Overview
Whether you're looking for a developmental editor to help organize the big-picture elements of your narrative, a line editor to tighten your prose and really make it sing, or a copy editor to polish your grammar and syntax, I'm here for you!
l edit a broad variety of literary and genre fiction for adults and children, particularly YA/MG, romance, and thrillers/suspense/noir. In nonfiction, I have a special interest in cookbooks and memoir. Clients I’ve worked with include Bloomsbury; Little, Brown; Random House BFYR; Soho; Chicago Review; Macmillan; and Candlewick. I also enjoy working one-on-one with independent authors preparing to submit work to conventional publishers or pursuing self-publication.
I hold an MFA in Creative Writing from UC Riverside/Palm Desert. I've ghost-written a successful cookbook for Globe Pequot, and I’ve published two romance novels under a pen name, as well as a number of short stories and articles. I recently completed my first literary novel. My writing experience helps make me an empathetic, collaborative editor. I understand how nerve-wracking it can be to send your precious work out into the world for others to scrutinize. You’ll find that I’m accessible and responsive, and my work is thorough, objective, and honest. My goal is to preserve your unique voice and help you realize your vision for your project, while making it the very best it can be.
Over the past 30 years, it's been my great pleasure to help hundreds of authors see their words go from scribbled notes to printed page, and I'd love to help you too.
"An eye for detail and a head for story - Sandy is the editor you daydream about but never imagine could really be real. But she is. And her pen is always ready."
~ Stephen Graham Jones, author of THE ONLY GOOD INDIANS and MONGRELS
"Sandy is a thorough, specific, and sensitive editor with a wide range of knowledge."
~ Francesca Lia Block, author of the Weetzie Bat series and THE THORN NECKLACE
"Working with Sandy has been - and will definitely continue to be - the best of the best. She's organized, timely, mind-blowingly thorough, and wholly dedicated to getting every project to The Next Level. She doesn’t miss a thing and her ideas, suggestions, and contributions are consistently insightful and spot-on. She’s an editor PLUS-PLUS-PLUS - invested, creative, and wholly invaluable."
~ Joshua Malkin, screenwriter
~ Francesca Lia Block, author of the Weetzie Bat series and THE THORN NECKLACE
"Working with Sandy has been - and will definitely continue to be - the best of the best. She's organized, timely, mind-blowingly thorough, and wholly dedicated to getting every project to The Next Level. She doesn’t miss a thing and her ideas, suggestions, and contributions are consistently insightful and spot-on. She’s an editor PLUS-PLUS-PLUS - invested, creative, and wholly invaluable."
~ Joshua Malkin, screenwriter
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits
Fiction
Children's
Historical Fiction
Literary Fiction
Mystery & Crime
Romance
Thriller & Suspense
Languages
English (US)
Certifications
- BA - English/Communications
- MFA - Creative Writing and Writing for the Performing Arts
Work experience
Self-employed
Apr, 1994 —
Present
I perform all levels of editing, including copy, line, and developmental, for a broad range of publishers and independent authors. Some of the clients I've worked with are: Bloomsbury; Chicago Review Press; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Soho Press; Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers/Viking Children’s Books; Simon and Schuster; Pearson/Prentice Hall; Random House Children’s Books; Roaring Brook Press/First Second; Kirkus Editorial; Page Street Publishing; et al.
Self-employed
Sep, 1994 —
Aug, 2013
(almost 19 years)
I parlayed my experience as a successful food blogger and cookbook editor into a position as executive pastry chef. That led to writing recipe content and culinary articles for clients like SheKnows, Plum Deluxe, Chef's Best, and Meredith/Better Homes and Gardens. I worked one-on-one with clients in conceptualizing cookbooks, providing recipe writing and testing, and platform building.
Waveland Press
Sep, 1991 —
Apr, 1994
(over 2 years)
I acted as project manager, overseeing the list of foreign language titles in translation. I also performed content editing, copy editing, and proofreading, and I wrote back cover, flap, and advertisement copy for a catalog of academic titles that included textbooks and monographs.
