Sarah Kolb-Williams

Sarah Kolb-Williams – Editor

Editor with 15 years of self-publishing experience in memoir, how-to, finance, publishing, music, and sci-fi. Now accepting new clients!

Overview

I help nonfiction authors think through the structure of their manuscripts, making sure the output matches the intent, the arguments are compelling, the language is clear and concise, and the readers have everything they need to follow along. In the business realm, this means strong positioning, good CTAs, and a clear and consistent plan for funneling readers toward your website.

I also work with science fiction authors by offering substantive input, helping to guide developing stories, and standardizing and clarifying the terms, words, and language that give that make your world special. I particularly love copyediting for science fiction and take pride in my robust and detailed style sheets (the document I use to keep track of terms, spellings, and other editorial matters throughout my work, which you're free to keep for your own reference).

Finally, for the right projects, I offer back cover copy, robust proofreading, cover design, interior layout, premium eBook conversion, and other publishing services for independent authors. Wherever you are in your project and wherever you're trying to go, I'll meet you where you are and do my best to support you on your publishing journey.

If you're not sure what sort of editing you need, an editorial assessment is usually a great place to start. Otherwise, feel free to get in touch with your own ideas. Looking forward to working with you!


Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Business & Management Education & Reference Music Self-Help & Self-Improvement Writing & Publishing
Fiction
Fantasy Science Fiction
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

Nov, 2021 — Present

My business partner and I offer a wide range of self-publishing services for independent authors, from editing to book design to distribution. Our small team empowers authors to control their publication and guides them to make the best decisions for their projects.

Self-employed

Feb, 2008 — Present

I specialize in memoir, self-help, music, how-to, education, finance, and the occasional young adult or science fiction. Recently, I've expanded my business to include subcontracting a trusted team of cover designers, editors, and other publishing professionals so I can offer authors more of what they need in order to publish a book they can be proud of.

The best part of my career as a freelance editor is that with every project, I'm constantly learning new things. While I have my own areas of expertise or interest, I'm always open to an unexpected project I think will be interesting, teach me something new, or bring me joy.

Portfolio

Developmental Editing
The second book in THE ENDING SERIES. The Virus changed them, but that was only the beginning......death...mutation...insanity...corruption...terror......all that remains is hope.In the wake o... read more
Copy Editing
Their love is destined to shatter the boundaries of time… Archaeology grad student Alexandra Larson’s world is turned upside down when her mother shares her deepest, darkest secret—that she do... read more
Copy Editing
Best buds, frenemies, freeloaders, bullies, copycats, hangers-on. We’re accustomed to all types of people and human interactions. But animal relationships can be just as weird and complex. For... read more
Copy Editing
Rigorous Curriculum Design (“RCD”) presents a carefully sequenced, hands-on model for educators and curriculum designers. The RCD model has proven to be effective in school districts across the US, and it serves as a road map so that educators may design a pro... read more
48 WAYS TO SUCCESSFULLY TRANSFORM FROM SCHOOL LEADER TO CHANGEMAKER Leaders are at the frontlines, working to move their school forward in an ever-shifting landscape. Today’s leaders must be passionate changemakers, always gathering knowledge and resources to ... read more
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Proofreading
The Fine Print of Self-Publishing, now in its fourth edition, has been lauded by industry professionals as a ''must read'' for any author considering self-publishing. The Fine Print (Third Edition) was awarded the Gold Medal for best writing/publishing book in... read more
“I don’t know anything about editing. How can I tell if a freelance editor is any good?”“What can I do to best prepare my manuscript for professional editing?”New authors have many questions and concerns about hiring an editor for the first time. But there's o... read more
In 2003, the world watched as coalition forces toppled Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein, then searched—unsuccessfully—for the weapons of mass destruction they were certain existed. None were ever... read more
Copy Editing
It's about time the game had a referee... As technology advances and digital devices infiltrate our homes, it is important to monitor how our kids are using these items. But how can you decrea... read more
Developmental Editing
The Fine Print of Self-Publishing, now in its fifth edition, has been lauded by industry professionals as the go-to book for authors considering self-publishing. The Fine Print has helped thousands of authors understand self-publishing companies' services, con... read more
Rise (A Lantern City Illustrated Novel)

