SUZANNE SHERMAN

EDITING
A good editor can help make prose on any topic sing, refining language while seamlessly maintaining an author’s style and voice. I do this in all areas of nonfiction, as well as with travel guides, cookbooks, gardening books, interior design books, and more. I take care of all aspects of book development from conception (the good idea) through completion, assisting writers with any level of guidance they need. Some writers want help with their outline: What do they need to cover in this book? What chapters make the most sense to include? Others have a manuscript in progress and want to know if they’re headed in a direction likely to have a successful outcome. My review of a table of contents and several sample chapters may be all that is needed to give a valuable consultation on the project; in other cases, ongoing consultation as the book develops or line editing of an entire manuscript is preferred. With memoir I often help identify theme, as published memoirs all have one, I sharpen content, help the prose shine — omitting the unnecessary, uncovering the unexplored, assisting writers in finding and/​or maintaining a voice and tone that is strong and convincing.

I have 30 years of experience guiding hundreds of people through what can be a deeply emotional journey, mining their material for the jewels that transform truth to art.

Besides working with memoir, general nonfiction, short stories, and personal essays, I also write and edit marketing materials for companies, including Web content, brochures, and newsletters (online and in print).


GHOSTWRITING
Some people have a good real-life story to tell and have no interest in writing it themselves. They hire a ghostwriter to interview them for the material to write the book, or they collaborate, developing their notes and drafts of chapters with my help. This can be for publication or for family. My goal with ghostwriting, as with editing, is to seamlessly maintain the author’s voice. As a writer myself, I know how to create engaging, vibrant characters and how to craft compelling scenes interwoven with narrative that moves a story forward. And I know how to mesh my language with the voice of the author receiving cover credit so it reads as it would told in their own words. As an editor, I know about precision in language and I know how to shape a story for the page.

Ghostwriting other nonfiction is usually a collaborative process in which I assist an expert in his or her field in structuring and writing a saleable book. I have worked with scientists, chefs, marketing professionals, psychologists, landscape gardeners, and more. I am an expert in my own trade — writing — and where the two meet, a book is born.


BOOK PROPOSALS
Every book needs a proposal to sell it, and book proposals must do exactly that: they are sales materials. You might have a potential best-seller in your hands, but it will miss its chance on the charts if the proposal doesn’t sell it to an agent or publisher. My proposals have secured author representation at top New York literary agencies, including William Morris, and have led to publishing contracts with both large and smaller publishers. I write complete book proposals and query letters and consult on them as well. I also target appropriate agents or publishers if that help is needed.

GET YOUR BOOK DONE!
Ready to take that idea off the shelf and turn it into
a saleable book? Finished at last with your book and ready for help polishing it? In the middle of it and need help clarifying its direction or fine-tuning its structure? I can help you get your book done the way you want it.

Fee based on length of material and level of assistance needed. CONTACT ME for details.