Sara Oestreich

Sara Oestreich – Editor

Lover of love, master of meet-cutes, finder of plot holes. A developmental editor & coach who wants your book to be the best it can be!

Overview

I have been in love with love since the first time I snuck a harlequin novel off my grandmother's shelf!

I work in the boutique publishing industry as a developmental editor in ALL romance genres. My passion (besides tall, dark, and handsome) is strong stories. I focus on aligned goals, motivations, and conflicts as well as character-driven plots. I like to pride myself on never skipping a "beat" in a story.


In terms of specific highlights from my work:

* Mated to the Night Series: Currently #2 in PNR romance and ranks 278 in the Kindle Store

* Successful online workshop on how to create and outline a romance novel

* Over 300 total books successfully published


I am responsive and open in my communication. I have been told I thrive during the editing process in taking a book to the next level. I like to collaborate and use questions to push the story forward. I believe in helping the author find their voice rather than impressing my own ideas onto the story. It's not my story -- it's yours!

I have been working in the publishing industry for ten years, including long-term contract work with several Boutique Publishing companies. I have also created an asynchronous course on outline writing published through Relay Publishing. I have a bachelor's Degree in English Literature and a Master of Science in Library Science.

I am looking forward to helping you find all the FEELS in romance writing, please let me know if you have any questions regarding my work and/or experience.

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What others say:


"Sara was fantastic to work with, she does a fantastic job editing and really knows what she is doing! I highly recommend her."


"Sara has been an absolute pleasure to work with. She keeps me updated with progress and proactively checks in with me on milestones. She is great at developmental editing and has steered my novels in the right direction. Her feedback is clear, concise, and very importantly direct. Rather than 're-do' everything for me, her editing provides guidance both on any issues as well as the direction to take to address those issues. My first project with her has led to a great relationship and I will continue to work with her on future projects."

"Brilliant freelancer and creative mind. Professional approach to work. Hardworking. Pleasure to work with."
Services
Fiction
Contemporary Romance Historical Romance Paranormal Romance Romantic Comedy Romantic Suspense Time Travel Romance
Languages
English (CAN) English (UK) English (US)

Work experience

Special Fiction Books

Jan, 2022 — Present

I developmental edit books from start to finish. I begin by offering feedback on concepts based on market trends and a solid foundation for romantic conflict and tension. Then I edit the outline ensuring the book is romance-forward and that all of the story beats are accounted for. I find the outline stage to be important - if I can catch a plot hole or unlikeable character at this stage it won't be baked into the book! Finally, I edit the written book offering feedback to stay true to the heart of the book's story.

Bickerstaff Publishing

Mar, 2017 — Oct, 2022 (over 5 years)

I worked as an editor during the outline and writing stages. Stories were focused on evergreen trope driven romance and market trends. Feedback was collaborative in nature.

Relay Publishing

Apr, 2016 — Present

I have worked for Relay in a number of capacities: Outliner, Concept Creation, and Editor. I feel that experiencing each role has given me a unique insight into each step of the story creation process. My work with Relay includes editing at the outline and writing levels.

Sara has 3 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Jennifer R.

Jennifer R.

Apr, 2023

I'm having Sara perform developmental edits (DE) on my outlines, She has such great insight and ideas. Then I'm planning on having her do a DE on the complete finished manuscript to make sure I executed on what we discussed in the outline. Her expertise in the world of romance novels is stellar. I'll never write another story without Sara reviewing the outline first. I highly recommend her.
Jennifer R.

Jennifer R.

Apr, 2023

Sara did a developmental edit (DE) on my romance novel outline. She was amazing to work with. Her expertise in the romance space was evident from the start. She walked me through every beat of the story and offered insightful feedback on every aspect of the story. Her questions and comments were thought-provoking and made me think of parts of my story differently. I ended up with a much better...
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Brittany B.

Brittany B.

Mar, 2023

I cannot say enough how wonderful it was working with Sara. Not only did she provide a developmental edit of my outline, she gave encouragement and education for the writing process. Sara's feedback helped me spot the weaknesses in my draft, and revise the outline so that draft 2 of my novel will be stronger, more cohesive, appropriately raise the stakes, and have characters that readers care a...
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