Trace Murphy

Trace Murphy – Editor

Editor specializing in spirituality, religion, and self-help with 25 years of experience at Penguin Random House and Paulist Press.

Overview

I have extensive experience in content development, publication, and marketing. My work in publishing has focused on collaborating with authors to effectively express their ideas and shaping that content to reach the largest possible readership. If you need developmental editing, I can guide you through each step of your project, whether you are at the idea stage, developing a full book proposal and outline, moving from proposal and outline to a complete first draft, or progressing from a draft manuscript to the final manuscript.


Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Health & Wellbeing Humanities & Social Sciences Inspirational Religion & Spirituality Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Languages
English (US)
Awards
  • JIBF Editorial Fellowship
  • Advertising Age Marketing 100

Work experience

Paulist Press

Dec, 2011 — Sep, 2022 (almost 11 years)

Penguin Random House

Jun, 1993 — Nov, 2011 (over 18 years)

Portfolio

Hope Will Find You

Naomi Levy

How can I get my life off hold? When will my life really begin? We all ask ourselves the same questions when we are struggling to move forward. As a rabbi, Naomi Levy frequently offered spiritual guidance to people seeking the answers. But when a doctor told h... read more
No Future Without Forgiveness

Desmond Tutu

The establishment of South Africa's Truth and Reconciliation Commission was a pioneering international event. Never had any country sought to move forward from despotism to democracy both by exposing the atrocities committed in the past and achieving reconcili... read more
Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light

Mother Teresa

This historic work reveals the inner spiritual life of one of the most beloved and important religious figures in history--Mother Teresa.During her lifelong service to the poorest of the poor, Mother Teresa became an icon of compassion to people of all religio... read more
Life Without Limits

Nick Vujicic

ECPA BESTSELLER—Over one million copies sold! • What Would Your Life be Like if Anything Were Possible? Born without arms or legs, Nick Vujicic overcame his disabilities to live an independent, rich, fulfilling, and “ridiculously good” life while serving as a ... read more
Spirit Junkie

Gabrielle Bernstein

“So long, Carrie Bradshaw—there’s a new role model for go-getting thirty-somethings. Gabrielle Bernstein is doling out inner peace and self-love for the postmodern spiritual set.”—ElleForeword by Marianne WilliamsonBefore she became a celebrated teacher and le... read more
Maternal Body

Frost, Carrie Frederick

Places Orthodox sources—icons, hymns, and prayers—on motherhood into conversation with each other. In so doing, this work brings an anchored vision of motherhood to the twenty-first century—especially the embodied experience of motherhood.
The Order of Days

David Stuart

The world's foremost expert on Maya culture looks at 2012 hysteria and explains the truth about what the Maya meant and what we want to believe.Apocalypse 2012: An Investigation into Civilizations End. The World Cataclysm in 2012. 2012: The return of Quetzalco... read more
Zen Keys: A Guide to Zen Practice

Hanh, Thich Nhat

Maimonides

Joel L. Kraemer

This authoritative biography of Moses Maimonides, one of the most influential minds in all of human history, illuminates his life as a philosopher, physician, and lawgiver. A biography on a grand scale, it brilliantly explicates one man’s life against the back... read more
Papal Sin

Garry Wills

Look out for a new book from Garry Wills, What The Qur'an Meant, coming fall 2017. "The truth, we are told, will make us free. It is time to free Catholics, lay as well as clerical, from the structures of deceit that are our subtle modern form of papal sin. Pa... read more
Mercy

Cardinal Walter Kasper

"This book has done me so much good." —Pope Francis From one the leading intellects in the church today—one whom Pope Francis has described as a "superb theologian"—comes perhaps his most important book yet. Available for the first time in English, Cardinal Ka... read more
Toward a True Kinship of Faiths

Dalai Lama

‌No country, no culture, no person today is untouched by what happens in the rest of the world. Technological innovation, environmental degradation, economic gain & loss, nuclear weapons, instant communication have all created unprecedented familiarity among t... read more
Heartstorming

Wicks, Robert J.

Heartstorming encourages us to be more mindful of how the spiritual impregnates all of life’s joys, sorrows, and even unexciting times if we have the eyes to see.
The Inner Voice of Love

Henri J. M. Nouwen

This is Henri Nouwen's "secret journal." It was written during the most difficult period of his life, when he suddenly lost his self-esteem, his energy to live and work, his sense of being loved, even his hope in God. Although he experienced excruciating angui... read more
The Future Church

John L. Allen, Jr.

One of the world’s foremost religion journalists offers an unexpected and provocative look at where the Catholic Church is headed—and what the changes will mean for all of us.What will the Catholic Church be like in 100 years? Will there be a woman pope? Will ... read more
Replenishing the Earth

Wangari Maathai

An impassioned call to heal the wounds of our planet and ourselves through the tenets of our spiritual traditions, from a winner of the Nobel Peace Prize It is so easy, in our modern world, to feel disconnected from the physical earth. Despite dire warnings an... read more
We Plan, God Laughs

Sherre Hirsch

The old Yiddish proverb, “We plan, God laughs,” expresses a truth everyone can relate to. At every stage of life we make plans, setting out where we want to go and imagining what we will be like when we have “arrived.” But things have a way of turning out not ... read more

Trace has 12 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Shelly M.

Shelly M.

Oct, 2024

Pinned
I had an incredible experience with Trace! He was not only open-minded but also brought invaluable insights and tips that truly elevated my writing. His guidance was clear, thoughtful, and tailored to my vision, making the process feel both productive and inspiring. With his support, I gained con...
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Trace M.
Working with Shelly on her book was a true delight. Her professionalism and collaborative spirit made our collaboration fun and productive. What truly impressed me was Shelly's unique blend of crea...
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Phoebe G.

Phoebe G.

Oct, 2024

Pinned
I absolutely loved collaborating with Trace! Trace's expertise strengthened every aspect of my novel while preserving my unique voice and storytelling style. Not only were the edits thoughtful and precise, but they enhanced the narrative without compromising my creative vision. Trace's profession...
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Trace M.
Collaborating with Phoebe was an absolute pleasure. Her genuine positivity and professionalism made every interaction a joy. Phoebe's clear vision and goals ensured our project ran smoothly and pr...
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Marcus R.

Marcus R.

May, 2023

Pinned
Trace is an exceptional editor who consistently delivers quality work within the agreed-upon timelines. His expertise and self-motivated nature makes the editing process an absolute pleasure. Not only does Trace show dedication by conducting thorough research to grasp the essence of the book, but...
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Alexandra W.

Alexandra W.

Jan, 2025

Trace was professional and went above and beyond to provide me with my book edits. He was punctual and was very helpful when it came to helping me create a book description and summary.
Trace M.
Working with you on this book was an enriching experience, and I’m thrilled to hear that you were satisfied with the edits and the book description we crafted together. Your dedication to creating ...
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Leslie R.

Leslie R.

Nov, 2024

Trace is a treasure on the Reedsy site. His background speaks for itself and his work was above and beyond what was agreed. He will provide detailed work proposals and thought provoking details. Thank you Trace for your time and encouragement on my project!
Trace M.
It was a privilege to collaborate with Leslie on "The Joseph Blessing." Her insightful approach to her own work and her willingness to tackle complex issues made for a truly rewarding experience. I...
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