Rebecca Heyman – Editor

Rebecca's reviews from Reedsy authors:

"Working with Rebecca was a pivotal experience for me as an author."

"Her editing skills are formidable and her instincts are razor-sharp. She's super-encouraging about what works in a manuscript and completely honest about what doesn't."

"Though I invested in Rebecca as a professional, I didn’t expect her to invest in me. Having a mentor in my corner is the greatest gift."

"Rebecca's intelligence, extensive experience, and passion for books and editing came through in all our interactions. I am a better writer as a result of working with her."

***

Rebecca 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 First Line Frenzy, a globally-renowned community learning project that invites authors to submit the first line of their novels for 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 two Siberian cats.

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), contemporary commercial fiction for all audiences, and MG fiction & fantasy.

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, or partial manuscripts. I'm open to most genres, but kindly find a more appropriate editor for your space opera, procedural mystery, or horror.

*Check out Reedsy's YouTube channel for replays of live-streaming First Line Frenzy broadcasts!