Women’s Fiction, Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Romance
Developmental editing, writing assistance, query letters, book proposals, submissions to literary agents and publishers
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.
Women’s Fiction:
Do Not Disturb by Tanya Goodwin
Trouble in My Way by Patricia Hoskins-Saffold
Requiem for Locusts by Wendy Parciak
Women’s Nonfiction
Not My Mother’s Wedding by Maureen Chapdelaine and Kate Brennan
The Fire in Me by Naomi Beukes-Meyer
Postcards and Pearls-Life Lessons from Solo Moments on the Road by Gina Greenlee
Romance
More Than Desire by Jasmin Thien
If Memory Serves by Tanya Goodwin
Flight of the Half Moon by James Duey
It’s Simple by Michelle Richardson
“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 publishing industry veteran who has worked in-house at a New York publisher as an acquisitions editor and is a two-time published author. She also represents authors as an agent with a well-established NYC-area agency. Her extensive experience includes critiquing, development editing, and line editing. 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.
Carly edits with an understanding of the importance of subtlety and nuance. She approaches fiction with an appreciation for how the brain works and with the understanding that a reader likes to pick up clues and figure things out for herself rather than be told directly how characters are thinking and feeling, just like people do in real life. She focuses on narrative arc, pacing, character development, dialogue, descriptions, and writing flow.
One novelist said, “I have been guided by a number of different editors throughout my career. Without any hesitation, I can say that Carly is the best editor I have ever worked with.”
Another said, “In addition to being a skillful editor, Carly is also an effectual teacher. I made several first-time author mistakes writing my first novel, and she patiently worked with me to correct them. Her critique of my manuscript was right on target, to the point, and constructive. The improvements I made to it, thanks to Carly, made it a much better read.”
Read: Why might you want to have a real-life agent read your manuscript
Alice h
as worked with Pulitzer Prize, National Book Critics Circle, and the PEN/Faulkner award winners, as well as first-time novelists. She does book evaluations, developmental content editing, and copy editing.
ALICE DAY has been an editor since 1988. After earning a graduate degree in creative writing at Brown University, she has worked at the book publishers Henry Holt and Company and Carroll & Graf Publishers. Writer Don Smith, whose awards include 19 regional Emmys, said of Alice Day, “She’s the kind of editor every writer should be so lucky to have.” She has been a fiction editor for numerous award-winning authors–Pulitzer Prize, National Book Critics Circle Award, and the PEN/Faulkner Award–and first-time novelists. She does detailed manuscript evaluations, as well as developmental/substantive editing, and is also a skilled copy editor.
Her fiction specialties include short stories, novellas, literary fiction, historical fiction, commercial fiction, women’s fiction, chick lit, thrillers, mysteries, and detective/crime novels.
Alice is an award-winning writer with eight collections of poetry and a novel that have been published by nationally-recognized publishing houses. Kathleen Wakefield, whose novella won the 2008 Cleveland State University novella contest, said “that [Alice] has been an editor at a major New York publishing house gives her insight into that complicated world; that she is a poet, I believe, gives her the sensitivity to find the beauty of a writer’s individual work.” Alice Day has the skill and experience to focus on a writer’s vision and help the writer realize it. She’s a hands-on editor who’s not afraid to cut words and offer insights. And she has a poet’s sensitivity to language.
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.
CAROLINE HILEY is a full-service editor who specializes in copyediting novels, particularly in the romance and women’s fiction categories. She works with both traditional publishers and independent authors to help make their stories shine.
Whether for stand-alone titles or series, she focuses on consistency, accuracy, and clarity, so that authors can successfully connect with their readers (while avoiding any embarrassing bloopers). Because she writes fiction and nonfiction herself, she knows the creative process from both sides and understands how editing can help or hinder.
Caroline thoroughly grooms a manuscript, checking spelling, grammar, punctuation, formatting, and style; tracking character traits and story timeline; confirming proper names, dates, places, and other technical or historical elements; flagging any spots that may raise a question in the reader’s mind. Authors then accept or reject the revisions, and move on to the next stage in their story’s progression.
In addition to copyediting, Caroline offers substantive editing (also called line editing), a more detailed work-through of a manuscript without the full immersion that goes with developmental editing. For authors seeking guidance for their own revisions, she also offers manuscript evaluation.
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 especially enjoys working with the romance and women’s fiction genre and approaches each manuscript with the goal of preserving the author’s unique voice while honing in on the details that make the plot sing and bring the characters to life.
Selected titles in the romance/women’s fiction genre include: A Time & Place for Every Laird by Angeline Fortin (My Personal Bubble, 2013); A Reluctant Courtship by Laurie Alice Eakes (Revell Books, 2013); Megan’s Hero by Sharon Gillenwater (Revell Books, 2011); The Director’s Cut by Janice Thompson (Revell Books, 2012); My Heart’s in the Highlands by Angeline Fortin (My Personal Bubble, 2012); and The Potluck Club: Trouble’s Brewing by Linda Evans Shepherd and Eva Marie Everson (Revell Books, 2006).
Paranormal romance | psychic | supernatural | science fiction | fantasy | speculative fiction | western romance | young adult
KELLY LYNNE is the proud “auntie” to over 80 published novels, novellas and short stories, which have sold to Kensington Publishing, Carina Press, Cerridwen Press, Awe-Struck Publishing, Samhain Publishing, Wings ePress, Bradley Publishing, and The Wild Rose Press as well as author self-published titles. These books have gone on to earn high praise from reviewers and readers, as well as multiple awards and contest wins. As an editor for The Wild Rose Press, she edited contemporary western and light paranormal romances, with heat ratings from sweet to spicy. Outside of romance, her fiction fortes include sci-fi, fantasy, speculative fiction, young adult, and stories of psychic or supernatural phenomena.