Portfolio
Ronald Zupan is a daring master adventurer! But he actually hasn't experienced any grand adventures . . . YET! When his world-traveling parents are kidnapped on his twelfth birthday, Ronald seizes the chance to prove himself with a dazzling, danger-defying res... read more
"This book will make you cry, think, and then cry some more." —Nicola Yoon, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Everything, Everything From the New York Times bestselling author of More Happy Than Not comes an explosive examination of grief, mental illness... read more
Viking Age Brew brings beer history alive and takes readers on a lavishly illustrated tour of rustic brewhouses fueled by wood and passion. Sahti is a Nordic farmhouse ale that is still crafted in accordance with ancient traditions dating back to early medieva... read more
This entertaining and sharply written guide—for both beginners breaking into comedy and professionals seeking to improve their sets and advance their careers—examines the work of great comedians such as Louis C.K., Jerry Seinfeld, Eddie Izzard, Moms Mabley, Ha... read more
From the kidnapping of Einstein's brain to the horrifying end of Louis XIV's heart, the mysteries surrounding some of history's most famous body parts range from medical to macabre. Carlyn Beccia explores the misadventures of noteworthy body parts through hist... read more
A young adult, fictional reimagining of Truman Capote's In Cold Blood and the brutal murders that inspired it. Gripping and fast-paced, this meticulously researched historical fiction will reinvigorate a new generation to Capote.November is usually quiet in Ho... read more
"Beats The Silence of the Lambs for suspense—it's the kind of book that had me literally gasping aloud as it rattled to its incredible conclusion."—Cory Doctorow, New York Times bestselling author of HomelandWhat if the most terrifying person you know is your ... read more
Every man is born with just one thing: his sovereignty—his power to respond to his environment and his circumstances. Unfortunately, most men have spent much of their lives giving away that sovereignty. Every time a man passes blame or shirks his responsibilit... read more
The Camper Book will captivate all those who dream of waving good-bye to the rat race from the window of their own moveable home, be it a camper, RV, travel trailer, camper van, or tiny camper. Not just for placid retirees anymore, camper culture has sprung up... read more
Author-illustrator Vashti Harrison shines a bold, joyous light on black men through history in this #1 New York Times bestseller. An important book for readers of all ages, this beautifully illustrated and engagingly written volume brings to life true stories ... read more
A NEW YORK TIMES INSTANT BESTSELLER!A USA TODAY BESTSELLER!This beautifully illustrated New York Times bestseller introduces readers of all ages to 40 women who changed the world. An important book for all ages, Little Leaders educates and inspires as it relat... read more
On July 23, 1968, police in Cleveland battled with black nationalists in a night of terror that saw 6 people killed and at least 15 wounded. The gun battle touched off days of heavy rioting. The question was whether the shootings were the result of a planned a... read more
How much do you really know about how the human body works and how it reacts to food, exercise, nutrition, and the environment? While most people have read about at least one fad diet, they're left wondering about the greater biochemistry, psychology, sociolog... read more
An ALA Notable bookAn Orbis Pictus Recommended titleWhen Heather L. Montgomery sees a rattlesnake flattened on the side of the road, her first instinct is to pick it up and dissect it--she's always wanted to see how a snake's fangs retract when they close thei... read more
Celaena Sardothien is her kingdom's most feared assassin. Though she works for the powerful and ruthless Assassin's Guild, Celaena yields to no one and trusts only her fellow killer for hire, Sam.When Celaena's scheming master, Arobynn Hamel, dispatches her on... read more
New York Times bestselling author Brigid Kemmerer pens a new emotionally compelling story about two teens struggling in the space between right and wrong. When his dad is caught embezzling funds from half the town, Rob goes from popular lacrosse player to soci... read more
"[A] fantasy romance in the vein of books by Sabaa Tahir, Renee Ahdieh." - School Library Journal on Reign the EarthThe sweeping Elementae series continues with a heroine so powerful she can command the sky . . .Stolen from her family as a child, Aspasia has c... read more
As an adult book, Sam Quinones's Dreamland took the world by storm, winning the NBCC Award for General Nonfiction and hitting at least a dozen Best Book of the Year lists. Now, adapted for the first time for a young adult audience, this compelling reporting ex... read more
Celaena has survived deadly contests and shattering heartbreak-but at an unspeakable cost. Now, she must travel to a new land to confront her darkest truth . . . a truth about her heritage that could change her life-and her future-forever. Meanwhile, brutal an... read more
She is the greatest assassin her world has ever known.But does she have the heart of a killer?After a year of hard labor in the Salt Mines of Endovier, eighteen-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien has won the king's contest to become the new royal assassin. B... read more
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competitio... read more
