SARAH ANDERSON is a freelance editor and writer with years of experience in both fiction and nonfiction. Her work has been called outstanding, and she was solely responsible for editing the three most successful novels published by Banbury Books and distributed by Dell. Sarah is an acknowledged contributor to The Wisdom of The Enneagram, published by Bantam. She has self-published a relationships handbook, Relationships Made Easy: How to get along with all kinds of people, and has written articles on the psychology of personality.
Clients are particularly impressed by her ability to make their text sparkle while maintaining their voice. This is nowhere more important than it is in memoirs and autobiographies, which require great sensitivity on the part of the editor. She is flexible, personable, and highly proficient. As one client noted,
Sarah is clearly a gifted, disciplined editor. It was obvious that she took great care to preserve my voice, and not to change meaning when structure needed adjusting. Her art is subtle – at first glance, I wondered what she’d done . . . but the changes added power, conviction, and flow to my thoughts. I am so glad I found my way to Sarah!
Sarah is clearly a gifted, disciplined editor. It was obvious that she took great care to preserve my voice, and not to change meaning when structure needed adjusting. Her art is subtle – at first glance, I wondered what she’d done . . . but the changes added power, conviction, and flow to my thoughts. I am so glad I found my way to Sarah!
“I will never do a book without Sarah!” – Alice Inoue, Feng Shui Your Life, A Guide To Self-Empowerment And Environmental Balance, Winner, 2011 National Indie Excellence Award in Body, Mind, Spirit; Be Happy: It’s Your Choice, Finalist, 2011 National Indie Excellence Award in Body, Mind, Spirit
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DJ BRAXTON graduated Emerson College with an MFA in creative writing, and since has had a passion for memoir. She’s ghostwritten several memoirs, one that got the attention of Oprah producers, and continues to help authors shape, develop, and hone their stories.
Her talent lies in helping an author navigate to the heart of the story, build a powerful narrative with vivid details and a unique voice, and ultimately create a memorable story for the reader.
Memoir is beyond a cathartic journaling or chronicling of events. It’s a work of art that comes as a collaboration of different perspectives and moments in time carefully selected to show the inner world and myths of someone’s experience.
Darla also has experience marketing memoirs and can assist with the process of creating a top-notch proposal and a platform.
Some of her favorite memoir writers include Elizabeth Gilbert, Anne Lamott, and Natalie Goldberg. Darla is currently at work on her own memoir about raising a child on the spectrum.
Memoir titles edited by DJ include:
Battling the Killer Within and Winning by Thomas A. Farrington
Unmasking: A Woman’s Journey by Gloria Ewing Lockhart
Rodeo in Joliet: A Cancer Memoir by Glenn Rockowitz
Dolce Attessa by Michelle Schoenung
Woman, Sinner, Mother, Whore by Erin Samiloglu
The Elephant Chaser’s Daughter by Shilpa Raj
Berkeley Girl Laurie Panther
Slipping through the Cracks: One Family’s Battle with the Mental Health System by Tina Kotulski
![battling_killer_within[1]](/wp-content/uploads/battling_killer_within11-96x150.jpg)
Developmental editing, writing assistance, query letters, book proposals, submissions to literary agents and publishers
Fiction and nonfiction: adventure, children’s books, contemporary, education, humor, memoir/biography, mystery, romance and women’s fiction, historical, creative nonfiction, literary fiction
After twenty years in education and human services, BETH BRUNO began a second career in 1995 as a columnist, author and book editor. Hundreds of her articles have been published in print and online, and her first book, Wild Tulips, came out in 2001 and went into a second printing in 2002. Beth’s proximity to New York and her position as President of the CT Authors and Publishers Association give her unique access to literary agents and publishers in and around New York City. Several of the authors whose manuscripts she has edited have been published in the mainstream, thanks to her referrals on their behalf. Others have published their work independently, either in print or as e-books.
Beth’s editing interests are eclectic and include a delicious mix of fiction, nonfiction, young adult, and children’s works. Among the 350+ manuscripts she has edited, she has a special affinity for: mystery/suspense, women’s fiction, memoir, psychology topics, romance, self-help, how-to, and both fiction and nonfiction for young adult (YA) readers.
