Professional

editorial

services

for professional

writers

A woman with long brown hair smiling and making a peace sign with her right hand.

Hi, I’m Jess, a fiction editor with deep experience and industry know-how.

I believe all writers need editors—even those of us who are editors ourselves! Writing a novel is an incredibly internal and personal undertaking, and it’s often difficult for us to take the blinders off and see our manuscript the way others might as they read the story for the first time. A second set of eyes—particularly those of an impartial and professional editor—will afford your project (and you as its author) the opportunity to grow and bloom. 

I am an author myself, with five published young adult novels and one children’s picture book. I know first-hand what it can feel like to receive a pages-long edit letter and heavily marked-up manuscript from an editor—it can be quite jarring at first! I also know what it feels like to implement changes to my manuscript based on editorial feedback and come out the other side feeling a strong sense of pride and confidence in the work I’ve created. It’s my goal to help the authors I work with feel supported every step of the way, because I’ve been in your shoes!

Throughout my career I’ve had the honor of working with hundreds of authors, from fresh-voiced debuts to established New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors, award winners to national book club picks.

If you’re serious about publishing your novel—whether you’re on a traditional publishing path or the self-publishing journey—I’m here to help you reach that goal!

My approach

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Friendly and fun

I bring a friendly and casual approach to all my interactions with my clients. Writing a book is a deeply personal experience and while the goal of edits is to revise and strengthen the project as much as possible, I also recognize that it can feel vulnerable to open your work (and yourself!) up for critique. I promise you’ll never need to be nervous when you work with me—we’re in this together!

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Comprehensive services, tailored for you

My services include developmental editing, line editing, editorial assessment, and proofreading. Choose the service that’s right for you, depending on where you are in your writing and publication journey. As long as you’re dedicated to putting in the work and making your book shine, so am I!

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Deep industry experience

As a longtime fiction editor, I’ve done it all: print-first and digital-first publishing, in-house editorial at a Big Five publishing company, in-house editorial at an independent publishing company, editing & acquiring for an app-based storytelling company, and working with independent writers who are self-publishing and/or seeking a professional literary agent.

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Genre specializations

I specialize in any genre that might fall under the “commercial fiction” umbrella. For adult fiction, I focus on novel-length romance, romantasy, thriller, mystery, book club fiction, psychological horror, and light fantasy and sci-fi. For young adult and children’s fiction, I focus on contemporary and light fantasy stories.

So what do all these terms mean?

Developmental editing

Included in a developmental edit:

  • Edit letter providing in-depth feedback on your manuscript, with focus on plot, characters, structure, and writing style. Any big-picture notes will be detailed in this letter.

  • Marked-up manuscript with in-line phrasing suggestions (via track changes) and notes in the margins.

Line editing

Included in a line edit:

  • Marked-up manuscript with in-line phrasing suggestions (via track changes) and small-picture notes in the margins.

Editorial assessment

Included in an editorial assessment:

  • Edit letter providing feedback on your manuscript, including recommendations for revision and a general assessment of the project’s commercial viability (if requested). No marked-up manuscript.

Proofreading

Included with proofreading:

  • A close read of your final manuscript with an eye toward catching typos and errors.

Questions? Contact me!

