Sara Oestreich

Sara Oestreich – Editor

Editor with 10+ years experience in romance, women's lit, fantasy & PNR. Supportive, creative, & always honest, let's make your book shine!

Overview

I have been in love with love since I first snuck a Harlequin novel off my grandmother's shelf. A lifelong reader and writer, my favorite part of the process has always been editing. Taking a story and polishing it until it shines.

I work as a developmental editor in ALL romance genres. My passion (besides tall, dark, and handsome) is strong stories. I focus on aligned goals, motivations, conflicts, and character-driven plots. I pride myself on never skipping a "beat" in a story. The authors I work with often note that my eye for detail and honest feedback reinvigorate their passion for their stories.

Services I Offer:

* Developmental Editing: Includes three full feedback rounds with overarching notes and in-text comments.

* Editorial Assessment: Includes one round of feedback with an overarching note and comments at the chapter level.

*Guided Beta Reading: Includes sourcing beta readers, creating a custom feedback questionnaire for your manuscript, and one feedback round for incorporating edits.

*Copy Editing: Includes one full copy edit with tracked changes and feedback.

I am responsive and open in my communication. I have been told that I thrive during the editing process, taking a book to the next level. I enjoy collaborating and using questions to advance the story. I believe in helping the author find their voice rather than imposing my own ideas onto the story. It's not my story -- it's yours!

I look 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:

"She was prompt, honest, clever, flexible, communicative, clear, kind and so generous with her time, and I had total confidence in her assessment of my work’s strengths and weaknesses. As a new author I was very apprehensive and naïve and Sara taught me so much."

"I can't say enough about Sara! She was prompt and thorough through all rounds of the developmental edit and coaxed a more compelling story out of my project than I dared hope. She has an exquisite eye for detail - the look, the feel, the sound, and flavor of the whole piece of writing that make it sing."

"Sara offered thoughtful feedback on the structure and flow of the narrative and helped bring out the best of my writing. I appreciated her constructive criticism, which pushed me to refine my ideas and strengthen my storytelling. I highly recommend Sara to any author seeking a professional and insightful editor who is committed to elevating the quality of their work. Her expertise, combined with her approachable and collaborative nature, make her an invaluable asset to any writer looking to polish their manuscript."

Services
Fiction
Chick Lit Contemporary Fiction Contemporary Romance Fantasy Paranormal Romance Romantic Comedy Romantic Suspense
Languages
English (AUS) 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 43 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Leisa H.

Leisa H.

Jul, 2024

Pinned
This was my second time working with Sara and she was just as fabulous. She was direct, kind, thorough, thoughtful, and responsive. This fantasy romance book is a THOUSAND times better than when she first took a look. She works some serious magic, let me tell you. My favorite part about working w...
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Doreen B.

Doreen B.

Apr, 2024

Pinned
I can't say enough about Sara! She was prompt and thorough through all rounds of the developmental edit and coaxed a more compelling story out of my project than I dared hope. She has an exquisite eye for detail - the look, the feel, the sound, and flavor of the whole piece of writing that make i...
Read more
Casi H.

Casi H.

Apr, 2024

Pinned
Sara was amazing and I highly recommend her. With her feedback (which was a lot and exactly what I needed) I was able to bring my novel to a whole different level. She was easy to work with, kept my author voice intact, and after each round of edits I felt more and more confident with my story .
Doreen B.

Doreen B.

May, 2025

This is my second novel with Sara, and once again, she proved to be a solid and insightful developmental editor. She has a keen eye for pacing and structure, and her feedback always pushes my characters to feel more relatable and emotionally layered. Her clarity and instincts around nuance, motiv...
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Joan V.

Joan V.

May, 2025

Sara communicated promptly from the start. Her edits have been very useful and have elevated my short story to a higher level. Would highly recommend

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