Terri Bischoff - Editor
I am a developmental editor with over 10 years experience specializing in crime fiction. I also have interest/experience in LGBTQIA+ and YA.
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Overview
I’m a developmental editor with over ten years of experience specializing in crime fiction, LGBTQIA+, and women’s lit. Occasionally I do YA and query letters. I have been an acquiring editor for over ten years. At my previous position, I acquired and developmentally edited between 36 and 40 book per year. Before I entered publishing, I owned a mystery bookstore for five years and had over ten years working in bookstores.
In a developmental edit, I will point out problems with the plot, pace, character motivation and give you guidance how to beef up or cut the fat. I look for word choice, repeated phrases, and sentence structure. I work electronically, and will make track changes and comments in the document as well as an overview letter explaining what you need to work on and what is working well. While I don’t do a line edit, I will point out grammatical issues along the way.
In a manuscript evaluation, I look for major structural and content issues. This is not as intensive as a developmental edit. Consider it as a last look before submitting to agents and editors.
I can usually turn projects around in 1-2 weeks.
In a developmental edit, I will point out problems with the plot, pace, character motivation and give you guidance how to beef up or cut the fat. I look for word choice, repeated phrases, and sentence structure. I work electronically, and will make track changes and comments in the document as well as an overview letter explaining what you need to work on and what is working well. While I don’t do a line edit, I will point out grammatical issues along the way.
In a manuscript evaluation, I look for major structural and content issues. This is not as intensive as a developmental edit. Consider it as a last look before submitting to agents and editors.
I can usually turn projects around in 1-2 weeks.
Languages
English (US)
Fiction
LGBTQ Fiction
Mystery & Crime
Thriller & Suspense
Work experience
Acquiring Editor
Midnight Ink
September, 2009
–
January, 2019
(over 9 years)
As an acquiring editor, I read and selected submissions for publication. After acquiring a title, I did developmental edits with the author to make their work stronger and in line with the market. I was responsible for acquiring 36-40 books per year.
Portfolio (9 selected works)
House. Tree. Person.: A Novel of Suspense
Catriona McPherson
"An unnerving and suspenseful novel, House. Tree. Person. is McPherson's best yet."—Karin Slaughter, New York Times and international bestselling author The body found in a muddy grave across the street is just the latest horror threatening to tear Ali McGovern's life apart seam by seam. She knows Angelo, her brooding teenage son, is keeping secrets. She fears he's in danger, too. But her new ... read more
Hollywood Homicide (A Detective by Day Mystery Book 1)
Kellye Garrett
Winner of the 2018 Anthony Award for Best First Novel Winner of the 2017 Agatha Award for Best First Novel Also a Lefty Award Winner and a Barry Award-Nominated Title The Surprise Hit of the Season! Actress Dayna Anderson's Deadly New Role: Homicide Detective Dayna Anderson doesn't set out to solve a murder. All the semifamous, mega-broke actress wants is to help her parents keep their house. ... read more
The Consultant
Tj O'Connor
Terrorism hits Main Street AmericaWhen a rogue CIA consultant goes AWOL from his Middle Eastern post in response to his brother’s plea for help, he arrives just in time to witness his brother’s murder. For years, Jonathan Hunter and his brother Kevin Mallory had not spoken—until Kevin’s final words, “… Khalifah … Not Them … Maya.”Pursuing his brother’s killer, Hunter stumbles into a nest of ho... read more
Pride, Prejudice and Poison: A Jane Austen Society Mystery
Elizabeth Blake
Perfect for fans of Laura Levine and Stephanie Barron, Elizabeth Blake’s Jane Austen Society mystery debut is a mirthfully morbid merger of manners and murder.In this Austen-tatious debut, antiquarian bookstore proprietor Erin Coleridge uses her sense and sensibility to deduce who killed the president of the local Jane Austen Society.Erin Coleridge’s used bookstore in Kirkbymoorside, North Yor... read more
Salem's Cipher (A Salem's Cipher Novel Book 1)
Jess Lourey
A troubled codebreaker faces an epic plot reaching back through centuries of America's secret historySalem Wiley is a genius cryptanalyst, courted by the world's top security agencies ever since her quantum computing breakthrough. She's also an agoraphobe shackled to a narrow routine since her father's suicide. When her intelligence work unexpectedly exposes a sinister plot to assassinate the ... read more
The Question of the Dead Mistress (An Asperger's Mystery Book 5)
E. J. Copperman, Jeff Cohen
"Readers will delight in watching Copperman's literal-minded hero grapple not only with unpredictable and nuanced human thinking, but with logic from beyond the grave."—Kirkus Reviews "Is my husband having an affair with a dead woman?" For Samuel Hoenig, the proprietor of a unique agency called Questions Answered, the answer to this most recent question is simple. Since there's absolutely no e... read more
Murderabilia
Carl Vonderau
When you're the son of a serial killer, you can never escape your past. William MacNary was eight years old when his father went to prison. Since then, he's carefully built a life as a family man and a private banker for the wealthy. He tries to forget that his father dismembered and photographed thirteen women. And he tries to forget those exquisitely composed photos of severed hands, heads, ... read more
A Cold Day in Hell (A Cold Case Investigation Book 1)
Lissa Marie Redmond
Lauren's job as a cold case homicide detective is her life. And life just got complicated. Lauren Riley is an accomplished detective who has always been on the opposite side of the courtroom from slick defense attorney Frank Violanti. But now he's begging to hire her as a private investigator to help clear his client of murder. At first Lauren refuses, wanting nothing to do with the media circ... read more
The Third Mrs. Durst
Ann Aguirre
Some people just need killing. Marlena Altizer Durst lives in her husband's shadow. He controls her every move—what she wears, the food she eats, and the friends she's allowed to make. If she disobeys, there are...consequences. And he has all the power. To outsiders, it seems that she leads a fairy-tale life. But nobody ever wonders if Cinderella was happy after she married the prince. Marlena... read more
Terri has 8 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
Quite frankly, I was expecting more. I received about a page and half of comments about my book. Certainly my expectations may not have been completely expressed but for one of the higher priced developmental editors on this site, I expected more. Terri is very pleasant and I have no doubt that she is very good at what she does and suspect that my book might just not have interested her enough.
Kevin Luby, October 2021
Terri was detailed and comprehensive. She provided much for me to think about. We disagree about some of the book, which is helpful. She thought "there were too many storylines and too many characters for the reader to follow." She praised what she liked. Early on an image won "Gorgeous sentence! This is the kind of description we need rather than short bursts of info." We'll see where my rew...
Read more
Marshall Stein, September 2021
Terri gave wonderful feedback for my young adult murder mystery. She broke it down chapter by chapter, pointing out inconsistencies and issues. Her following advice and suggestions were very helpful.
Grace Hall, July 2021
Terri was quick and easy to work with, so professional, and had a fast turn around time. The proofreading turned out productively, and we’re thankful for that
Stephen Harris, July 2021
Terri is extremely thorough and easy to work with. Great attention to detail. Knowledgeable on all aspects of writing and the publication process.
Adrian Talbot, April 2021
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