Book Editing
I'm a manuscript midwife who helps people turn ideas and text into marketable books.
As a writer myself, I understand that your book is your baby. Whether you are a first-timer or a best-selling author, I can provide the level of editorial assistance you require—from simple copy editing to developmental editing, from coaching to ghosting. Whether you present me with a bunch of notes in a folder, a completed manuscript, or something in between, I strive to create an atmosphere of mutual trust and collaboration beginning to end – not only so your project is a success, but also so you’ll think of me when you plan your next book.
BACK STORY
Books are in my blood: My father, Paul H. Spencer, was a noted essayist on science fiction and fantasy literature who made his living as an editor for the educational publisher Prentice-Hall. I cut my own editing teeth at P-H, first as an assistant in the college textbook division and then as an advertising copywriter in the trade book division.
I’ve been a freelance copy editor and proofreader for major book publishers including Prentice-Hall, Simon & Schuster, and St. Martin’s Press, among others, working on countless fiction and nonfiction titles in all genres. My stints as a staff editor at The Nation and A&E’s Biography Magazine helped prepare me to take on the more substantial, collaborative editorial role I now play for authors.
My clients have included SheWrites Press and prominent authors including Arianna Huffington, Gene Stone, Tim Sanders, and Laura Pedersen. I’m also proud to have ghostwritten a memoir for the late Stanley Glenn, then one of the last living players from the era of Negro League Baseball.
At left: Mercy for Animals by Nathan Runkle with Gene Stone (Avery, 2017). I performed developmental and copy editing (along with some research on animal agriculture) on early drafts of the manuscript.