Overview
My editing skills were honed during my time at Penguin in New York as a senior production editor. I ran the copy department for two high-volume imprints that published an esteemed list of titles, including the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys series. Since my career began, I have accumulated more than eighteen years of experience working for many different publishers, including Penguin Random House, HarperCollins, Albert Whitman, Sourcebooks, Candlewick, Beacon Press, Seal Press, Cottage Door Press, Amazon, and Kirkus.
Over the years, I have edited and copyedited novels written by a long list of high-caliber authors, including Liane Moriarty, Lauren Oliver, Ali Novak, and Jane Smiley, among others. I have also worked one-on-one with first-time and self-published authors, which I find extremely rewarding.
I'd love to help make your novel the best that it can be.
**Currently accepting projects for January and February.**
Services
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
Contemporary Romance
Cozy Mysteries
Fantasy
Literary Fiction
Post-Apocalyptic
Time Travel
Young Adult
Languages
English (CAN)
English (UK)
English (US)
Certifications
- MA, Journalism (New York University)
- BA, English (The University of Texas at Austin)
Work experience
Self-employed
Oct, 2008 —
Present
Edit, copyedit, fact-check, and proofread fiction (and sometimes nonfiction) trade books for both children and adult imprints. Clients have included HarperCollins, Penguin Random House, Albert Whitman, Candlewick, Sourcebooks, Beacon Press, Seal Press, Cottage Door Press, Lune Spark, Amazon, and Kirkus. Work one-on-one with authors to improve aspects (structure, dialogue, characterization, tone, etc.) of their fiction manuscripts prior to publication.
Penguin
Sep, 2007 —
Oct, 2008
(about 1 year)
Managed and scheduled all freelance copy editors, fact-checkers, and proofreaders for the children’s imprints Grosset and Dunlap and Price Stern Sloan, which publish close to 300 titles per year. Reviewed and evaluated all freelance work. Managed all in-house copyediting and proofreading from manuscripts to proof stages, while adhering to tight editorial and production schedules. Created and maintained all style guides.
Portfolio
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Copy Editing
The Before I Fall movie—based on Lauren Oliver’s beloved first novel and starring Zoey Deutch, Halston Sage, and Kian Lawley—is opening in theaters in spring 2017.This special enhanced edition... read more
Copy Editing
An NPR Best Young Adult Book of 2016Tor.com's Best YA SFF of 2016A Bustle Best Book of 2016 SelectionA Paste Magazine's Best Books of 2016The only way to get her family back is to travel to a ... read more
Proofreading
Proofreading
From the author of The Strange and Beautiful Sorrows of Ava Lavender comes a haunting maelstrom of magic and murder in the lush, moody Pacific Northwest.When Rona Blackburn landed on Anathema Island more than a century ago, her otherworldly skills might have b... read more
Copy Editing
An ancient mystery. A modern murder. Sir Augustus Wall, a horribly mutilated veteran of the Great War, has left Europe behind to open an antiquities shop in Cairo. But Europe’s troubles follow him as a priceless inscription is stolen and those who know its sec... read more
In Adam Burch’s thrilling series debut, a young man must choose between violence and peace in a distant world divided between those who thrive in endless sunlight and those who survive in eter... read more
Developmental Editing
When thrift-store aficionado Julie discovers a series of antique paintings with hidden glowing images that are only visible in the dark, she wants to learn more about the artist. In her search, she uncovers a century-old romance and the haunting true story of ... read more
Rafael has dreams. Every chance he gets he plays in the street games trying to build his skills, get noticed by scouts, and―someday―play Major League Baseball. Maya has worries. The bees are dying all over the world, and the company her father works for is res... read more
Life in a 1905 Nevada mining town is not easy for any thirteen-year-old. For Kit Donovan, it seems downright impossible. When her mother dies of a fever, Kit is certain she is to blame. Guilt-ridden, she is determined to honor her promises to her mother―namely... read more
Exchanging their bodies for machines, these teens will defy expectations, brave danger, and defend civilization. They are The Six.Adam's muscular dystrophy has stolen his mobility, his friends, and in less than a year it will take his life. Virtual reality gam... read more
Filled with magic and fierce emotion, Lisa Jensen's multilayered novel will make you question all you think you know about beauty, beastliness, and happily ever after.They say Château Beaumont is cursed. But servant-girl Lucie can't believe such foolishness ab... read more
Everybody needs someone who gets their crazyHank Kirby can't catch a break. He doesn't mean to screw up. It just happens. Case in point: his attempt to ask out the girl he likes literally goes up in flames when he spelled "prom" in sparklers on Amanda Carlisle... read more
Love is everything but expected.Eden Monro came to California for a summer of sun, sand and celebrities – what better way to forget about the drama back home? Until she meets her new family of strangers: a dad she hasn't seen in three years, a stepmonster and ... read more
Teenage polio survivor Rowan Collier is caught in the crossfire of a secret war against "the unfit." It's 1922, and eugenics—the movement dedicated to racial purity and good breeding—has taken hold in America. State laws allow institutions to sterilize minorit... read more
