Leslie Stonebraker

All edits include detailed in-line comments, queries, and line-edits, and a comprehensive overview letter. I’ll address strengths and issues around narrator/character, setting, structure, narrative arc, grammar, formatting, and more. See my self-editing tips for the craft issues that are top of my mind, though I believe there is no one-size-fits all critique.

I tailor my style to your work and your goals, so that together we can transform your draft into the manuscript you’ve been envisioning since you started the project . . . or the one you didn’t realize you could write.

What you will not get from my edit is copy editing or proof reading. If you are proceeding down a self-publishing path and want to sell a professional-level product, you will still require these services before offering a digital or print-on-demand book release.

Yes. And no.

Agents, editors, and publishers are busier than ever. Sean deLone at Dear Head of Mine summarized it brutally: “Every job in the publishing pipeline . . . is now 1.5+ jobs.”

The democratization of process and technology has opened the floodgates. It’s easier than ever to submit work online, meaning slush piles are deep, and AI slop is flooding the self-publishing market. To get where you want to go, your work needs to stand out in a crowded marketplace.

• You’ve taken your work as far as you can go, but it doesn’t feel “ready” for the next step. Something isn’t working, but you can’t quite figure out what, or you know what’s wrong, but not how to fix it.
• You’ve queried a few (or more than a few) agents and publishers, but aren’t getting any requests for full or useful feedback.
• You’re going the self-publishing route and want to make sure your work is structurally sound before paying a copy editor to paint the walls.

• I edit only one book-length work at a time. My developmental editing focus will not be divided.
• I provide an estimated turnaround time, and regular weekly check ins about my progress, until the work is complete.
• I offer an optional (and highly encouraged) Zoom conversation following your review of my full edit to ensure clarity on your next steps and discuss any additional ideas you might have.

I am an author, writing fiction and creative nonfiction, from as tiny as flash on up through book-length works. I’ve been published in literary magazines including Brevity and The Kenyon Review (see my recent bylines here). I am seeking representation for a completed memoir and a novel, so I know firsthand the brutality of the querying trenches.

I received my MFA in creative nonfiction from Vermont College of Fine Arts, and am a slush pile reader for Fourth Genre. I am completing an Editing Certificate from the University of Chicago with a concentration in developmental editing. On my desk sits the yellow brick of The Chicago Manual of Style 18, complete with color-coded reference tabs. I have *feelings* about CMOS’s instructions on dialogue tags and ellipses formatting.

I’m an avid reader of all genres. Memoir and researched nonfiction–love it. Literary fiction and book club fiction–yes, please. Fantasy and romantasy–sign me up. Romance and rom com–yummy. My TBR pile is eclectic and ever growing. I believe solid structure, strong characterizations, unforgettable voice, and haunting metaphors are universal. Good writing transcends genre.

• 500-750-word summary of the work, including genre.
• 3,000-5,000 word Microsoft Word Document (1-2 chapters, many authors submit the first chapter, but that’s not a requirement). Click here for formatting guidelines.

• Comments and line-edits added directly to the manuscript using Microsoft Track Changes.
• 1-3 page single-spaced overview letter considering the chapter as an isolated organism, and analyzing how it fits into a book-length work.

• 1-2 page letter of intent, which should summarize the work, state its intended genre, your ultimate goal for the piece, and a list of questions you’d like me to address (if applicable).
• The complete manuscript, formatted as a double-spaced Microsoft Word Document. Click here for formatting guidelines.

• Edits and comments added directly to the manuscript using Microsoft Track Changes, including:
  • Average of 3-5 comments/queries per page
  • Line-level edits
  • Praise for what’s working well
  • Commentary on character/narrator, structure, questions, issues, plot holes, etc.
  • “Absurd examples” to illustrate potential solves to issues of tone, emphasis, etc.
  • Grammatical issues and sentence structure/paragraph improvements
• 4-6 page single-spaced overview letter covering macro suggestions, including:
  • Structural changes
  • Where the book begins & placement of the climax
  • Narrative arc, missing or unnecessary bits, where bread-crumbing is required
  • Tone & voice
  • Characterization, internal/external antagonists, obstacles, agency
• 1-hour Zoom discussion (optional, but highly recommended)
  • Additional discussion time may be purchased at a at rate of $75/hour.