MATTHEW JAMES Created By Trevor Crafts & Bruce Boxleitner DALEY

"Rise has the potential to do for Boxleitner what Tekwar did for William Shatner. Rise plants the seed of what could be an amazing new universe. I want more!" — Max Brooks, New York Times best... read more
Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
Terminus

Dagg, Proto

Copy Editing
Waking Iceman

Wahl, C R

Copy Editing Editorial Assessment
The sequel to ECHO IN TIME.For most people, time is a river, flowing in only one direction...but Alexandra Larson isn't most people...PRESENT DAY...When Lex notices an inky presence darkening ... read more
Copy Editing
The final book in THE ENDING SERIES. The first book in the series, After The Ending, is FREE!A year ago, the Virus killed off most people in the world.A year ago, strange things started happen... read more
Copy Editing
Will her perfect hiding place turn into the perfect trap? Winter Nova is on the run and Earth is the perfect place to hide...until an aquatic alien race starts to terrorize the waters of the P... read more
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Proofreading
Developmental Editing Copy Editing Proofreading
Copy Editing
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Have you ever dreamed of starting your expat adventure and moving abroad but somehow got stuck in the process?The journey to create a meaningful, happy, and successful expat life is not for th... read more
Copy Editing
Now it's in third edition, The Fine Print of Self-Publishing has earned a reputation as the Consumer Reports of the self-publishing industry. CEOs of the major self-publishing companies, industry watchdog groups, lawyers and the thousands of authors this book ... read more
How do we fight the weather?The Lazarus Protocol, the corporate plan to reengineer the Earth’s atmosphere, has failed. The mysterious Cassandra and her Neo zealots have weaponized the weather,... read more
Copy Editing
More than just another guide to making a quick dollar or beating the S&P 500, The Speculator’s Mosaic is a speculative investment book that details the hard-earned wisdom accumulated during five decades of speculation and portfolio management. Culled from a li... read more
The Generation

