Editing Services
Drawing on my long career in magazines and books, I provide the full range of editing assistance to writers of all kinds. I’ve worked on memoirs, business books, crime stories, family sagas and biographies. The writers I’ve helped range from first-timers to best-selling authors.
I have always enjoyed warm relations with the authors of books on which I’ve worked. I make a point of maintaining the voice of each author. Collaborating on a writing project is an intimate, sometimes trying experience, but it also features exciting exploration and, in many instances, downright fun. I enjoy drawing people out, helping them recapture the insights, details and in some cases memories that make a narrative come alive. At the same time, I try to focus on why the story is important—why this book deserves attention.
My fee depends on the project. If you are interested in running a project or idea past me, send me a brief email explaining the gist of what you have in mind. I will respond quickly.
My services include:
Developing an idea—I’ll discuss and chew over an idea to assess if it will work as a book or article and determine how to shape it.
Organizing material—many writers have strong content but have trouble organizing it into a powerful narrative; I’ve had long experience helping to shape stories for maximum impact.
Line editing—I go over every sentence to make sure each line reads with clarity and efficiency.
Rewriting—in some cases, I’m asked to rewrite a manuscript top to bottom; when I do, it’s always in collaboration with the author.
Ghostwriting—through deep interviews with the author and often additional research, I can produce an entire manuscript.
Research—I conduct interviews and research to fill in holes in an existing project.
Here are a few of the books I’ve worked on:
The Breakaway: The Inside Story of the Wirtz Family Business and the Chicago Blackhawks
Fewer, Bigger, Bolder: From Mindless Expansion to Focused Growth
Still Burning: Half a Century of Chicago, from the Streets to the Corridors of Power: A Memoir
Who Killed the Candy Lady?: Unwrapping the Unsolved Murder of Helen Brach