In addition to editing, Beth serves as a judge for the Indie Book Awards, an excellent contest for authors who self-publish. Winners receive cash prizes, publicity, and introduction to literary agents and publishers.
Memoir
Uncle Al Capone by Deirdre Marie Capone
Life on Altamont Court by Trent Pines
Divine Betrayal by Graceann Deters
“When Beth first received the manuscript, she understood what was missing and recognized the changes needed to improve the flow, characterization, plot, etc., of my novel. She had a keen eye for small details. Beth was also always very available to discuss suggestions, and she quickly came up with alternatives to solve the problems we encountered along the way. She guided me through the particulars of my novel to the final polished product. The result: A published book.” Oscar Medina
CARLY CANTOR is a twice-published author and a publishing industry veteran who worked for several years as an acquisitions editor with a New York publisher. She currently represents authors as an agent with a well-established NYC agency. Her extensive experience includes critiquing, development editing, and line-editing of fiction and nonfiction projects. She is a meticulous hands-on editor who “becomes one” with every project, paying close attention to both the big picture and the small details.
She has worked closely with memoir-writers and has a knack for preserving an author’s own special voice while helping him or her avoid narrative mistakes that come across as awkward or amateurish. Some of her memoirists have been people struggling with mental illness, addiction, or abuse; an adoptee who found her birth mother; a man convicted of the mercy-killing of his wife; a woman born in Korea and oppressed by the culture’s sexism; a man falsely accused and prosecuted of federal crimes; a son of a Holocaust survivor who learned his father’s story after 50 years of silence—just to name a few.
Carly loves immersing herself in other people’s experiences and helping them tell their stories with poignancy and drama so that others might appreciate them.
Read: Why might you want to have a real-life agent read your manuscript
Fiction and nonfiction: literary, how-to, psychology, self-help, crime fiction, adult, young adult, drama, fantasy, sci-fi, true crime, international relations, current affairs, nature and science, military history, forensic science, travel
MICHAEL CARR has edited or copyedited 300+ fiction and nonfiction titles for major publishers and authors. Notable nonfiction authors include Bernard Goldberg (NY Times best-seller Arrogance), CNN anchor Lou Dobbs (Exporting America), Rev. Al Sharpton (Al on America), and CNN Crossfire host Tucker Carlson (Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites). Michael edits most fiction genres but specializes in literary and historical, crime/mystery, drama, fantasy, and science fiction.
Notable fiction authors include Brad Meltzer (#3 NY Times best-seller The Zero Game), NY Times Notable Book of the Year author Archer Mayor (The Surrogate Thief, Gatekeeper, The Second Mouse), crime grandmaster Donald Westlake (the Dortmunder series), and the fantasy master Michael Moorcock (The White Wolf’s Son).
Michael has also edited eight published volumes on world affairs and some twenty self-help books (medical, psychological, personal growth, and business) and has translated a dozen novels and other literary works from Spanish to English.
Nominated for the Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Writing Award, 2006 and 2009
“Michael is the best editor I’ve ever worked with. His instincts for what needed to change and his razor sharp eye for detail were brilliant. His knowledge of a wide range of subjects and complete command of the English language amazed me. Michael understands how to make a piece of writing technically solid as well as lovely to read. Besides all that, he is a delight to work with! I won’t submit another book for publication without his help.” – Carlene Cross, author, The Undying West and Sacred Deceit
“Michael, the rewrite is spot-on. You made us look good. We plan to have you canonized.” – Sara Ann Freed, Ellery Queen Award–winning crime fiction editor, Time Warner Books
“Michael Carr is one of the sharpest, most conscientious and diligent editors I have encountered in the more than ten years I have worked as a writer and publisher. His knack for finding the precise words and turns of phrase is exceeded perhaps only by his wisdom as a human being. Whatever the subject at hand, he has displayed a priceless ability to make writers better.” – Adam Gamble, On Cape Publications, Dennis, Massachusetts
Copyediting and proofreading, developmental editing, manuscript critiques, project management
Nonfiction: literary, memoir, scholarly, children’s, textbooks, other instructional content, Web content
KATHRYN CLAPPER is passionate about partnering with authors to bring their ideas and stories alive. With 14 years of experience editing more than 350 titles and textbooks for major publishers such as National Geographic, Candlewick Press, Scholastic, Prentice Hall, Pearson Longman, and Blackwell-Wiley, Kathryn knows what it takes to convert an idea into a bound book. With every manuscript, she acts as an advocate of the reader while holding true to the author’s style.
