Savannah Ashour - Editor
Los Angeles, United States
Collaborative editor and bestselling ghostwriter with 15 years of publishing experience, specializing in memoir and how-to.
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Overview
As a writer and editor who takes true joy in collaboration (and very rarely endeavors to write in isolation), I love working with authors at any level to bring structure, clarity, energy, voice, humor, and personality to their prose. Having spent seven years as an editor at Workman Publishing, an independent publisher of bestselling, award-winning, and often highly commercial books in NYC, I always have an eye toward increasing a book's salability and marketing potential.
In working with prescriptive nonfiction, I have considerable experience with projects that extend an existing personal or corporate brand. But my first loves are fiction and memoir, and as the daughter of a novelist I'm also very comfortable working in these genres. (My first job in publishing was at a boutique literary house.)
Here are some of the nice things clients, collaborators, and former bosses have said about me:
“Savannah has the ‘secret ingredient’ every great editor needs: She knows how to make an author look better, sound better, read better—but in the author’s voice, not hers. And then there’s her work ethic, which is unmatchable. It’s no wonder that the writers she works with love her.” — Susan Bolotin, editor-in-chief at Workman Publishing
“Savannah loves her work. But what is it exactly? She’s much more than an editor. She can take anything—from a nebulous concept to a polished manuscript—and make it better: clearer, deeper, and infinitely more publishable for reasons she has learned over time. Savannah made my book better, and she did so with immeasurable patience, grace, and humor. She will always be the best editor I’ve ever met.” —Barbara Flanagan, author of Flanagan’s Smart Home
“Savannah is a rare bird: super smart, collaborative, creative, hard-working, and really really funny. She made our book sparkle, and we enjoyed every moment of working with her.” —Arielle Eckstut, agent-at-large at the Levine Greenberg agency and coauthor of The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published and The Secret Language of Color
“Savannah is a truly talented writer who was able to take my thoughts and philosophies and put them down on paper in a way that is just so me. She is absolutely the real deal. I loved working with her.” —George Brescia, author of Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life
“As someone who has worked with countless authors of all stripes, editing Savannah Ashour taught me an invaluable lesson: There’s nothing better than working with a writer who is also an editor. No matter the assignment, her ability to craft a near-perfect first draft puts her at the very top of my call sheet.” —Tricia Boczkowski, editorial director at Crown Archetype & Three Rivers Press
Languages
English (AUS)
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Career Guides
Health & wellbeing
Parenting & Families
Psychology
Publishing
Self-help & Self-improvement
Sex & Relationships
Weddings
Fiction
Literature
Certifications
- Columbia Publishing Course, 2002
Work experience
Editor & Ghostwriter
Self-employed
April, 2014
–
Present
(over 4 years)
Freelance editor of books and book proposals. Co-author of books including the bestselling New York Times series 100 Deadly Skills and 100 Deadly Skills, Survival Edition; Girls Auto Clinic Glove Box Guide; and Change Your Clothes, Change Your Life, all with Simon & Schuster. More in progress, with genres and topics spanning memoir, espionage, romance, and the culture of DJing.
Editor
Workman Publishing
October, 2006
–
March, 2014
(over 7 years)
Acquired and edited a range of lifestyle, how-to, and humor books. Produced a range of digital products including apps based on bestselling book and product lines.
Assistant Editor
Arcade Publishing
January, 2003
–
Present
(almost 16 years)
Assistant editor at an independent publishing house focused on literary fiction and nonfiction.
