Tania Strauss – Editor

A narrative storytelling expert with a 16-year career that spans traditional publishing and Hollywood, I know what it takes to hook your reader and keep them coming back for more. And as a lifelong writer with an extremely varied practice, I know what it’s like to do the work. I offer creative guidance that's both supportive and genuinely practical - so you can bring your own unique vision to the page, in the most effective way possible.

I studied Creative Writing at the University of Michigan and spent my early career at United Talent Agency in Hollywood and then The Cheney Agency in New York. I was mentored by some of the best agents in the business(es), whose clients included award-winning authors, screenwriters, and filmmakers. At UTA I developed a specialty doing "script notes" and analyzing books for film and TV adaptation; at Cheney I became an in-house editor of upmarket and literary fiction, women's fiction, and memoir, for clients whose projects sold to Big 5 publishers. I also read and responded to hundreds (thousands??) of query letters and submissions.

After going solo I continued to work with both UTA and Cheney Agency, as well as several production companies, and with concierge editing services as a Book Coach and Developmental Editor. So basically:

I’ve spent a lot of time in “gatekeeper” roles, so know what film and publishing professionals look for in a project. And having worked across genres in multiple mediums, I understand storytelling inside-out. I think deeply about how a character's inner landscape fuels a story, and how a reader will experience your book and why. I'll teach you to better consider these things too.

Most importantly, I've spent my career (and life) around incredible creative people. Everyone works differently and has unique concerns and blind spots, and deserves responsive support that meets them where they are. So I don't want to take over, I want to give you better tools - for this book, and the ones you'll write in the future.

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TESTIMONIALS:

"Tania could see the book I was trying to write and gently, brilliantly guided me towards it. She is a savvy editor who brings clarity and kindness to her work. Her insights helped me see my work with new eyes, and her thoughtful edits gave me confidence and excitement to approach my next revision."

- Lior Torenberg; "Just Watch Me," Simon & Schuster

"Tania’s more than an editor, she’s a creative partner who knows how to take big, ambitious ideas and shape them into something marketable and compelling. If you’re looking to bring your voice to the page in a way that’s both meaningful and effective, I can’t recommend her enough."

-Denise Love Hewett; entrepreneur, podcaster and public speaker