Her talents do not stop at developmental editing, however. When performing book critiques and evaluations, Kathryn provides constructive feedback on big-picture issues in both fiction and nonfiction works, including structure, organization, repetition, language use, plot, characterization, narrative pacing, style, voice, tone, and length. Her evaluations encompass both strengths and areas for improvement. As an eagle-eyed copyeditor and proofreader, she relentlessly perfects details while keeping the big picture in mind.
Kathryn is a certified English teacher with a bachelor’s degree from Princeton University (anthropology) and a master’s degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education (teaching and curriculum). Her areas of expertise include literary nonfiction, memoirs, biography, general interest nonfiction, scholarly works, children’s nonfiction, YA fiction, and instructional content in the humanities and social sciences.
Memoirs and Biographies Published/Edited
Eva Perón by Lesli Favor (2010)
Face to Face with Manatees by Brian Skerry (2010)
Henry’s Puzzle by Henry Alan Dahut (2011)
Hillary Clinton by Jean F. Blashfield (2010)
Indira Gandhi by Sara Schupack (2011)
Knockout! A Photobiography of Boxer Joe Louis by George Sullivan (2008)
Mission to Teach: The Life and Legacy of a Revolutionary Educator by Dipak Basu (2013) Winner of the 2014 Indie Book Awards for Education and Biography
My Boy Has Autism: A Father’s Journey by Kyle Wilkin (2013)
Nevermore: A Photobiography of Edgar Allan Poe by Karen Lange (2009)
Reflections of a Boy Named Christmas by Henry Sherman Christmas (2012)
The Breaking Point: A Full-Circle Journey by Michelle Hannah (2012)
The Ragged Edge of Silence: Finding Peace in a Noisy World by John Francis (2011)
Developmental book editing, proofreading, and rewriting (fiction and nonfiction) for content, organization, tone, clarity, style
ESTHER DAVID-ROLAND is a writer, editor, and proofreader whose experience includes writing, editing, and proofreading in the humanities, social sciences, and technical subject areas. She has worked as a journalist, writer, and editor for more than 25 years and brings her many years of experience with a wide range of subjects to each project. As a freelance copyeditor, developmental editor, and writing coach, Esther has worked with book publishers, businesses, and individual authors, and has worked extensively with authors whose native language is not English.
Esther provides copyediting services for website content, scientific or technical articles, books, proposals, marketing materials, résumés, white papers, software manuals, online help, business reports, and other documents. She will make sure that your final product is free of all errors in spelling, grammar, and punctuation. She can also polish your text so that it effectively says exactly what you intend and delivers what your audience expects and wants. She has worked extensively with authors who write in English as a second or third language.
Memoirs:
Whose Little Girl Is This? (De Quien Es Esta Nina?) (Maria Flores-Sperling), 2009.
Memories from Bosnia (Nadzija Gajic-Sikiric, M.D.), 2008.
Reviews:
“Esther coached, edited, commented, and offered constructive suggestions. Her ideas and comments were more helpful than those I received from colleagues. ” John R. Schultz, consultant, writer, retired professor
“Very bright and intuitive, it was a pleasure working with her and hope to do so again soon.”
“The copyediting was very constructive and helpful. It was very easy to ask questions and get in contact with my consultant. Esther turned a stressful situation into a fun one. Thanks again!!!!”
“I was ecstatic at the quality and attention to detail performed in this edit. There are hundreds of small details and inconsistencies that are so easy to miss for an author who is too familiar with their own story, and Esther was able to skillfully address each one.” Justin Mitchell
HENRY DENARD is a writer, ghost writer, and editor of commercial mainstream nonfiction and fiction. Denard co-founded and was editor in chief at a publishing company (distributed by Random House) where he oversaw (and often helped to write) dozens of books.
