Rebecca Heyman - Editor
Creative, compassionate, precision-based developmental editing and supportive, no-nonsense book coaching since 2009.
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Overview
"Becca has been my dream editor through two novels, one of which has already landed in the top 100 on Amazon. She was so much more insightful and deft than the editor I was assigned for my traditionally published book that it was difficult to think of them as being part of the same profession." -David Vinjamuri, OPERATOR and BINDER
"Working with Becca was a dream. She’s super efficient and balances the right amount of constructive criticism with praise. She edited two of my manuscripts, which have both since been acquired by Penguin Destiny. I would definitely recommend her editing services for anyone who is looking to have their manuscript whipped into the best possible shape before self-publishing or submitting to agents or editors in traditional publishing." -Georgina Penney, IRREPRESSIBLE YOU and UNFORGETTABLE YOU
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Rebecca Faith Heyman holds a BA and MA in English and American Literature (min. Creative Writing) from New York University. She’s the founder and director of The Work Conference, an annual, weekend-long writers' workshop in NYC; the creator of #firstlinefrenzy, a monthly community learning project on Twitter that invites authors to submit the first line of their novels for live, educational critique*; and an advisor to the board of Reedsy. Rebecca believes that honesty and keen discernment are the foundations of collaborative, creative editorial work, and has allowed these principles to guide her editing practice since 2009. She lives outside of Boston with her husband, two kids, and Siberian cat.
Areas of specialty include: YA contemporary, YA/A fantasy, YA/A light or literary science fiction, women’s fiction, contemporary and historical romance, YA/A LGBTQIA+, Jewish fiction, historical fiction (Ancient Greece/Rome, Regency, Victorian, Elizabethan, 1980s, 1990s), and contemporary commercial fiction for all audiences.
For YA and adult manuscripts, I am particularly interested in the compassionate representation of mental illness and underrepresented identities/cultures that reflect an author's reality. At this time, I am unable to collaborate on nonfiction, novellas, partial manuscripts, short story collections or MG/picture books. I'm open to most genres, but kindly find a more appropriate editor for your space opera, procedural mystery, or horror work.
*Check out Reedsy's YouTube channel for replays of live-streaming First Line Frenzy broadcasts!
"Working with Becca was a dream. She’s super efficient and balances the right amount of constructive criticism with praise. She edited two of my manuscripts, which have both since been acquired by Penguin Destiny. I would definitely recommend her editing services for anyone who is looking to have their manuscript whipped into the best possible shape before self-publishing or submitting to agents or editors in traditional publishing." -Georgina Penney, IRREPRESSIBLE YOU and UNFORGETTABLE YOU
***
Rebecca Faith Heyman holds a BA and MA in English and American Literature (min. Creative Writing) from New York University. She’s the founder and director of The Work Conference, an annual, weekend-long writers' workshop in NYC; the creator of #firstlinefrenzy, a monthly community learning project on Twitter that invites authors to submit the first line of their novels for live, educational critique*; and an advisor to the board of Reedsy. Rebecca believes that honesty and keen discernment are the foundations of collaborative, creative editorial work, and has allowed these principles to guide her editing practice since 2009. She lives outside of Boston with her husband, two kids, and Siberian cat.
Areas of specialty include: YA contemporary, YA/A fantasy, YA/A light or literary science fiction, women’s fiction, contemporary and historical romance, YA/A LGBTQIA+, Jewish fiction, historical fiction (Ancient Greece/Rome, Regency, Victorian, Elizabethan, 1980s, 1990s), and contemporary commercial fiction for all audiences.
For YA and adult manuscripts, I am particularly interested in the compassionate representation of mental illness and underrepresented identities/cultures that reflect an author's reality. At this time, I am unable to collaborate on nonfiction, novellas, partial manuscripts, short story collections or MG/picture books. I'm open to most genres, but kindly find a more appropriate editor for your space opera, procedural mystery, or horror work.
*Check out Reedsy's YouTube channel for replays of live-streaming First Line Frenzy broadcasts!
Languages
English (UK)
English (US)
Fiction
Fantasy
Historical Fiction
Literary Fiction
Romance
Women's Fiction
Young Adult
Certifications
- BA, English and American Literature/min. Creative Writing (NYU, 2007)
- MA, English Literature (NYU, 2008)
Work experience
Developmental Editor, Book Coach
Rebecca Faith Editorial
November, 2009
–
Present
(about 11 years)
Rebecca Faith Heyman started editing in 2007, while completing her Masters in English & American Literature at NYU. Her no-nonsense editing style is precise, spacious, honest, and compassionate, and has fostered countless collaborations with indie and traditionally published authors alike. Rebecca serves as an advisor to the board of Reedsy, a curated marketplace for book industry professionals and winner of the 2015 Futurebook award for BookTech Company of the Year, and is the founder/director of The Work Conference, an annual writers’ event in NYC. Notable releases (2017): The Alchemists of Loom (Kova, Silver Wing Press); Queer, There and Everywhere (Prager, HarperCollins); Project Semicolon: Your Story Isn’t Over (Bleuel, HarperCollins); Welcome to the Slipstream (Burian, Merit/Simon&Schuster); Hot Mess (Belden, Graydon House/Harlequin).
