Sara Oestreich

Sara Oestreich – Editor

Romance editor with 10+ years of experience. A lover of love, master of meet-cutes, and finder of plot holes. Let's make your book its best!

Overview

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


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, and conflicts as well as 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.


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 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.

_____________________________________________________

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 33 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 with Sara is that she always makes me excited to dive into revisions (how?!?). Thank you, Sara!
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 it sing. Sara was supremely patient with my "tracking changes" questions and super responsive to any ...
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 .
Hilari C.

Hilari C.

Oct, 2024

Sara is a detail-oriented, insightful editor who will make sure that your work is the best possible version of itself. She's an "editor's editor" -- I am a professional editor and I chose her to collaborate with me on my romantic suspense novel, and she really delivered! I am beyond thrilled with the results and I can't wait to work with her again!
Kala M.

Kala M.

Oct, 2024

Sara was nothing short of phenomenal to work with. She was so thorough in her work and I really felt like she was invested in me and my story. Her feedback was extremely helpful, and she was more than willing to bounce ideas back and forth between editing rounds and also with my book blurb. I would not hesitate to work with her again. In fact, when I finish my next book, I will be back (as long...
Read more

Sign up to read more reviews

Create a free Reedsy account to connect with Sara and thousands of other publishing professionals on Reedsy.

Professionals similar to Sara

Get a range of offers by requesting quotes from multiple professionals.

Lucy Vilankulu

Lucy V.

Experienced copy editor and proofreader with publishing, agency and direct-author experience.

Minneapolis, MN, USA

100% reply rate

View profile
Lottie Hayes-Clemens

Lottie H.

Editor and proofreader with 3+ years' experience at HarperCollins and an expert eye for detail! Keen on women's fiction and fantasy.

Montreal, QC, Canada

97% reply rate

View profile
Mackenzie Walton

Mackenzie W.

Providing developmental edits, editorial assessments, and proofreading for all romance subgenres/heat levels, with 15+ years of experience.

Loveland, OH, USA

100% reply rate

View profile