Sarah LaPolla – Editor

WHO I AM

Hello! I’m Sarah, an editor, writer, and former literary agent. With nearly twenty years of publishing industry experience, my career began at Curtis Brown, Ltd., where I became a literary agent while working toward my own MFA in Creative Writing. From there, I became an agent with Bradford Literary Agency where I continued to work with amazing authors whose works went on to become New York Times bestsellers, regional and national award-recognized successes, and multi-star reviewed debuts.

In 2020, I became a full-time independent editor. I focus on Big Picture and Developmental edits for writers at all stages in a variety of genres. My editorial projects have gone on to find homes at major publishers, small presses, or continue finding success in self-published markets.

HOW I EDIT

My approach to editing is to work within the writer's vision and publishing goals. There is no "one edit letter fits all." I aim to use my publishing experience and creative writing education to leave authors with revision skills they can use after our work together is finished.

WHAT I EDIT

My areas of expertise are in Young Adult and Adult fiction in the following genres:

- Contemporary/Realistic (Literary Fiction, Upmarket/Book Club Fiction, Coming-of-Age)

- Horror (all kinds, but I lean on the literary side)

- Literary Suspense/Mystery

- Science Fiction (grounded, story-driven sci-fi preferably; I wouldn't be the best fit for tech-heavy hard sci-fi)

- Speculative Fiction (Magical Realism, Paranormal, Urban/”Low” Fantasy, anything you can’t neatly label!)

I'm drawn to stories that surprise me, characters who surprise themselves, and getting immersed in a setting, whether it's a faraway land or my own backyard. I'm also a strong advocate for books by and about marginalized, underrepresented voices and characters who challenge the status quo. I would not be the right fit for books that villainize or exploit those voices.

Genres that would not be right for me: category romance or erotica; high/epic fantasy; non-fiction; inspirational or spiritual fiction; graphic novels; or children’s books.

FULL MANUSCRIPT SERVICES

EDITORIAL ASSESSMENT - Detailed editorial letter; recommended for writers with a completed 1st or 2nd draft looking for Big Picture feedback on readability and direction.

DEVELOPMENTAL EDIT - Detailed editorial letter + one-round of in-line manuscript edits; recommended for writers at a more advanced revision stage but still need guidance to get to a finish line.

DEVELOPMENTAL + LINE EDITING - Two-round editing service that includes a full developmental edit, followed by a line edit of the revised manuscript. This is a longer term service for writers ready for the final revision stages.

AI POLICY: Please note that I do not use Generative AI/LLMs (ChatGPT, Claude, etc.) when I edit or communicate with you. In turn, I expect the same honesty and integrity from my clients. As such, I do not read or edit manuscripts developed with AI in any capacity. Further, I do not consent to having my editorial feedback entered into GenAI tools for future use.

Looking forward to working together!