Holly Cave

***Shortlisted for the 2015 Mumsnet and Janklow & Nesbit novel award******Editor's Choice in The Bookseller, March 2015***Are you who they say you are?London, 2052. There’s an ID tag embedded ... read more
Editorial Assessment
Twelve-year-old Nick Philips has never flown into space. He’s never been chased through a jungle at night, come face to face with a giant, blobby monster, or encountered odd goblins from a dis... read more
Copy Editing
Stop keeping your dreams as just dreams without a timeframe to materialize them into reality. It takes hard work, tunneled focus, efficient habits, and achievable deadlines to make them come t... read more
Copy Editing
End confusion about the nature of happiness and discover how to lead a life of boundless joy! Happiness is the natural state of infants. But, as they are raised in a cynical world, they grow into children, adolescents, and adults who become jaded. They grow to... read more
Fifty Shades of Romance There is more to getting married than organising the dips.Mavis and Lumpy are getting married. It is to be a small affair with a hot and spicy theme, a few close friend... read more
Copy Editing
After spending the last four days of her life hiding out from a deadly solar particle storm in an underground bunker, trapped with six treacherous women and a trio of girl assassins, Scout Sha... read more
Copy Editing
Scout Shannon's whole family died the day the Space Farers dropped an asteroid on their domed city. Now she lives alone, out in the wild with only her dogs for company. She prefers it that way... read more
Copy Editing
Scout Shannon wants nothing more than to leave her home world and its petty squabbling factions behind. Galactic central with all of its excitement and opportunities awaits her. She makes it a... read more
Copy Editing
Stranded on the far side of the moon with her friends, Scout Shannon waits for rescue from galactic central. Hunted by two sets of enemies, surrounded by an impenetrable barrier maintained by ... read more
Copy Editing
Having escaped yet another closing trap, Scout Shannon finds herself on a snowbound mountaintop far from civilization. With assassins eager to kill her, laying low on an alien world is the sma... read more
Copy Editing
For Kat Dubois, death is only the beginning... Kat is on a mission, and the fate of the universe depends on whether or not she succeeds. She must journey into the heart of the underworld and t... read more
Copy Editing
When our universe falls in the gods' crosshairs, only one woman can stand against them...Kat Dubois. Immortal. Ex-assassin. Humanity's last hope.Kat has finally embraced her role as the Nejere... read more
Copy Editing
Free Fall is an action packed thriller with just a touch of sci fi.“Started one night late, finished the next morning.” (5 star review).For ten years the terrorist had carefully planned. They ... read more
Copy Editing
A storm is coming. Is your team ready?Duration, the beloved pastime of the nation of Roslyn. Superstar athletes wield transcendental powers to fend off the Blood Poachers, ruthless entities wh... read more
Copy Editing
Utopia Rule #1: Don’t ask questions. In a bioengineered society of comfort and safety, the only relationship that matters is between a Citizen and her Community. But the Community also hides a... read more
Copy Editing
War has broken out among the immortals. It’s time to choose a side.Kat Dubois never asked to be the emissary for the good guys. Diplomacy isn’t her strong suit, and patience isn’t one of her p... read more
Copy Editing
Mac is a lot of things—smart, sexy, and she can curse like a sailor. But behind her megawatt smile and perfectly pink lips are scars that no one sees. She has all but sworn away from men when ... read more
Copy Editing
An army with everything to gain. A soldier with nothing to lose.On July 13, 1982, the first day of Ramadan, Iran and Iraq engaged in the largest land battle since WWII. Iranian Army Captain Re... read more
Copy Editing
The gods are gone. Her brother is missing. One retired assassin must confront her past to save his future…Immortal Kat Dubois has traded in her sword for a flask. Hard drinking helps ease the ... read more
Copy Editing
Meet Ayana Ismail: high school senior, Muslim, natural-born American citizen - and being recruited by a terrorist organization. In Minneapolis, in the center of America's heartland, young Musl... read more
Copy Editing
Once a week, a group of curious farmyard animals meet behind the chicken coop and swap theories about that huge, glowing ball in the sky the humans call “The Moon.” Some of them believe it’s a... read more
Copy Editing
The aliens took her ship. Commander Halsey wants it back.For decades they were among us, silently infiltrating the power structures of society. Now the Swarm stands on Earth's doorstep. As hum... read more
Copy Editing
A TECHNOLOGY EXECUTIVE CHARTS A HIGH-RISK, UNCONVENTIONAL PATH WHILE GRIEVING THE LOSS OF HIS SON Dan Underlight, a divorced, workaholic technology executive, suffers lingering grief over the ... read more
Proofreading
The Church of Whosoever: Extra Grace Required follows the intersecting lives of LGBT Christians as they strive to express their faith and cope with the after-effects of their pastor’s heart at... read more
Copy Editing
Yellow Jackets: A Novel

Reggie Thornburg

It was 1947, and seventeen-year-old Pete Forsythe had just arrived in the seemingly sleepy town of Van Horn in southwest Texas. Abandoned by his mother, the Chicago-bred teen went about adapti... read more
Proofreading
CYBERCRIME AND TWEAKED MINDS IN THE BRAND NEW TWENTIETH CENTURY March, 1981: Colonies lighting up the moon, data cables crossing the earth, kids sweating neon in the pop of the arcade.And then... read more
Copy Editing
Humans know that immortals live among them, and the world is forever changed...Kat Dubois saved the human world from a deadly virus…and she couldn’t be more miserable. Her life as she knew it ... read more
Copy Editing
After humankind fled Earth for space they discovered one inescapable truth. People die in space. And lots of dead people means lots of ghosts. April Nguyen earns a nice living getting rid of t... read more
Copy Editing
Artemis Pound has just graduated from college and taken an internship at Boom! Snap! Pow! Marketing in the new tech center of the East Coast: Lepton Mountain. But something’s not right. Someon... read more
Copy Editing
Valentina knows how to live in the community spread throughout the old mining caves under the Martian ice cap. A violent place in a forbidding climate, but home for her and her brother. Until ... read more
Copy Editing
When immortals clash, mortals will pay the ultimate price. Kat Dubois has been sidelined. With a single word from Heru—no—her plans to save humanity from the Cascade Virus one mortal at a time... read more
Copy Editing
Mitwa