Denard’s bestselling nonfiction and fiction authors include Chris Wallace, Catherine Crier, Matthew Modine, Brett Favre, Joe Namath, and Steven Pressfield. Denard’s titles have been featured in “The New York Times” (including front page) and on “Sixty Minutes,” “Oprah,” “The Today Show,” and “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart.”
Two of Denard’s published books sold to film studios for over $1 million.
Denard recently helped to write, edit and publish The Fiscal Cliff by Ayse and Selahattin Imrohorogolu (2012, Ending Spending) on behalf of Joe Ricketts (founder of T.D. Ameritrade).
Denard has also written for The New York Times Magazine and American Express’ Departures magazine.
On the film side, Denard produced The Conspirator, starring James McAvoy, Kevin Kline, and Robin Wright; directed by Robert Redford; Gone in 60 Seconds (Touchstone) starring Nicolas Cage; The Negotiator (Warner) starring Samuel Jackson and Kevin Spacey; and Citizen X (HBO). He is a member of the Writers Guild of America (WGA, the screenwriters’ union) and uses Final Draft when working with writers of screenplays.
Before STACEY DONOVAN became a professional editor more than 20 years ago, she worked in a literary agency where she learned how to say no more often than yes, and include reasons why. A stint in advertising followed, teaching her to tell it short and sweet, meet deadlines, and most important: never give up.
Donovan is a six-time published book author of both fiction and non-fiction. She has edited or ghostwritten more than a dozen published books for her clients. Two became New York Times Bestsellers, and another nominated for Best First Novel by International Thriller Writers. She is experienced in many genres: Contemporary/Mainstream; Caper/Detective; Erotica; Gay/Lesbian; Literary Fiction; Mystery; Psychological Thriller; Suspense; Women’s Fiction; Young Adult; Memoir/Autobiography; Creative Nonfiction.
Editing Specialties
- Detailed critique/evaluation of your manuscript
- Developmental/structural/stylistic edit of your manuscript
- Complete revision of your manuscript
- Collaborate with you in a mentoring capacity as you edit your manuscript
- Collaborate with you on a query and/or synopsis when the manuscript is ready for publication
- Determine with you which literary agent would be suitable for representation
- Determine with you whether to pursue mainstream, small, or self-publishing
- Consultation on your initial and/or ongoing social media strategy
Donovan is a writing coach, mentor, collaborator and ghostwriter. She has published dozens of non-fiction articles on design and art, and specialized in celebrity interviews with experts in their field.
SARA HOPKINS
Developmental Editor, Copy Editor, Proofreader, and Ghostwriter
With over twenty years’ experience in the publishing industry Sara Hopkins has edited or copyedited nearly three hundred manuscripts for clients around the globe. Sara was employed full-time at Bantam Dell in New York before striking out as a freelancer for such major publishers as Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Rodale.
Praised by authors and publishers alike as a detail-oriented editor with an eye for inconsistencies, she believes the devil is in the details and a fine-tooth comb is essential to bring a manuscript to its full potential. Motivated by her love of a fabulous book, Sara knows what it takes to turn a good story into a great read.
“The editing was comprehensive, the fact-checking was right on the mark, and the suggestions to improve the manuscript, such as adding more location (Chicago), background, etc., were superb. But even the little things were invaluable to me—the removal of the extra space after the sentences, the uses of as or while or and between topics, and the insistence on uniformity of names, etc., helped me tremendously—a novice writer.” Michael Ellman
“All I needed to do was read her sample edit. Just one page. Immediately, I knew I had found my editor. I can go on and on about her attention to detail, her extensive knowledge of all manners of wordsmithing, her insightful suggestions, her endless willingness to massage the project to a polish that both she and I were happy with, but I will merely say the following. This book editor made me feel so incredibly confident in her ability to edit that I asked her to edit two additional manuscripts and I absolutely could not be happier with the end result. From day one all the way up until the end (and beyond), I truly felt like she understood me, my manuscript(s), and what I was going for. Holding my hand throughout this exciting process was this skilled and thoughtful partner and I count myself very lucky to have had the opportunity to benefit from her editing services.” Courtland Smith
SANDRA JUDD is an editor, proofreader, and indexer with more than 20 years of experience in the publishing industry. Her clients have included university presses, large, mainstream publishers, and smaller presses and professional organizations.
