Hire the Best Book Editors in Los Angeles, CA

Hi, I'm Allison! 👋 I'm a published writer, story expert, and former Hollywood development executive with a deep background in film, TV, and documentary. I can get your screenplay ready for industry eyes and create your pitch deck. 🎥 My other passion is books! As a professional book editor at Luminary Publishing House, I work across fiction, nonfiction, and YA. I know story inside and out, and love helping authors with their manuscripts, whether that's as broad as helping you solve a tricky plot hole or as focused as finding the best use for commas in a certain paragraph. You already did the hard work of putting your creativity on the page -- let me help you shape it into the best version of itself! ✏️ My background in writing and entertainment also makes me an expert in copywriting and narrative writing of all kinds, from social posts to ghostwriting. 📖 If you need: - Insightful developmental editing (big picture) for your manuscript - Expert copy editing or line editing (small picture) for your manuscript - Thorough proofreading (grammar nerd to the rescue!) for your manuscript - Beta reading for your manuscript - A professional script doctor's eyes on your screenplay - An undeniable pitch deck/pitch materials for your creative project - Tailored copy for your website, newsletter, or social media - A compelling narrative ghostwritten in any medium I'd love to jump in and help! 📚 It all starts on the page! I'm an award-winning screenwriter, six-time novelist, and published fiction writer and essayist. My work can be found in Maudlin House, Every Day Fiction, Herstry, DuFrank Lit, The Barley Field, and Switchboard Magazine. 🏆 My scripts have placed in multiple screenwriting competitions, including the Austin Film Festival competition and the Screencraft Feature Competition. ✨ Words are magic: let's make yours sing!

Writing a memoir is brave, but it can also feel terrifying! 😬 You are handing a stranger the raw material of your life and hoping they know how to hold it. I help memoirists and personal-growth / narrative nonfiction authors through the process of transforming life experience into clear, compelling manuscripts. I've worked with Christian memoir, trauma-informed writing, spiritual awakening, travel narratives, whole-life memoir, addiction recovery/substance use, and entrepreneurship. Working one-on-one with writers, my services are for authors who require more assistance than just proofreading or copyediting. I mostly offer line-editing and editorial guidance on structure, emotional arc, flow of the narrative, chapter order, voice, and prose to help your book be clearer, stronger, and more marketable. Without becoming generic or “edited to death.” I’m known for voice-preserving editing—that is, maintaining the author’s language, point-of-view, and emotional integrity while tightening clarity, pacing, flow, and connection with readers. With memoir in particular, I concentrate on helping your story hit the page with depth and restraint: what stays, what goes, where the emotional heart of the piece is, and how each chapter should propel the reader. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗰 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗹𝘂𝗱𝗲: * Line editing for clarity, rhythm, tone, and emotional impact * Developmental editing for memoir or narrative nonfiction * Manuscript evaluations and editorial letters * Crafting and refining your manuscript’s story arc * Voice-conscious prose polishing * Personal growth books, self-help and recovery, spirituality, family memoir, trauma narrative, career-focused memoir, life stories * Getting a manuscript ready for query agents and publishers, beta readers, or self-publication As an editor, I am detailed, direct, and truly empathetic with you, the writer, for inviting me into such personal material. I won’t let a draft slide with “looks good!” when I know it can be better. But I also won’t steamroll your voice to prove I did my job. My role is to safeguard what is most vital in your writing while shaping the manuscript to be clear, focused, and emotionally effective. I’ll push the work carefully and honestly (Atticus Finch, not Gordon Ramsay!), with respect for both the story and the person who lived it. 𝗕𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝗶𝘁: memoir writers, personal-growth authors and coaches, founders, career professionals, and first-time authors seeking senior-level guidance editing their nonfiction book.