Portfolio (12 selected works)
A hands-on, practical survival guide from retired Navy SEAL Clint Emerson—adapted for civilians from actual special forces operations—to eluding pursuers, evading capture, and surviving any dangerous situation.In today’s increasingly dangerous world, threats to your personal safety are everywhere. From acts of terror to mass shootings, and from the unseen (and sometimes virtual) matrix of ever... read more
The Wedding Book: An Expert's Guide to Planning Your Perfect Day--Your Way
Mindy Weiss, Lisbeth Levine
Everything you need to make the wedding of your dreams come true, no matter what your vision, taste, or budget. Written by Mindy Weiss, the “megastar wedding planner” (People), The Wedding Book is the most comprehensive wedding guide published, and is now revised and updated for a new generation of brides- and grooms-to-be.The Wedding Book is your fashion consultant, etiquette expert, menu pla... read more
The Essential Guide to Getting Your Book Published: How to Write It, Sell It, and Market It . . . Successfully
Arielle Eckstut, David Henry Sterry
The best, most comprehensive book for writers is now completely revised and updated to address ongoing changes in publishing. Published in 2005 as Putting Your Passion Into Print, this is the book that’s been praised by both industry professionals (“Refreshingly honest, knowledgeable and detailed. . . . An invaluable resource”—Jamie Raab, publisher, Grand Central Publishing) and bestselling au... read more
A witty, friendly, unexpected job hunter's bible that finally answers the real questions. Yes, if you're wedded to your nose ring, wear it to the interview. No, you shouldn't be e-mailing out hundreds of résumés. Writing with enormous authority and a compelling, lively voice, Ellen Reeves brings together her lifetime of experience of hiring, counseling, and résumé-doctoring into an essential g... read more
Open the door to harmonious, powerful, and positive dressing with a guide that’s like The Secret—for your wardrobe. In this groundbreaking how-to book, style expert George Brescia shows you how to transform yourself from the inside out.More than a style guide, this revolutionary book by a seasoned stylist teaches a method of conscious dressing that begins with a powerful internal change. Inste... read more
When outdoorsman, avid hunter, and nature writer Steven Rinella stumbles upon Auguste Escoffier’s 1903 milestone Le Guide Culinaire, he’s inspired to assemble an unusual feast: a forty-five-course meal born entirely of Escoffier’s esoteric wild game recipes. Over the course of one unforgettable year, he steadily procures his ingredients—fishing for stingrays in Florida, hunting mountain goats ... read more
French Twist: An American Mom's Experiment in Parisian Parenting
Catherine Crawford
Adventures in Franco-inspired American parenting—a winning mix of witty cross-cultural observation, hilariously blunt French wisdom, and one American mom’s journey to create her own hybrid parenting approach “If there is no blood, don’t get up.” This single nugget of parenting gold, offered by a French friend at the end of a long dinner party, changed everything for writer Catherine Crawford, ... read more
Purge the clutter. Outfit your home with care: The 34 essential kitchen tools. The 9 essential cleaning and fixing products. The 13, and only 13, things a bedroom needs to make it a haven of rest and privacy. Each item has been field-tested and rated for its environmental, social, and aesthetic impact. There is high-tech: the miraculous microfiber mop, the low voltage electric blanket, the tru... read more
Secret Language of Color: Science, Nature, History, Culture, Beauty of Red, Orange, Yellow, Green, Blue, & Violet
Joann Eckstut, Arielle Eckstut
In this beautiful and thorough investigation, The Secret Language of Color celebrates and illuminates the countless ways in which color colors our world.Why is the sky blue, the grass green, a rose red? Most of us have no idea how to answer these questions, nor are we aware that color pervades nearly all aspects of life, from the subatomic realm and the natural world to human culture and psych... read more
From national bestselling author and retired Navy SEAL Clint Emerson comes the essential guide for surviving today’s emergencies—from navigating in the wild to staying alive in any disaster.These 100 skills, adapted for civilians from actual field experiences of special forces operations, offer a complete hands-on and practical guide to help you survive in the wild no matter the climate or ter... read more
Girls Auto Clinic Glove Box Guide
Patrice Banks
A do-it-herself guide to auto maintenance, roadside emergencies, and the real scoop on how women can get honest car service at the garage, from engineer turned auto mechanic and award-winning entrepreneur Patrice Banks.Do you feel lost when explaining your car problems to a mechanic? Do you panic when something goes wrong with your ride? Have you felt like you were being overcharged or pressur... read more
It all starts with a penny. An indispensable omnibus for graduates sharing their first apartment, young families stretching a dollar, retirees, students, frugalistas (the fashionably frugal), career-changers, and anyone who wants to cut back and needs ideas for how to get started, Be Thrifty offers positive solutions for every facet of our lives, covering food, health, finances, entertainment,... read more
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