Heidi Hill Editorial -

Testimonials

"Heidi Hill is that rare editor who cares about her clients' projects as if they were her own. She can help you articulate half-formed thoughts, guide you through the process of writing and publishing a nonfiction book, and edit your manuscript to the highest professional standards. She's an excellent communicator and a pleasure to work with."

—Barbara Baig, author of Spellbinding Sentences: A Writer's Guide to Achieving Excellence & Captivating Readers

"I have known Heidi for almost twenty years. She has been professionally involved in the editing of two of my books and is involved in my latest writing project. . . . Heidi has helped me unpack my ideas and experiences more clearly. She knows the substance of the material submitted to her and offers clear suggestions as to how to make it more complete, more clear, more inspiring to the reader. . . . Heidi is very personable, interested in the head of the author . . . and the heart which drives the ideas of the head."

—Gary Smith, author of Radical Compassion and They Come Back Singing

"This class was amazing . . . the material, the structure, the mentorship!"

—T. Pina, Lesley MFA student

How I Work

My clients come to me from various stages in the writing and publishing process. Some are publishers who need a freelance editor for a book project; others are writers in need of editing before submitting a book to an agent or publisher; others are people new to the publishing world who need a plan for writing, editing, and publishing a book.

Central to my approach as an editor and consultant is my relationship with my clients. I take the time to get to know who you are and what your goals are for your project; we communicate regularly, ask questions, and brainstorm ideas. The effectiveness of this approach is shown in the fact that some of my clients have worked with me for ten, fifteen, even twenty years. For me, the keys to a strong working relationship between writer and editor are communication, flexibility, and trust.

How Can I Help You?

Whether you need an editor for your project, consulting on the editorial process, or to develop your own editorial skills, I can help.

Editing: I have been a freelance editor for more than twenty years. I primarily work with nonfiction writing, providing a range of editorial services, from proofreading to copyediting and developmental editing. If you aren't sure what level of editing you need, contact me with details of your project, and we can discuss the options.

Sample projects:

They Come Back Singing: Finding God with the Refugees (developmental editing)

Our Stories: An Introduction to South Asian America (copyediting)

Sound Bites: Big Ideas in Popular Music (proofreading)

Hidden Mercy: Aids, Catholics, and the Untold Stories of Compassion in the Face of Fear (fact-checking)

Consulting: Are you interested in submitting your manuscript to agents and publishers but don't know where to start? I can provide guidance on writing your book proposal and query letter and review the finished product. I'll help you understand the submission process and how to identify agents and publishers who might be a good fit for your book. Please use the form under Contact to get in touch with me regarding your project and to request a quote.

Teaching: I developed and teach two online courses in the Interdisciplinary Studies department of Lesley University's low-residency MFA Writing program: "Copyediting: Learning the Skills and Putting Them to Work in Book Publishing and Beyond" and "Write Your Book Proposal."

I've led the following workshops on editing, revision, and self-editing:

"Learning to Think Like an Editor," Ninth Annual Writer's Conference, Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 2006

"Understanding the Art of Revision," Tenth Annual Writer's Conference, Cambridge Center for Adult Education, 2007

"Crash Course: How to Think Like an Editor," Decatur Writer's Studio, 2019

I am available to teach small workshops in the Atlanta area, or online. Please contact me to share your needs!

Clients

As a freelance editor, I've worked with publishers, nonprofits, agencies, academics, online journals, and independent authors. My clients include Loyola Press, the Great Books Foundation, Rotary International, the South Asian American Digital Archive, Emory University, Barbara Baig, James Martin, and Gary Smith.