Steve Anderson

Steve Anderson – Editor

Author, editor with 20+ years of expertise and insights. Historical, crime thrillers, espionage, more. I want your story to capture readers.

Overview

As an editor, author, and translator, I’ve worked with major publishers, literary agents, and film companies in the US and Germany. I specialize in historical, espionage, war, and psychological/crime thrillers. Notable projects include my novels The Losing Role and Show Game and the translated bestsellers The Honest Spy and Seat 7a, to name just a few.


You're looking for the right guidance and insightful edits, and I know what works. I’ll start by asking a few questions about your goals.


For an editorial assessment or developmental edit, you’ll get concise and practical feedback on the state of your story as well as a clear evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses. This covers areas such as characters, plot and pacing, setting, and style. My edits always provide a clear and helpful roadmap for revisions. For the copy edit, you’ll have a clean and readable industry-standard manuscript that engages readers to the fullest.


Get in touch and ask me anything. I look forward to hearing from you.

Services
Fiction
Action & Adventure Contemporary Fiction Espionage Historical Fiction Historical Mysteries Literary Fiction Psychological Thriller
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Languages
English (AUS) English (CAN) English (NZ) English (SA) English (UK) English (US)
Awards
  • Quarterfinalist for the Nicholl Fellowships in Screenwriting, 2009
  • Residency at the Europäisches Übersetzer-Kollegium (European Translator College) in Straelen, Germany with a stipend award from the Kunststiftung NRW (Arts Foundation North Rhine-Westphalia), 2018
  • Finalist spots in the Writer’s Digest Writing Competition, the Fade In Awards, Chesterfield Writer's Film Project, Writer's Network Screenplay Competition, and the Santa Fe Writers Project, among other award credits
Certifications
  • Fulbright Graduate Research Fellowship: Munich, Germany
  • Master of Arts in History: Portland State University
  • Bachelor of Arts in History, German: University of Oregon
  • TransLab for emerging translators of German to English, a collaboration between the German Book Office NY and the Goethe-Institut NY, 2015

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2014 — Present
Happy clients include writers, major publishers, literary agents, and film companies for projects ranging from first-time drafts to bestsellers. My specialties are historical, espionage, and psychological/crime thrillers, but I offer expertise for all types of stories, including creative nonfiction.

Self-employed

Jan, 2012 — Present
• Twelve fiction and creative nonfiction translations published • Translate German novels from bestselling authors such as Sebastian Fitzek, Vincent Kliesch, and Wulf Dorn for submission to English-language publishers • Translate publisher and agency samples, synopses, and promotional copy. Clients include Amazon Crossing, Pendragon Verlag, AVA International, and Ziegler Film

Self-employed

Jan, 2001 — Present
• Novels published in 2024 from Open Road Media: Lines of Deception (Kaspar Brothers series) Show Game • Novels published 2010-2019 — re-released by Open Road Media in 2023: The Kaspar Brothers series: The Losing Role Liberated Lost Kin The Wendell Lett novels: Under False Flags The Preserve Standalone novels: Rain Down: A Crime Novella The Other Oregon: A Thriller • Bestselling nonfiction Kindle Singles Sitting Ducks (2011) and Double-Edged Sword (2012) • Self-published bestselling historical espionage thriller The Losing Role (2010) • Various short stories and creative nonfiction published. Reached finalist spots in major fiction and screenwriting contests, including Quarterfinalist in 2009 Nicholl Fellowship in Screenwriting.

Portfolio

Made with Reedsy
Those We Carry

Saxberg, Scott

Reimagined Press

The Undesirables

Chad Thumann

In the winter of 1941–1942, Leningrad is under siege, and Karen Hamilton, a seventeen-year-old American musician, finds herself trapped and struggling to survive. Throughout the city, people are dying of starvation and frostbite, and Karen knows that if she do... read more
Show Game

Anderson, Steve

The Losing Role (The Kaspar Brothers)

Anderson, Steve

Seat 7a

Fitzek, Sebastian

Head of Zeus

Made with Reedsy
OPERATION TRACER: WW2 Spy Thriller

Gothard, Will

Bow Bell Books

Made with Reedsy
The Lake (The Orchard Lake series Book 2)

Sundean, RJ

Made with Reedsy
Summer Of The Dragons

Barr, John

Made with Reedsy
Operation Palmetto: Mossad agents on the hunt. (The Karl Gruben Spy Thriller Series Book 1)

Breach, R.T.

Storm

Laub, Uwe

Auguste Crime

Under False Flags (The Wendell Lett Novels)

Anderson, Steve

Rain Down: A Crime Novella

Anderson, Steve

Lines of Deception (The Kaspar Brothers)

Anderson, Steve

The Honest Spy

Andreas Kollender

During one of history’s darkest chapters, one man is determined to make a difference.In the tradition of Schindler’s List comes a thrilling novel based on the heroic true story of Fritz Kolbe, a widowed civil servant in Adolf Hitler’s foreign ministry. Recogni... read more
Sitting Ducks (Kindle Single)

Steve Anderson

Sitting Ducks pieces together the story of an impossible and lesser-known WWII mission. In December 1944, during the bloody Battle of the Bulge, teams of German commandos disguised as American soldiers slipped behind the US front lines. Riding in captured US j... read more
Double-Edged Sword (Kindle Single)

Steve Anderson

This concise, fast read tells the true story of a self-made double agent who bluffed his way into the most ambitious Allied deception operation of WWII.In 1942, German military intelligence believed the Spaniard Juan Pujol Garcia was running a formidable spy n... read more
The Air Raid Killer (Max Heller, Dresden Detective Book 1)

Frank Goldammer

As World War II ends, a killer’s game begins.In the final days of the Nazi regime, with the historic city of Dresden on the brink of destruction, terrifying rumors spread about the Fright Man, a demonic killer who exploited the cover of a nighttime air raid si... read more
A Thousand Devils (Max Heller, Dresden Detective Book 2)

Frank Goldammer

A disturbing murder reveals a high-stakes conspiracy among the ruins of postwar Dresden.Two years after the firebombing that devastated the historic East German city, the suffering continues in the throes of a brutal winter. The wary and exhausted citizens scr... read more
Where the Desert Meets the Sea: A Novel

Werner Sonne

An illuminating and heart-stirring historical novel set in post-WWII Palestine, where the boundaries of love and friendship are challenged by the intractable conflicts of war.Jerusalem, 1947: Judith, a young Jewish survivor of the Dachau concentration camp, ar... read more

Steve has 25 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Craig B.

Craig B.

Mar, 2025

Steve was excellent, responsive, and insightful. His input more than exceeded my expectations. He is a pleasure to work with.
William G.

William G.

Feb, 2025

Steve did an excellent job editing my manuscript. He was thorough and finished the job ahead of schedule. Steve also provided invaluable suggestions to strengthen the narrative. I wouldn't hesitate to hire him again and would highly recommend him to others.
Jake W.

Jake W.

Jan, 2025

Working with Steve has been great. He responded quickly with helpful advice and completed my project ahead of time. I found him to be very supportive and easy to work with. Would definitely recommend working with him.
Bailey B.

Bailey B.

Sep, 2024

Steve was responsive from the start, professional and positive in all his communications, and meticulous in his review. His feedback was perceptive, accurate, and actionable. He is a compelling talent and his price represents a good value. I will work with him again.
Scott S.

Scott S.

Feb, 2022

It was great working with Steve. Very impressive with direct detailed feedback and ideas to improve my story.

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