She has edited or proofread over 300 published books, on topics that include politics, history, business, literary criticism, ethnic history, anthropology, science and medicine, industry manuals, memoirs, Christian and inspirational, parenting and relationships, humor, and fiction. She believes every person has a story to tell and she has a real passion for bringing these stories to print.
She has edited or proofread memoirs or biographies of everyone from modern, self-made businesswomen to thieves to political figures. She approaches each with the goal of preserving the author’s unique voice while teasing out the details that make up the tale of a life’s journey.
Selected titles in the memoir/biography genre include: Fish and Fashion by Mari Kimura (A Zone Publishing, 2009); The Low Road: A Scottish Family Memoir by Valerie Miner (Michigan State University Press, 2002); A Second Life: Collected Nonfiction by Dan Gerber (Michigan State University Press, 2001); Held Hostage: A Serial Bank Robber’s Road to Redemption by Ken Cooper (Chosen Books, 2009); Lulu by Lulu Auger (Chosen Books, 2009); The Iron Hunter by Chase S. Osborn (Michigan State University Press); Frederick Douglass: Freedom’s Voice (Michigan State University Press, 1998); and Eight Steamboats: Sailing Through the Sixties by Patrick Livingston (Wayne State University Press, 2004).
She has prepared indexes for more than 30 published books.
FLOYD LARGENT has helped many writers polish their memoirs and autobiographical works. In addition to assisting with copyediting, his close working relationship with his clients brings an empathetic touch to his editing, making their tales more immediate and emotional to the reader. Memoirs should be more than just dry recitations of facts and memories; they should reach out and grab the reader by the heart. Most memoir writers provide the right raw material; Mr. Largent feels it’s his job to chip away the excess, find the gems within, and polish them up to their maximum brightness. He works carefully to retain the author’s style, theme, and tone, whether it involves a humorous look at the middle-age dating scene after a long marriage, or the poignant but optimistic outlook of a young girl abandoned to raise her brothers and sisters by neglectful parents. No matter your story, Mr. Largent will live it himself as he edits, with a heartfelt enthusiasm for the narrative.
In addition to developmental editing and polishing, Mr. Largent can provide publishing assistance (especially in regard to manuscript mechanics, query letters, book synopses, and proposals), manuscript evaluation, and mentoring services. He’s especially proud of his close relationships with the authors with whom he works, and always has time to talk writing.
Mr. Largent’s published memoir/autobiographical authors include:
- Chris Ayres, author of The Love Chest, a brief illustrated memoir of her relationship with her aged grandfather as a teenager in Brazil, published by CreateSpace.
- Tom Marino, author of Tomorrow May Be Too Late: a Love Story, a memoir of his experiences as a gay young man in New Jersey. Self-published in Charleston, SC.
- Doris Mercado, author of The Armor of Love and Hope, a memoir of a young Puerto Rican girl’s journey through abuse and abandonment to eventual success and happiness. Published by Floricanto Press and Berkeley Press, Los Angeles.
- Marie Rundquist, author of Cajun by any Other Name: Recovering the Lost History of a Family and a People, a history of her Cajun ancestors. Published by Infinity Books, Conshohocken, PA.
- Chad Stone, author of Confessions of a Middle-Aged Babe Magnet: One Man’s Brave Adventure into Dating Again in the 21st Century, published by Soulmate Media.
Specialties:
- Developmental content editing
- Manuscript mechanics and formatting
- Book proposals
- Queries
- Submission advice
ADINA PORTMAN is a published author, columnist, and book editor of numerous award-winning fiction and nonfiction titles. Her editorial role is to help you reach your goals as a writer by bringing your work closer to your ultimate vision. In addition to providing an overall manuscript review, she can offer a thorough developmental edit and critique that gets into the nitty-gritty of how to improve your work. She checks for tone, continuity, word choice, correct sentence structure, and any “author ticks” that emerge. On a larger scale, she can ensure that the narrative is smooth and progresses naturally, pointing out where the story needs clarification or the plot is inconsistent. She will focus on the presentation, structure, and organization of your work as a whole, and will make sure that the content is as coherent and effective as possible.
