Tricia Callahan - Editor
Copyeditor/proofreader formerly at Penguin Random House, with 14 yrs' experience editing fiction and nonfiction for adult and young readers
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Overview
After nearly a decade in production editorial at Penguin Group and Random House, I left New York City for Portland, Oregon, and started my freelance editing business. I now contract with big 5 publishers, small presses, and independent authors who are readying their books for publication. My expertise is copyediting and proofreading original manuscripts and page proofs.
I am available to copyedit and/or proofread your picture book, middle grade novel, young adult novel, or books for adult readers. In my experience, a manuscript is ready for copyediting only once it's been edited by a professional content editor. Likewise, your book is ready for proofreading only once it's been edited by a professional copyeditor and is in typeset pages.
**Please note: When an author is seeking developmental editing on their manuscript, I hold off on offering a quote for copyediting or proofreading, since developmental editing can result in major changes and take longer than originally anticipated. Thank you!
I am available to copyedit and/or proofread your picture book, middle grade novel, young adult novel, or books for adult readers. In my experience, a manuscript is ready for copyediting only once it's been edited by a professional content editor. Likewise, your book is ready for proofreading only once it's been edited by a professional copyeditor and is in typeset pages.
**Please note: When an author is seeking developmental editing on their manuscript, I hold off on offering a quote for copyediting or proofreading, since developmental editing can result in major changes and take longer than originally anticipated. Thank you!
Services
Languages
English (US)
Fiction
Action & Adventure
Comics & Graphic Novels
Literary Fiction
Middle Grade
Young Adult
Non-Fiction
Inspirational
Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Writing & Publishing
Awards
- Writing Medal, Loyola College in Maryland
Work experience
Freelance Copyeditor, Proofreader, and Production Editor
Self-employed
January, 2014
–
Present
(over 8 years)
Copyedit and proofread book-length manuscripts and page proofs for independent authors and publishers such as Penguin Random House and Simon and Schuster, totaling more than 600 books in the past six years, including Time and New York Times Top 10 Book of the Year ASYMMETRY by Lisa Halliday, National Book Award finalist NEVER CAUGHT by Erica Armstrong Dunbar, Hugo Award winner THE FIFTH SEASON by N. K. Jemisin, Washington Post Top 10 Book of the Year THE LIBRARY BOOK by Susan Orlean, and several books in the bestselling LAST KIDS ON EARTH series by Max Brallier.
Copy Chief
Howler Magazine
January, 2013
–
November, 2015
(almost 3 years)
Directed the copyediting department for eight issues, hiring copyeditors and proofreaders and approving edits to features, infographics, timelines, illustrations, and essays that won contests and recognition in The Best American Sports Writing series.
Copyeditor
Random House Children's Books
February, 2012
–
January, 2014
(almost 2 years)
Copyedited and proofread range of fiction and nonfiction for young readers, including board books, picture books, Little Golden Books, coloring and activity books, chapter books, junior novels, and middle grade and YA fiction and nonfiction. Lead copyeditor on the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series, Monsters University series, Eric Carle titles, and Barbie books, among other licensed series.
Editor in Chief
Slice Magazine
March, 2009
–
October, 2012
(over 3 years)
Oversaw all aspects of production and operation, including conceptualizing features and soliciting short stories, performing substantive editing and copyediting, promoting and fund-raising, managing editorial and production staff of 20+, including hiring and training, liaising with authors, and publishing interviews with Ha Jin and Simon Van Booy as well as original stories by Ramona Ausubel, Kathy Fish, and others.
Production Editor
Penguin Group (USA)
October, 2006
–
February, 2012
(over 5 years)
Promoted from Assistant Production Editor to Associate Production Editor September 2010. Promoted to Production Editor April 2011. Oversaw and coordinated edits through production, from manuscript to bound book, of nonfiction (self-help, cooking, memoir, trivia, humor, inspiration) and fiction (historical romance, contemporary romance, paranormal romance, mystery) in trade and mass-market imprints Perigee and Berkley.
Portfolio (17 selected works)
The Wizenard Series: Training Camp
Wesley King
#1 New York Times BestsellerA People Kid Pick of the weekFrom the mind of basketball legend and Academy Award–winning storyteller Kobe Bryant comes this radically original portrait of five young basketball players, one enlightening coach, and the awesome transformative power of the game. Filled with insights about the mental stamina and emotional clarity that peak performance requires, this is... read more
The Library Book
Susan Orlean
Susan Orlean, hailed as a “national treasure” by The Washington Post and the acclaimed bestselling author of Rin Tin Tin and The Orchid Thief, reopens the unsolved mystery of the most catastrophic library fire in American history, and delivers a dazzling love letter to a beloved institution—our libraries.On the morning of April 29, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. ... read more
Dear Martin
Nic Stone
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER"Raw and gripping." —Jason Reynolds, New York Times bestselling coauthor of All American Boys"A must-read!” —Angie Thomas, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Hate U Give Raw, captivating, and undeniably real, Nic Stone joins industry giants Jason Reynolds and Walter Dean Myers as she boldly tackles American race relations in this stunning debut. Justyc... read more
Asymmetry: A Novel
Lisa Halliday
A TIME TOP 10 BOOK OF THE YEAR The bestselling and critically acclaimed debut novel by Lisa Halliday, Asymmetry, hailed as “extraordinary” by The New York Times, “a brilliant and complex examination of power dynamics in love and war” by The Wall Street Journal, and “a literary phenomenon” by The New Yorker.Told in three distinct and uniquely compelling sections, Asymmetry explores the imbalanc... read more
Mosquitoland
David Arnold
