bestseller) by Barbara Ehrenreich
• RUSSIAN ROULETTE (#1 NYT Bestseller) by Michael Isikoff and David Corn
• YES WE (STILL) CAN by Dan Pfeiffer
• OUTSIDE THE WIRE by Jason Kander
• WHO THOUGHT THIS WAS A GOOD IDEA? (NYT Bestseller) by Alyssa Mastromonaco, former deputy chief of staff to President Barack Obama
• DEMOCRACY (NYT Bestseller) by former U.S. secretary of state Condoleezza Rice
• AL FRANKEN, GIANT OF THE SENATE (#1 NYT Bestseller) by former Senator Al Franken
Ghostwriter
Self-employed
June, 2014
–
June, 2015
(about 1 year)
Boutique memoir ghostwriting service. Regular meetings with the client included extensive interviews, acquiring photographs for inclusion, and gathering other relevant materials to complete the work. Performed all editorial tasks, including multiple, rigorous passes of content and copyediting; worked closely with industry professionals for cover and interior design, resulting in a completed book of exceptional quality for the client’s personal use.
Portfolio (8 selected works)
From Obama's former communications director and current co-host of Pod Save America comes a colorful account of how politics, the media, and the Internet changed during the Obama presidency and how Democrats can fight back in the Trump era. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New Roman'} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 36.0px; font: 12.0px 'Times New ... read more
Al Franken, Giant of the Senate
Al Franken
#1 New York Times Bestseller"Flips the classic born-in-a-shack rise to political office tale on its head. I skipped meals to read this book - also unusual - because every page was funny. It made me deliriously happy." - Louise Erdrich, The New York Times p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 15.0px Tahoma; color: #212121; -webkit-text-stroke: #212121} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} From S... read more
New York Times bestseller! If your funny older sister were the former deputy chief of staff to President Barack Obama, her behind-the-scenes political memoir would look something like this...Alyssa Mastromonaco worked for Barack Obama for almost a decade, and long before his run for president. From the then-senator's early days in Congress to his years in the Oval Office, she made Hope and Cha... read more
The Most Dangerous Man in America: Timothy Leary, Richard Nixon and the Hunt for the Fugitive King of LSD
Bill Minutaglio, Steven L. Davis
From Bill Minutaglio and Steven L. Davis, authors of the PEN Center USA award-winning Dallas 1963, comes a madcap narrative about Timothy Leary's daring prison escape and run from the law.On the moonlit evening of September 12, 1970, an ex-Harvard professor with a genius I.Q. studies a twelve-foot high fence topped with barbed wire. A few months earlier, Dr. Timothy Leary, the High Priest of L... read more
Russian Roulette: The Inside Story of Putin's War on America and the Election of Donald Trump
Michael Isikoff, David Corn
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The incredible, harrowing account of how American democracy was hacked by Moscow as part of a covert operation to influence the U.S. election and help Donald Trump gain the presidency. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; font: 12.0px Arial} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; text-indent: 36.0px; font: 12.0px Arial} RUSSIAN ROULETTE is a story of political sk... read more
A smart and revealing political memoir from a rising star of the Democratic Party. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 26.0px; font: 22.7px Times; color: #454545; -webkit-text-stroke: #454545; background-color: #ffffff} span.s1 {font-kerning: none} Barack Obama has called Jason Kander the future of the Democratic Party. A former Army Captain who served in Afghanistan, Kander wa... read more
A New York Times bestseller! From the celebrated author of Nickel and Dimed, Barbara Ehrenreich explores how we are killing ourselves to live longer, not better.A razor-sharp polemic which offers an entirely new understanding of our bodies, ourselves, and our place in the universe, NATURAL CAUSES describes how we over-prepare and worry way too much about what is inevitable. One by one, Ehrenre... read more
A vivid biography of former First Lady Barbara Bush, one of the most influential and under-appreciated women in American political history. p.p1 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 15.0px; font: 13.3px Times; color: #000000; -webkit-text-stroke: #000000; background-color: #ffffff} p.p2 {margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; line-height: 15.0px; font: 13.3px Times; color: #000000; -webkit... read more
Rachel has 2 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
Rachel is a pleasure to work with, and it seems she has my success at the forefront of her mind. I've hired her twice now and will certainly consider hiring her again in the future.
Matt Zullo, November 2019
Rachel provided an excellent editorial assessment for me. She was honest about the shortcomings of my MS, but encouraging about the potential of my story. She was communicative, positive, and extremely helpful. I would definitely recommend her and will likely hire her again myself!
Matt Zullo, August 2019
Explore the Reedsy Community
Reedsy is a community of top publishing professionals. Join Reedsy today to browse 1000+ profiles.
Joshua Ellison
Experienced editor and publisher of diverse literature, ready to help refine, develop, and perfect your project.
Providence, RI, USA
John Knight
Seasoned fiction and non-fiction editor specializing in literature, memoir, and biography with 10+ years experience at FSG and McSweeney's
Harrisville, NH, USA
