Eileen Rendahl

Writing books isn’t easy. It requires a combination of paying attention to a lot of detail while keeping a big picture in mind. Most of us read, reread, and reread our work again and again. By the time a first (or second or third) draft is finished, we’ve often lost the ability to see if a story is working or not.

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That’s where I can help. With 18 novels of my own out there and more than 20 ghostwritten under other names plus my experience guiding students as they finish their work in pursuit of their Masters’ degrees, I have developed a strong sense of how to make a story work for myself and for others.

I can help you finetune your plot, pacing, setting, theme, point of view, and character development by providing inline comments on your manuscript along with an editorial letter looking at global issues. While I do not provide proofreading services, I will note any errors I see along the way.

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A fresh set of experienced and discerning eyes on your manuscript can transform it from good to great and can make a huge difference whether you’re planning on submitting to an agent or editor at a traditional publishing house or going indie.

Here’s what clients have had to say about my editing services:

"Eileen was terrific to work with. Though she took on my project on a rush basis, she still delivered a comprehensive, well thought-out developmental edit. She was kind in how she approached my manuscript, but didn’t sugarcoat what she thought would improve it. Her insights enabled me to retain my personal writing style and voice, while streamlining the plot to keep it moving quickly and helping me to focus on the characters that really mattered. I think the contract I now have from a New York-based publisher for this work is in no small part due to Eileen's expert guidance.”

- Kris Calvin, award-winning mystery author

"Eileen Rendahl is my go-to developmental editor. I love her insightful comments for both my fiction and non-fiction. Eileen is the first editor who makes me excited about the story development process. She is compassionate and astute in her work. She encourages me to think more deeply about my current project. My trust in Eileen helps me dig deeper into my work because I can count on her to check my logic and clarity.

She is prompt and professional- a joy to work with. I highly recommend Eileen. She is a true gem!"

- Jennifer Hilt, USA Today Bestselling Author of the Trope Thesaurus series

"Eileen is an amazing developmental editor. She always helps make my story better, and I honestly wouldn’t want to work with anyone else."

–Karen A. Phillips, author of the Rocky Nelson Boxing Mysteries