Scott Pearson - Editor
Editor and writer with decades of experience currently specializing in copyediting science fiction, fantasy, and other genre fiction.
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Overview
First published in 1987 with the lit-fic short story “The Mailbox,” in the decades since I've published humor, mystery, horror, poetry, urban fantasy, and science fiction, including Star Trek short stories and novellas at Simon & Schuster. I was an in-house editor at a publishing company where I specialized in military and aerospace history, but as a full-time freelancer I focus on fiction in my favorite genres to read: science fiction, fantasy, and similar subgenres.
As the primary copyeditor of Star Trek novels for Simon & Schuster, I’ve worked with such New York Times bestselling authors as David Mack and Kirsten Beyer. Kirsten has said that “[Scott] brings a deep knowledge of the universe, a keen eye for best possible word choices, and mastery of grammar and usage to my stories. I am always relieved when I see his name on one of my works because I know that I’m about to enter into a dialogue with a trusted partner as I review his notes. I cannot recommend him highly enough to anyone in need of an editor.”
I look forward to using my experience as both an editor and a writer to guide you to your best manuscript while maintaining your voice throughout your work.
As the primary copyeditor of Star Trek novels for Simon & Schuster, I’ve worked with such New York Times bestselling authors as David Mack and Kirsten Beyer. Kirsten has said that “[Scott] brings a deep knowledge of the universe, a keen eye for best possible word choices, and mastery of grammar and usage to my stories. I am always relieved when I see his name on one of my works because I know that I’m about to enter into a dialogue with a trusted partner as I review his notes. I cannot recommend him highly enough to anyone in need of an editor.”
I look forward to using my experience as both an editor and a writer to guide you to your best manuscript while maintaining your voice throughout your work.
Services
Languages
English (US)
Fiction
Anthologies
Fantasy
Military Science Fiction
Post-Apocalyptic
Space Opera
Steampunk
Time Travel
Work experience
Acquisitions Editor
Quarto USA
September, 2003
–
April, 2013
(over 9 years)
Hired as in-house copyeditor, promoted to associate editor on new military history imprint, then eventually to acquisitions editor. Worked on such books such as Michael Keith Olson’s Tales from a Tin Can: The USS Dale from Pearl Harbor to Tokyo Bay, which received a starred review in Publishers Weekly, and The Space Shuttle: Celebrating Thirty Years of NASA’s First Space Plane by noted science journalist Piers Bizony.
Writer/Editor
Self-employed
January, 2001
–
Present
(about 22 years)
Various levels of editing, proofreading, research, and writing for hire in a wide variety of subjects, both fiction and nonfiction: aeronautics, true crime, regional history, science, documentary screenplays, science fiction, fantasy, urban fantasy, and horror. I work with indie authors and traditional publishers such as Simon and Schuster, where I’ve been copyediting their Star Trek fiction since 2014, and Baen Books.
Portfolio (12 selected works)
CELEBRATING TEN YEARS OF THE JIM BAEN MEMORIAL SHORT STORY AWARDA DECADE OF SCIENCE FICTION EXCELLENCE Since 2007, Baen Books and The National Space Society have sponsored The Jim Baen Memorial Short Story Award, to honor the legacy of Jim Baen and to promote the ideals of forward-thinking, positive science fiction. Here gathered together for the first time are the best of the best of the firs... read more
A publishing event: Bestselling author Ken Liu selects his award-winning science fiction and fantasy tales for a groundbreaking collection—including a brand-new piece exclusive to this volume.With his debut novel, The Grace of Kings, taking the literary world by storm, Ken Liu now shares his finest short fiction in The Paper Menagerie. This mesmerizing collection features all of Ken’s award-wi... read more
To Lose the Earth (Star Trek: Voyager)
Beyer, Kirsten
Straight Outta Dodge City
Boop, David
Serpent Daughter
Butler, D.J.
Mamelukes (4) (Janissaries)
Pournelle, Jerry
The Gordian Protocol
Weber, David, Holo, Jacob
The Initiate
Cambias, James L.
More Beautiful Than Death (Star Trek)
Mack, David
Weird World War III
Hazlett, Sean Patrick
Destroyer of Worlds (3) (Saga of the Forgotten Warrior)
Correia, Larry
Star Trek: Picard: The Last Best Hope
McCormack, Una
Scott has 22 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
As usual, it was a delight working with Scott. He did the same excellent job of copy-editing Book #3 of my hard sci-fi series as he did with Book #2. He dealt with some tricky issues inherrent in hard sci-fi writing that always trip me up, like the use of numbers in dialogue, capitalization, and hypenation, and he had some great suggestions for alternate wording. He spotted some sequence incons...
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David Jeffrey, December 2022
Reply from Scott Pearson
Scott is an exceptional editor. He has great attention to detail and a eagle eye for proofreading errors. I highly recommend for copyedit work for your novel. He was able to help guide me in grammatical errors and even those of inconsistencies. I believe my first novel will look that much better from his work. I will definitely hire him again for future work!
Bryant Preston, October 2022
Reply from Scott Pearson
I was searching for a copy editor for my first manuscript and finding Scott on this site was a blessing. His work is excellent, and he was both professional and patient with someone new to editing. He took the time to answer my language and grammar questions. The edit was a positive learning experience, and I would highly recommend him.
Jacob Price, September 2022
As a new writer, this was my first time having a book professionally copyedited. I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but Scott made the experience both welcoming and easy to follow. My many questions were always answered within a day, and his work on my manuscript is thorough, often catching things I glanced over a hundred times, or teaching me better ways to use certain words. He kept to my st...
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Robert Krieger, July 2022
Reply from Scott Pearson
Scott did great work on my manuscript. His edits were logical and prudent, but I never felt like my style was being jerked around. The comments were insightful to such an extent that I knew he got the story, and the things he caught were so obvious that I'd missed them countless times.
The deadline was met. All communication was concise and timely.
Thank you, Scott. I look forward to working...
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Dustin Spinner, February 2022
Reply from Scott Pearson
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