Portfolio (21 selected works)
Mr. Knightsbridge (The Mister Series)
Bay, Louise
The Frozen Crown: A Novel
Kelly, Greta
Husband Material
Belden, Emily
Amreekiya: A Novel (Contemporary Poetry And Prose)
Mahmoud, Lena
Unforgettable You: Destiny Romance
Georgina Penney
After months working on an oil rig in the Atlantic Ocean, engineer Jo Blaine can't wait to get home. Her job is tough, and she is desperate for some long overdue girl time. The last thing Jo needs when she walks through her front door is to find a strange man staying in her house. When she learns that her uninvited guest is none other than Stephen Hardy, she's tempted to head straight back out... read more
The Barbershop Girl
Georgina Penney Penney
You don't become a notorious British celebrity without rubbing a few people the wrong way, which is why writer and comedian Ben Martindale has decamped to Australia until the latest media frenzy dies down.When he meets Amy Blaine, a perky blonde who dresses like a 1950s pin-up girl, he knows he's hit the satirical jackpot. He begins to fill his weekly London column with snarky observations abo... read more
Whatever You Call Me (Volume 1)
Leigh Fleming
Annie Cooper is fed up with Washington. More importantly, she’s done with being Senator George Cooper’s daughter and all the expectations that come with it. She changes her name and tries to start fresh after quitting her job, but the only position she can find is in the political world she despises. Kip Porter is a two-term congressman from a blue collar district along the shores of the Chesa... read more
Welcome to the Slipstream
Natalka Burian
For fans of Laurie Halse Anderson’s Speak and Judy Gregerson’s Bad Girls Club, this is a deeply moving and exquisite novel about a girl traumatized by her mother’s serious mental illness, and the steps she takes to save her from destruction.Bright lights, big trouble. When Van arrives in Las Vegas at the upscale Silver Saddle casino with her mother—a brilliant businesswoman with fragile mental... read more
Serafina and the Black Cloak
Robert Beatty
A brave and unusual girl named Serafina lives secretly in the basement of the grand Biltmore Estate amidst the splendor of the Gilded Age. Serafina's pa, the estate's maintenance man, has warned her to keep herself hidden from the fancy folk who live on the floors above, but when children at the estate start disappearing, Serafina and her friend Braeden Vanderbilt must work together to solve a... read more
Written in the Ashes
K. Hollan Van Zandt
"Written in the Ashes is one of those rare novels that sets 'history' afire, to bathe readers in the glow of a greater, hotter truth. Fans of The Mists of Avalon will find this romantic/alchemical/feminist/spiritual epic equally captivating."—Tom Robbins, bestselling author of Tibetan Peach Pie: A True Account of an Imaginative Life and Villa IncognitoIn the bloody clash between Christians and... read more
Almost Paradise: A Novel
Corabel Shofner
A heartfelt debut about a spunky girl determined to save her family and find her way home.Twelve-year-old Ruby Clyde Henderson’s life changes the day her mother’s boyfriend holds up a convenience store, and her mother is wrongly jailed for assisting with the crime. Ruby and her pet pig, Bunny, find their way to her estranged Aunt Eleanor's home. Aunt Eleanor is an ornery nun who lives in the m... read more
The Coincidence Makers
Yoav Blum
In this genre-bending novel, there is no such thing as chance and every action is carefully executed by highly trained agents. You’ll never looks at coincidences the same way again.What if the drink you just spilled, the train you just missed, or the lottery ticket you just found was not just a random occurrence? What if it’s all part of a bigger plan? What if there’s no such thing as a chance... read more
The Alchemists of Loom (Loom Saga Book 1)
Kova, Elise
Summoned (From Smokeless Fire)
Guglielmo, M.A.
Hot Mess
Belden, Emily
Outside In
Doug Cooper, Doug Cooper, Waveburner Recording
Wardens of Eternity (Blink)
Moulton, Courtney Allison
Project Semicolon: Your Story Isn't Over
Bleuel, Amy
Queer, There, and Everywhere: 23 People Who Changed the World
Prager, Sarah, O'Ferrall, Zoe More
Rebecca has 22 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
I am glad I hired Rebecca. She was unflinchingly honest with her feedback. She pointed out a key problem with my manuscript that had been overlooked by beta readers and my critique group, then offered suggestions for how to solve the problem. As much as I'm dreading another revision with some major changes, I believe the book will be better as a result. I look forward to working with her again...
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Lauren Walter, December 2020
Rebecca was absolutely brilliant to work with. See offered suggestions both large and small that made characters more dynamic and situations more vivid. She wasn't afraid to call me out for under (or over) baked plot points and transitions, but always with a smile and a desire to make the novel as strong as it could be. And boy did she find typos and grammar changes in lines I thought were pol...
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Neil Laird, September 2020
I'm not understating it when I say deciding to work with Rebecca was the best thing I've done for my book besides actually finishing it. Her Reader's Report was extremely helpful, and she went well above and beyond what I expected with thorough edits and thoughtful comments. She was also very kind and professional throughout all of our digital communication and our after-read phone call. Workin...
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Jackson Becker, August 2020
Reply from Rebecca Heyman
I received actionable, useful editorial feedback on my story in very clear and understandable terms. The edit was professional and insightful. Thanks!
Riya A, April 2020
Rebecca helped me identify what my manuscript needed while also highlighting the things I had done well. She gave me the direction I needed to make my work the best it can be. I would definitely hire her again.
Julie Mulligan, January 2019
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