“Working with Adina was like working with a side of my own brain that I couldn’t otherwise access—her edits identified problems I wasn’t able to see on my own, yet they struck me as intuitive and aligned with the overall goals of my book. Crucially, Esther knows how to tread those sensitive waters of being critical without being disheartening, and being supportive without blowing smoke.” —Robert Martin
JAMES N. POWELL is “a good literary surgeon,” as one of his accomplished clients noted. As an editor of fiction and non-fiction, he views manuscripts with comprehensive vision and an eye for detail. He will read your fiction with an eye to making it believable and your non-fiction with a knack for making it both convincing and engaging.
His books and short stories have been translated into many languages and are known throughout the world. His list of publications includes The Tao of Symbols (Morrow 1982), Energy and Eros (Morrow 1985), The Prentice Hall Global Employment Guide (Prentice Hall 1983), Mandalas: The Dynamics of Vedic Symbolism (Sterling 1980), Derrida for Beginners (Writers and Readers 1996), Postmodernism for Beginners (Writers and Readers 1998), Eastern Philosophy for Beginners (2000), Deconstruction for Beginners (2005), and Slow Love: A Polynesian Pillow Book (2008).
His short story “The Silence of the Hummingbird” was published in Spanish in Revista Katharsis, in Malaga, Spain, and his journalism has appeared in Spirituality & Health, Tahiti Beach Press, the Santa Barbara Independent, and Montecito Journal.
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LAUREL ROBERTSON, M.A., has been copyediting and proofreading for more than 35 years. Since earning a master’s degree in writing and editing from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, she has worked on hundreds of books. Her clients have included G. P. Putnam’s Sons/Penguin, Philomel, Scholastic, Random House, and Workman, as well as independent authors. Although she enjoys a range of genres and subject matter, she especially likes the refreshing authenticity of young adult fiction, memoir, and autobiographical writing.
Laurel has worked on dozens of young adult and tween titles ranging from the best-selling Between Shades of Gray, a story of survival in a Soviet work camp; to the humorous but poignant Ethel Is Hot: LOL!!, about cyberbullying; and from Alex Rider adventures to the Redwall Abbey fantasy series. Her work on memoirs and autobiographies has encompassed such themes as transracial adoption, growing up gay in the small-town South, and living and working abroad.
Laurel is dedicated to helping make manuscripts flow smoothly so that readers aren’t distracted by awkward cadence, repetition, wrong word usage, inconsistencies, or myriad other details. She looks and “listens” for anything that takes the reader out of the story—from a vague spinach-caught-in-the-teeth sense that something is wrong to the jarring sensation of being whacked upside the head. As a seasoned reader, writer, and wordsmith, she has developed a finely tuned sense of when something seems amiss with a factual or historical detail, and flags it for the author. Her goal is always for a writer’s work to be presented in its very best light. If she’s done her job well, nobody but the author will know she touched the manuscript.
DAVID ROSE has edited more than seventy published books, both fiction and nonfiction. Dave appreciates the interdependence of clear writing with clear thinking. He enjoys helping writers clarify their language and their thoughts, analyzing arguments, plot lines, and pointing out issues or inconsistencies that detract from a good story. Dave likes how the process of writing, rewriting, and editing leads to that aha moment of—yes, that is what I want to say, and I’ve said it well. Dave respects a writer’s individual style, keeping voice and tone intact while ensuring for consistency, correct grammar, and usage.
Dave earned a BFA in Film from New York University and an MA from the University of Missouri School of Journalism. He is a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association and the American Copy Editors Society.
Dave got his start as a business reporter and went on to write for major corporations. He’s experienced in business and investment writing, book editing, communication planning, and public policy research. In addition to his editing, Dave writes for a wealth management advisor, developing web content and keeping clients abreast of market developments through letters and research reports.
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