Flying High

I'm happy to report that Sue Zeidler's second YA novel, Flying Through Music, received a wonderful review from Kirkus Indie! Here's a little of what they had to say:

"A girl morphs to an alternate musical universe to save her friend in Zeidler’s (The Practice Room, 2009) mystery for young teens...The premise is original...young readers with an interest in music will relish the trivia and lessons embedded in this story. Zoey develops as a musician while grappling with typical teen issues—her relationship with her father, a crush on a cute older boy, self-awareness."

Congratulations, Sue. It was a pleasure working on this book!

YA Success Story

Roger and I have been working together for almost seven months to perfect a draft of his YA novel, WHAT YOU DON'T KNOW ABOUT ME. He called today to tell me he's landed an agent--at Andrea Brown! I'm thrilled. Roger, may the book sell faster than Thin Mints.

More Super News

Richard M., with whom I worked this spring to craft the final draft of his sci-fi love story, has signed a publishing contract with Tor Books. BRAVO, Rick!

Dear Book Editor: Just What Exactly Do You DO?

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When you decide to have your work edited or critiqued, what are your options? I've resisted posting this because projects and writers differ wildly, and I'm adamant about working on an individual basis to meet authors' and books' needs. This ain't McDonald's; there's no preset Happy Meal Edit menu!

That said, here are some rough guidelines:

I offer a few different levels of service. The most basic is pure proofreading (edits for grammar, usage, spelling, basic consistencies). The next level is a limited critique edit, which includes all the proofreading, along with comments that are basically reader-centered, offering feedback without actually rewriting or re-structuring; this includes suggestions on cutting or expansion. The most comprehensive level includes the first two as well as in-depth critique, suggestions for improvement, suggestions for re-structuring and organizing information, and occasional re-writes if necessary.

In terms of format, I edit in Microsoft Word, using the Track Changes feature. I've found this is most convenient for everyone involved, since it makes the whole process go much faster than on pen and paper (though we can send the paper ms. back and forth via snail mail if you prefer.)

Great News for a Great Client

K. C., with whom I worked on a full manuscript critique last spring, just sent me the most amazing update: her memoir-turned-novel, tentatively titled The Way We Lived Then, just sold to Grove Books. Congrats, K. C.!

More Testimonials

Michael, whose story collection I recently finished editing in-depth: "I want you to know that I really appreciate your work. I think that you would be wonderful in academia; there are so many writing instructors who can’t teach."

Eric, author of a non-fiction book: "These edits are perfect. Exactly what I wanted. Kudos to you!"

Hot Off the Press: Fresh Praise

Lynn, a current client who's working on a novel, just sent me a lovely email which read:

"You rock! You are really quick and meet your deadlines with skill. (For my job, I've been working with a writer/editor on a gardening booklet for a year and a half. And she hasn't met a deadline yet. Thank you for being so professional. I feel like I lucked out finding you."

When I asked her if I might include this on the blog, she charmingly replied: "Feel free to add at will! You can even edit my praise if you like. You're that good."

My cockles are warmed!