Kate MacLeod

When a deadly plague ravaged the Earth refugees fled into space, crowding into any space station or lunar colony that would take them. Decades passed and the descendants of the survivors strug... read more
Copy Editing
Suicide? Murder? Or maybe a political assassination?When Special Prosecutor Alberto Nisman was found dead in his Argentina apartment mere hours before his testimony before Congress about linka... read more
Copy Editing
Malevir

Susan Bass Marcus

Dragons have long been absent from their ancestral home in the Veiled Valley. Through spells and deceptions, a mysterious shape-shifter attacked them and now threatens the Valley's hard-won tr... read more
Copy Editing
A stalker lets us glimpse into the world of his compulsions. A woman, confronting her convicted rapist, becomes obsessed with finding a way to kill him. A neo-nazi begins to see beyond the hat... read more
Proofreading
Caught in the Current takes the reader on a magical mystery tour of offbeat Europe and ethnic America during the summer of 1970, and follows one young man’s journey to define his identity.The ... read more
Proofreading
War rages between the civilizations of Gaia and Ril--a bitter struggle from which only one race can emerge as victor to rule the planet. What ensures survival for one must, ultimately, result ... read more
Copy Editing
On August 1, 2007, the Interstate 35W Bridge in Minneapolis collapsed beneath more than 140 commuters into the Mississippi River in a cloud of dust, smoke, and flame during the evening rush ho... read more
Copy Editing
In 1969, when Tony Carr was in the fourth grade, he was taken from his mixed-race school and transferred to a different, predominantly-white school. He didn't realize it at the time, but he wa... read more
Copy Editing
Acquitted of her husband's murder, Lauren Harper chooses to start over and embrace her new life. Taking an interest in the lives of both strangers and loved ones, Lauren never fails to try to ... read more
Copy Editing
Discovered to possess a terrible, forbidden power, Korel's destiny is changed forever. Finding himself the victim of a heinous plot to discredit him, 17-year-old Korel is expelled from both hi... read more
Copy Editing
This ground breaking Book presents information that is New and Different. You can begin Recovery Now.Discover how to Overcome Addictions to: Alcohol and Other Drugs, Compulsive Sexual Behavior... read more
Copy Editing
You know you've done it--gone shopping when you can barely afford your phone bill, dreamed of becoming rich even while handing the cashier your credit card. In this book, you will not learn a ... read more
Copy Editing
The Valedictorians

Mitch Cote-Crosskill

The torch bearers of tomorrow are stumbling through the darkness. "The Valedictorians" is an unflinching look at a jaded generation desperately seeking direction. It tells the tale of Sam and ... read more
Proofreading
From a tumultuous time in our nation's history, fraught with social revolution, institutional upheaval, and fundamental changes in what it meant to live a moral existence, comes a voice from the past... Many are familiar with the historical accounts of the 180... read more
The Departments

Edward Ryder

The Departments is a fascinating exploration of contemporary communication in America. Pushed to change, one university research department finds that they have lived comfortably on the sideli... read more
Proofreading
Copy Editing
Sir Aerl has always known there was something more to this world. He only regrets that he does not have time to discover more in this life before passing to the next. Our wounded, wandering kn... read more
Copy Editing
Alex Cord seems to stand, untouched, at the center of a maelstrom of success—but can his heart survive unscathed?After inheriting his grandfather’s oil and gas company, the new millionaire plu... read more
Copy Editing
When Professor Frank Miller and his team of university geologists stumble across a strange cave containing an even stranger treasure, it's only natural that they would take the treasure home f... read more
Copy Editing
A refreshing newly published book, Snowspirit: the Virgo Key With the help of the traitorous thirteenth horoscopian, a powerful demon god has trapped the rest of the twelve gods of horoscopes.... read more
Copy Editing Editorial Assessment
Once, Evion was a thriving planet--but that was before its orbit began to decline. Now, as the planet comes treacherously close to the massive dying sun and their heat shields melted, one man ... read more
Copy Editing
Set in the rich Amish science-fiction world of Michael Bunker’s PENNSYLVANIA, “The Yesterday Adjustment” is James Bond meets Harrison Ford in the The Witness.Washington crossing the Delaware, ... read more
Copy Editing
A Portal Away