I am a professional copywriter, editor, and proofreader with experience across a wide range of publications. I earned my BA in English Language and Literature at University College London (UCL), where I researched and wrote a dissertation on Shakespeare and the Law, learned Old English, and even prepared my own translation of Beowulf from the original! I earned my J.D. at University of Michigan Law School in 2021, where I served for three years as a senior editor on the Michigan Journal of Law Reform. After graduating law school, I clerked for a federal district judge in Nevada, where I researched and wrote legal opinions, many of which are published in the Federal Register. Most recently, I have developed my portfolio as a freelancer on UpWork editing online articles, blog posts, cover letters and other application materials, journal articles, business documents, reports, upper-level scholarship, book manuscripts, and more. I have helped aspiring authors edit and improve their works for publication, guided prospective students through college and graduate admissions, proofread corporate documents, and reviewed marketing materials. My clients' final products have gone on to be published with independent and major outlets alike, including textbooks and major academic journals. Across my experiences, I picked up a variety of editorial methods (including all major citation styles) and am happy to adapt my writing to the needs of the author. In the last year, I have taken on several weekly clients in need of AI fact-checking and editing and assisted them in ensuring their AI-generated materials are polished to perfection. Furthermore, I myself have written multiple articles and blogs using ChatGPT4 and am interested in developing my skills in the field. I care deeply about linguistic precision and want to ensure you are producing clear, succinct, and accurate works of writing for whatever the goal. I am also fluent in Spanish and have performed translation work for Spanish language clients in the immigration law context! I would love to help you develop or finalize your next written work.

I bring a professional publishing background and a sharp editorial eye to every project. With a Master’s in Publishing and hands-on experience in the industry, I’ve worked across the full spectrum of editorial tasks—developmental editing, copyediting, proofreading, and beta reading. I understand not only the mechanics of clean, polished writing but also the expectations of literary agents and publishers. Whether you need big-picture feedback to strengthen narrative flow, or meticulous proofreading to eliminate errors, I can provide thoughtful, reliable support that elevates your work. My expertise extends beyond fiction and nonfiction manuscripts—I am equally comfortable working with technical and academic material, including medical and scientific articles. I pride myself on adapting to the needs of each project, respecting the author’s voice while ensuring clarity, coherence, and professionalism. Services I offer: Developmental feedback and beta reading Copyediting and line editing for style, clarity, and tone Proofreading for grammar, spelling, and formatting consistency Editorial assessments tailored for agent and publisher submission Editing support for academic, medical, or scientific writing Clients can expect precision, confidentiality, and clear communication throughout the process. My goal is to help your work reach its full potential, whether you’re preparing a manuscript for submission, publishing independently, or polishing an article for a journal.

I am a published author with over 20 years of experience developing and writing treatments, screenplays, proposals, and books. I have a proven history of successful collaborations with clients from all walks of life to produce complex and compelling storytelling. I am proficient in line editing to enhance language, flow, and readability, and copy editing for grammar, spelling, and consistency. I can also provide essential developmental editing to refine the story structure, pacing, and character development. I have been involved in all stages of the book publishing process, whether it be traditional or self-publishing. My first book, Street Player: My Chicago Story (Wiley), with legendary drummer Danny Seraphine of the band Chicago, was published in October 2010. Jimi Hendrix: A Brother’s Story (Thomas Dunne), written with Jimi’s younger brother, Leon Hendrix, followed in May 2012. The book has also been translated and released in Sweden, Finland, Italy, Poland, and Brazil. In May of 2015, Book of Man: A Navy SEAL's Guide to the Lost Art of Manhood (SP Publishing) was released, written with Navy SEAL Derrick Van Orden. My latest release is The Homes of Hope Story (YWAM Publishing), written with Homes of Hope founder Sean Lambert. While working with author Laura Morton for the past two decades, I've contributed to or been acknowledged in twenty-nine other books, including six New York Times Bestsellers. The diverse list of clients includes professional racing driver Danica Patrick, television personality Al Roker, bounty hunter Duane "Dog" Chapman, musician Melissa Etheridge, actress Susan Lucci, and many more.

I prepare detailed safety and industrial hygiene related programs and documentation. I am also able to write in all forms of media. Please see below for a quick summary of my work and projects: Published author - The Mulberry Tree, released in 2013 Editor for the Spare Change Anthology Book editor for various independent book projects Screenwriter (screenplay adaptations included) Ghostwriting services