Arlie's face was disfigured by burns when her stepfather's meth lab exploded. After that, Arlie discovered the street smarts and survival skills she needed to shelter her addict mother, since the law and Lloyd, her deranged stepfather, are both looking for the... read more
A kingdom is at war.A princess has been kidnapped by a dragon queen.A brave squire volunteers to set out on a quest to rescue her.But there's just one small problem. He's Thomas, the shortest of all the squires. With little more than a donkey, a vest, and a sw... read more
Verity Gallant is a lonely little girl who doesn't quite fit in. But when a mysterious stranger hands her an ancient book, everything changes. Suddenly it's up to her to solve the riddle of an ancient pledge and protect her family from the evil Mistress of the... read more
Nicola Berry has only one day left to save the world. Armed with little more than her two closest friends, her annoying brother, her more annoying archrival, and an unusually tall alien named Shimlara, Nicola’s not sure she’s up to the task. She must convince ... read more
The thrilling sequel to H2ODEADLY TO THE LAST DROP .Ninety-seven percent of the population is dead. And the killer rain keeps falling. Ruby's not sure she can make it on her own much longer. So when a chance encounter leads her to a camp with the last boy she ... read more
"Swoon worthy! I fell in love with Oliver Perry so fast! This book is feels inducing...I loved every single page!" ―Anna Todd, New York Times bestelling author of the After series"When I met O... read more
Proofreading
Jessica Verdi, the author of My Life After Now and The Summer I Wasn't Me, returns with a heartbreaking and poignant novel of grief and guilt that reads like Nicholas Sparks for teens.It's all Ryden's fault. If he hadn't gotten Meg pregnant, she would have nev... read more
Fairy Tale Survival Rule #32: If you find yourself at the mercy of a wicked witch, sing a romantic ballad and wait for your Prince Charming to save the day.Yeah, no thanks. Dorthea is completely princed out. Sure being the crown princess of Emerald has its per... read more
Will it be a summer of fresh starts or second chances? For Lucy, the Jersey Shore isn't just the perfect summer escape, it's home. As a local girl, she knows not to get attached to the tourists. They breeze in during Memorial Day weekend, crowding her costal t... read more
"Breaking Sky is an action-packed thrill ride that smashes through all kind of barriers at a Mach 5 pace."―Carrie Jones, New York Times bestselling author of the Need seriesA gritty coming of age tale with tons of action, a fascinating dystopian society, humor... read more
"Recommend it to fans of Gayle Forman's If I Stay." ―Library JournalShe Has Everything She Ever Wanted. But Not Her Memory...When Chloe fell asleep in study hall, it was the middle of May. When she wakes up, snow is on the ground and she can't remember the las... read more
It was only one shoe. It fit no one. But everyone wanted it. Hap Barlo sits in a cell, wondering how it had all gone so wrong. The blue shoe was ruined, the girl he’d been trying to help was missing, and he’d been branded a thief—again! He would be banished to... read more
Twelve-year-old Chili Sue Mahoney has never been outside of her small Appalachian town. Mercy Hill, Kentucky, is home, with its meadows full of flowers, nights full of fireflies, grand mountains surrounding her little town. But it's also a place of poverty and... read more
"Redemption and grief, and the love that exists even when people are gone."-The BookbagNot alive. Not dead. Somewhere in between lie the Beautiful Dead.It's all been building to this moment...After everything Darina has been through, she knows it's time. She m... read more
A Pulitzer Prize winner makes her debut for young readers.Abby Lovitt has been riding horses for as long as she can remember, but Daddy hasn't let her name a single one. He calls all their geldings George and their mares Jewel and warns her not to get attached... read more
What really happened to Anastasia Romanov? Anastasia Romanov thought she would never feel more alone than when the gunfire started and her family began to fall around her. Surely the bullets would come for her next. But they didn't. Instead, two gnarled old ha... read more
A novel about freaks, geeks, crushes, and friends—and how sometimes you can be all of them at once.Charlie is the freak. Gloria is the freak magnet. They're pretty much destined to meet. And when they do, sparks fly . . . for Charlie. Gloria, well, she just th... read more
Sandra has 69 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
Value
Responsiveness
Peter A.
Oct, 2024
Pinned
Devi S.
Apr, 2023
Pinned
Jessaca W.
Nov, 2020
Pinned
Cassidy R.
Sep, 2025
David G.
Jun, 2025
Sign up to read more reviews
Create a free Reedsy account to connect with Sandra and thousands of other publishing professionals on Reedsy.
Most recent contributions
What essential physical tools or items should writers always have on hand to help with the writing process?
As an editor and a writer, the physical items I’ve carried with me have changed over the years. Back when I was a 90s teen, I always had a small notebook and pen in my car, purse, or backpack to jot down lines. I also almost always carried a physical book with me—what I was reading in school or f...
Read more
Are you #TeamPrologue or #TeamNoPrologue, and why?
It depends, y’all! As an editor, I am on #TeamPrologue when the prologue serves an explicit purpose in the storytelling that could not be achieved otherwise. Does it create a compelling hook that could not be accomplished in a different way? Does it provide essential backstory, critical to unders...
Read more