“Top-notch” —USA Today “Illuminating” —Washington Post “A breath of fresh air” —Entertainment Weekly “Memorable” —People By the New York Times bestselling author of Kids of Appetite! After the sudden collapse of her family, Mim Malone is dragged from her home in northern Ohio to the “wastelands” of Mississippi, where she lives in a medicated milieu with her dad and new stepmom. Before the dust... read more
THE IDEA is a manual for conquering the most important part of the screenwriting or fiction writing process — the first part. Most writers rush too quickly through choosing a story idea, so they can dive into writing it. And it’s the biggest reason most projects don’t move forward in the marketplace: producers and editors are underwhelmed by the central concept. Multiple Emmy- and Golden Globe... read more
The Waning Age
S. E. Grove
From the New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Sentence, a lightly speculative, relevant puzzle box with undertones of Never Let Me Go.The time is now. The place is San Francisco. The world is filled with adults devoid of emotion and children on the cusp of losing their feelings--of "waning"--when they reach their teens.Natalia Peña has already waned. So why does she love her little b... read more
Little Moss, Big Tree
M. Yap-Stewart
~ 2018 SCBWI Spark Honor WINNER ~ SCBWI Announces Spark Award Winners: "Little Moss, Big Tree won the Spark Honor for Illustrated Book. Author M. Yap-Stewart and illustrator Mariya Prytula's poignant picture book about natural pen pals touches on friendship and empathy in the face of big life changes." ~"Scenic Hudson protected Storm King Mountain so families could explore its natural beauty. ... read more
Reality Gold (The Shifting Reality Collection)
Tiffany Brooks
Gold Award Winner in the 2018 Literary Classics Book Awards for YA ContemporaryLiterary Titan Gold Book Award 2018Bronze Medal in the YA Adventure Readers Favorite Awards 2018Semi-finalist in the Dante Rosetti YA CIBA Award 2019 “…an incredibly readable, fast-paced, YA coming of age adventure novel where everyone has a secret, and no one is who they seem.” —Chanticleer Review "Brooks’ riveting... read more
I've Been Thinking . . .
Maria Shriver
A book of reflections for those seeking wisdom, guidance, encouragement, and inspiration on the road to a meaningful lifeAs a prominent woman juggling many roles, Maria Shriver knows just how surprising, unpredictable, and stressful everyday life can be. In this moving and powerful book, she shares inspiring quotes, prayers, and reflections designed to get readers thinking, get them feeling, g... read more
Hey Mom
Louie Anderson
With wry wit and poignant humor, Louie Anderson, New York Times bestselling author and Emmy Award–winning comedian starring in Louis C.K. and Zach Galifianakis’s Baskets, shares his journey of turning life’s challenges into joy as well as plenty of wisdom he’s gained from his late mother.Louis Anderson has been channeling his beloved mom in his iconic stand-up comedy for decades—but she passed... read more
The Last Kids on Earth and the Cosmic Beyond
Max Brallier, Douglas Holgate
Soon to be a Netflix Original series! The New York Times and USA Today bestselling series, with over two million copies in print!"Terrifyingly fun! Delivers big thrills and even bigger laughs."--Jeff Kinney, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Diary of a Wimpy KidIt's the first winter after the Monster Apocalypse. For Jack and his buddies, that means sled catapults, epic snowball battle... read more
Craft Beer Mad Libs (Adult Mad Libs)
Douglas Yacka
Light, hoppy, and bursting with flavor, Craft Beer Mad Libs goes down easy.Grab a pint of your favorite brew and settle down with Craft Beer Mad Libs. Featuring 21 fill-in-the-blank stories, this Mad Libs pairs nicely with a local IPA, a stout porter, or a macro-brewed pitcher of NOUN.
Before you watch the upcoming Netflix series (The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance), read these original novels from J. M. Lee that tie into the events of the series.Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal #4 is the fourth book in a series of original young adult novels set in the world of Jim Henson's The Dark Crystal.
Stranger Things: Runaway Max
Brenna Yovanoff
Don't miss this gripping, emotional prequel to the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things! The never-before-told backstory of the beloved Dig Dug maven, Max Mayfield, written by New York Times bestselling author Brenna Yovanoff.This must-read novel, based on the hit Netflix series, Stranger Things, explores Max's past--the good and the bad--as well as how she came to find her newfound sense of ho... read more
Bullies and Peeps
Suhre, J.D., Reddy, Rachel, Wright, Margaret, Callahan, Tricia , Evans, Claire
The Eye of Ra
Gartner, Ben
Tricia has 31 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
Working with Tricia is a must for me! She helped me copyedit my book and make it look professional. I highly recommend collaborating with her on your book.
John Suhre, October 2021
I chose to hire Tricia because it was evident from her offer that she had read my proposal carefully and understood the specific scope of the project: a final proofread of typeset pages, not an in-depth copyedit. Her offer was clear and detailed, and it provided a realistic timeline. She also suggested an epub review, which was helpful.
Tricia was a pleasure to work with. She checked in occasio...
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Emily Barker, April 2021
Tricia copy edited my upcoming middle grade fiction book. I was very pleased with the quality and detailed nature of her work. She improved my manuscript with her changes and gave me confidence that it was close to being ready for publication.
John Suhre, October 2020
I thought I had sent Tricia a clean manuscript for an easy edit. She found myriad mistakes and problems, even typos, despite people having read through it dozens of times. I also appreciated the comprehensive list of characters, places, scenes, and more that she compiled as she went through the edit. She checked absolutely everything to make sure it was correct. I have a new definition of thoro...
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Harmon Wilkinson, September 2020
For my first novel (THE EYE OF RA), I needed a critical eye for copy-editing and proofreading help as I slid into the home stretch. Tricia was an ideal fit. Her input was detailed, thorough, creative, professional, and highly critical (in the best way!). I will definitely hire Tricia for future projects. Thank you, Tricia!
Ben Gartner, December 2019
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