Anderson Ngundam

A Prime Galaxy has just been discovered. The Primes, five highly sought substances with extraordinary abilities, exist only in Prime Galaxies.When the news of the discovery reaches Plate, an a... read more
Copy Editing
Born and raised in the quaint mountain town of Saratoga Falls, where everyone knows everything, Samantha struggles to escape the harrowing night that changed her life three years ago. While sh... read more
Copy Editing
The Imati

C T Hillin

Young Adult Paranormal Romance / Fantasy Alastrina Byrne was murdered when she was seventeen years old, hunted down by a secret brotherhood determined to kill her kind -- that was 300 years ag... read more
Copy Editing
Sight: The Dream Guild Chronicles, Book Two“By far the best book David Bruns has written.” multiple Amazon reviewersIt’s been months since the six refugees fled the dystopian Community of Sind... read more
Copy Editing
The third book in THE ENDING SERIES. Hope brought them together, but it's now fear that drives them...and threatens to tear them apart. Zoe and her companions succeeded in rescuing Dani from t... read more
Copy Editing
After narrowly escaping the Shiryaevo Vault, Nathan O’Brien is on the run, adapting to life without Jennifer Logan. In his possession: a powerful mind control device known as the Histeridae and evidence of the Hibernation Program’s true agenda.Beginning with G... read more
A science-fiction thriller. The year is 2091. With accelerated warming and global population out of control, the survival of humanity hangs in the balance. On the brink of extinction, science delivers one last hope. Human hibernation.Jennifer Logan is a tough ... read more
Paige is a rock star. The world just doesn't know it yet. She's got the charisma, the drive, and, of course, the mega-musical skills. All she needs is to make her debut album, one that will ch... read more
Proofreading
''When a Vancouver timber cruiser signs on for a treasure hunt for the long-lost 'Loot of Lima', he finds more heartbreak, hilarity, danger, disaster and insanity aboard the tuna clipper Sweet... read more
Copy Editing
In an epoch long forgotten, a spell was cast around the island of Jaanaar, preventing its people from leaving and anyone from entering. One lone man, a foreign shape-shifter named Hawk, traine... read more
Copy Editing
This edition contains expanded versions of four of the short stories from the collection "Dislocations."Five novellas telling the stories of how average people cope when thrust into extraordin... read more
Copy Editing
Set in the rich Amish science-fiction world of Michael Bunker’s PENNSYLVANIA, “The Yesterday Adjustment” is James Bond meets Harrison Ford in the The Witness.Washington crossing the Delaware, ... read more
Copy Editing
Imagine Lost in Space crash landing into an ancient Incan civilization and you have SACRIFICE, Book Three of The Dream Guild Chronicles.If crash landing isn’t bad enough, a crew member is take... read more
Copy Editing

Sarah has 21 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Jerry B.

Jerry B.

Dec, 2022

If you are looking for a true professional that will go over and above and still be on schedule then I would highly recommend Sarah.
Kristin K.

Kristin K.

Apr, 2022

Sarah was great to work with. I would recommend her.
Michael B.

Michael B.

Feb, 2022

My review with Sarah went overtime. She found a great number of mistakes I made and made a huge number of suggestions which I have incorporated into my novel. Her advice will assist me in writing any future books I publish. I would highly recommend her.
Michael B.

Michael B.

Jan, 2022

Srah was invaluable in assisting me edit my sci-fi novel. I have had several professionals from Reedsy work with me on various aspects of editing and Sarah was absolutely tops. She found every little problem in my book and made numerous suggestions to improve the quality of the book. She also exhibited amazing patience when she discovered simple mistakes. She made it easy for me to correct ...
Read more
Mike H.

Mike H.

Jan, 2022

I am so fortunate to find Sarah for my first book project. Not knowing what exactly to expect working with an editor, she met all my expectation. Punctual with communications, skilled in her craft, and very reasonably priced. I recommend Sarah and plan to use her with my sequel.

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