Empathic about the “feel” of a story, Kelly provides suggestions so that authors may revise with their own style in mind, preserving the individual voice, while alerting authors to current trends in publishable styles. Developmental fiction editing requires an emotional investment in the work – an investment of time and effort that Kelly is happy to make.
Kelly has published over 100 non-fiction articles, three short stories, and two novels. She knows the hoops authors are expected to jump through and helps authors polish their submission packets. Query letters, synopses and professional quality formatting are as important as a well-polished manuscript.
Specialties: style-sheet to track continuity, character traits, and plot aspects | critique of story plot, character believability and setting | weeding out clichés, redundancies, wordiness, triteness and vague generalizations | Formatting for CreateSpace (Amazon Print) and Kindle.
Manuscript evaluations, critiques, organizational and developmental editing, line editing
ANGELA ROSE is a publishing industry insider whose most recent in-house position was at Random House’s Ballantine Bantam Dell imprint, where she worked for five years. While in this position, she edited a wide variety of commercial fiction and non-fiction, including several books for the Loveswept digital publishing line, and provided editorial support for a list of acclaimed, bestselling authors that included Mary Balogh, Barbara O’Neal, Suzanne Brockmann, and H. P. Mallory. She also evaluated hundreds of manuscripts and book proposals in the following categories: general fiction, women’s fiction, romance, science fiction and fantasy, young adult fiction, memoir, narrative non-fiction, and self-help. In addition, Angela evaluates submissions and edits romance novels and novellas (including the work of first time authors) for Harlequin E, working with a list of authors that includes Lisa Medley and Misty Simon. She has also done freelance editorial work for Amazon’s 47North imprint and Callisto Media.
As an editor, Angela addresses both big picture issues and minute details. She gives writers in-depth suggestions on how to fix problems with plot, structure, characterization, pacing, and more, and is also a pro at catching inconsistencies, repetitions, errors, and fixing clunky dialogue and prose. To her, there is nothing more satisfying than helping an author produce his or her dream book.
Before embarking upon her career as an editor, Angela earned a bachelor’s degree with high honors in English from the College of William and Mary and attended the Columbia Publishing Course in New York City. She is also a published freelance writer.
“Angela has been a dream to work with. Insightful, fast, competent, and responsive. I could not be happier!”—Ava Miles, author of Nora Roberts Land
“Angela did a great job editing my work, providing me with an enhanced, polished manuscript as well as a positive learning experience. In addition to editing, Angela provided comments throughout my work, including recommendations on how to enrich my storyline. She also created an amazing (and highly compelling) query letter for me to use in solicitation. I truly appreciate the outstanding work and would highly recommend Angela to others.” –Christina Clifford, author of Happily Ever After
“Angela is an editing genius; she’ll make your books sing!” –Sue Grimshaw, Category Specialist & Editor at Large, Random House Publishing Group
“Angela Rose has been a valued reader and editor for our online literary journal. We especially appreciate her perceptive and clear comments on the writings presented to her.” –Rick Rofihe, Anderbo Publisher and Editor-in-Chief
CAROLINE T. has been editing popular fiction for 20 years and has 200+ novels under her belt. Her ability to see the big picture, combined with an in-depth knowledge of today’s publishing market, makes her an invaluable partner in the editing and publishing process.
Editor for three New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling authors
A former in-house editor at Pocket Books—a division of Simon & Schuster, the premier New York City publisher of commercial and trade fiction—an outside editor for Harper Collins/Avon, and a reader for The Literary Guild and The Rhapsody Book Club, Caroline’s particular expertise is historical and contemporary romance, romantic comedy, and romantic suspense. Carla Neggers, Karen Robards and Andrea Kane—three New York Times, Publishers Weekly, and USA Today bestselling authors—had books edited by Caroline. She also specializes in suspense thrillers, crime fiction, amateur sleuths, sagas, inspirational romance, westerns, urban fantasy and African-American popular fiction. She holds workshops on the writer’s conference circuit and speaks at numerous venues to help advance the cause of popular fiction for women.
Known for her accessibility, Caroline is available to answer any questions a client may have; from a simple inquiry regarding point of view switching, to a larger issue regarding career path. She is a hands-on editor, likes to put her blue pen to work, and enjoys brainstorming with writers. She is a mentor, a guide and a source of vast knowledge on the subject of popular fiction. Caroline offers content and developmental editing with commentary; minor line-editing if necessary, submission help, and career consulting.
ALI WILLIAMS is a well-published author and editor, with 10 years of experience in literary and genre fiction, and a strong literary background. Her work has been seen in The New York Times, the Christian Science Monitor, and on National Public Radio. She is on the editorial board of noted literary magazine Brevity.
A successful veteran of the query process, Ali knows how to help you present your book in its very best form. She edits and critiques literary fiction and a broad range of genres, including romance, erotica, mystery, horror and young adult fiction, memoir and travel essays.
Editorial Services:
Manuscript Evaluation, Critique, with Editorial Letter: Receive feedback on the overall concept and execution of your manuscript, with questions and suggestions for further work.
Developmental Editing and Writing Assistance: Includes story-shaping and structural guidance.
Line-editing: Evaluaton and suggestions for improvement.
Copy-editing and Proofreading : Grammar and typo fixes.
Mentorship: Includes guidance for a specific publication or your writing career.
Query Coaching: Includes agent research.
Dramaturgy for Playwrights.