Portfolio

These are some of the projects I’ve had the pleasure of editing

Book cover titled 'Not in My Book' depicting a man and woman leaning over a table with a red book, in front of a pink background with faint bookshelves.
Illustration of a man and woman reading books, with the title "The Last Page" written across the center and the author's name, Katie Holt, at the bottom.
Book cover titled "Disco Witches of Fire Island" by Blair Fell. The cover includes a drag queen with glamorous makeup and long eyelashes, a man in a sleeveless shirt, a disco ball, a lighthouse at sunset, and colorful starburst effects.
Book cover titled "Single Player" by Tara Tai, featuring illustrated side profiles of a woman and a non-binary person facing each other on a pink background with a row of five pixelated hearts in rainbow colors between them.
Book cover of "Hollywood Hustle" by Jon Lindstrom with a city skyline at sunset, large colorful text, and a quote from Robert Dugoni.
Book cover of 'Hollywood Payback' by Jon Lindstrom, featuring a night cityscape with palm trees and bright neon lights.
Book cover titled 'Here for the Wrong Reasons' by Annabel Paulsen and Lydia Wang, featuring two women holding hands, one in a red dress and high heels, the other in a pink top and shorts with cowboy boots, with a man in the background holding a rose
Book cover for 'Merry' by Susan Breen. The cover features an illustration of two women walking a dog in a snowy scene with Big Ben and a phone booth in the background. Book is surrounded by colorful books and Christmas lights.
Book cover for 'The Book of Heartbreak' by Ova Ceren. It features a night scene with a lighthouse, rolling waves, and a starry sky with a crescent moon and whale-shaped cloud. The border is decorated with purple flowers and vines.
Book cover for a novel titled "Thirty Love" by Tom Vellner, featuring two young men standing close on a tennis court, terraces full of spectators in the background, one in a white polo shirt and blue shorts, and the other in a black tank top and shor
Book cover for "The Irish Goodbye" featuring a man in a green checkered shirt and jeans, a woman with a camera and an orange jacket, a black and white dog, a pub, and a scenic Irish landscape with green hills, trees, and an Irish flag.
Cover illustration of a book titled 'Text Appeal' by Amber Roberts, featuring a red-haired woman with yellow headphones looking at her phone and a smiling man holding a paint palette and brush, with a laptop and mug on a table.
A book cover for 'Haunt Your Heart Out' by Amber Roberts showing a romantic couple in a graveyard at night, with tombstones and snow, under a full moon and a purple sky with large text and the author's name in pink.
Book cover titled 'I'm Looking for a Man in Finance' by Sabrina Waldorf, featuring illustration of a woman walking with a coffee and a man walking across a street with city skyscrapers in the background.
Book cover of "The Sound of a Thousand Stars" by Rachel Robbins featuring a woman in a vintage dress with a desert landscape and starry sky in the background.
Book cover titled 'The Summer I Found You' by Jennifer O'Brien, featuring an illustration of a couple holding hands walking on a beach at sunset with pink, purple, and orange sky, and houses in the background.
Book cover titled 'What the Dead Can Do' by Peter Rosch, featuring a silhouetted child standing with red and black background, with a water reflection below of him with two parents.
Book cover titled "Hearts on Thin Ice" by Katie Kennedy. Illustration of a woman with blonde hair in a brown coat, pink scarf, and red earmuffs, sitting on the rink's barrier, and a man in a red hockey uniform and helmet, holding a hockey stick, on a
Book cover for "It's Not A Cult" by Lauren Danhof, featuring a colorful illustration of a cosmic-themed beverage glass with stars and a planet, set against a vibrant orange background with space-themed decorative lines.
A book cover titled "The Glowing Life of Leann Wu" by Mindy Hung. The background features a dark teal with a silhouette of a hand in dark blue with yellow lines radiating outward, resembling radiance or glowing effect.
Book cover titled 'Of Flesh and Blood' by N. L. Lavin & Hunter Burke. The cover features a dark swamp scene with large trees, a person walking through water, and a fiery red sky.
Book cover of "The Deadly Book Club" by Lyn Liao Butler featuring a beach scene with a woman reading a book, wearing a large striped sun hat, sitting on a wooden lounge chair with sunglasses on a table nearby, ocean waves, and a cloudy sky in the bac
Book cover titled 'Out of the Loop' by Katie Siegel, featuring a scattered trail of calendar pages marked September 17 and a magnifying glass focusing on September 18. The background is blue with a red flower in the top right corner. Extra text indic
Book cover titled "The Mis-Arrangement of Sana Saeed" by Noreen Mughees features a man in yellow shirt and black pants holding a phone, and a woman in a teal dress with a headscarf, holding hands with someone else off page.
Book cover titled 'Murder Two Doors Down' by Chuck Storla, featuring a red front door slightly open with a knife hidden behind the door, inset with potted flowers outside.
Book cover for "Hush Little Fire" by Judith Newcomb Stiles with vibrant abstract background featuring flames and silhouettes of faces.
Sunset sky over a red barn with string lights, a woman walking toward the barn party, and green grass in the foreground.
Book cover for 'On the Surface' by Rachel McGuire showing a woman in a striped swimsuit and sun hat sitting on a boat in clear blue water.
Cover of the book titled 'The Manor House Governess' by C. A. Castle, featuring an abstract collage of a person's face and painted features, set against a background of a large manor house.
Book cover titled "The Stage Kiss" by Amelia Jones, showing a man and woman behind teal stage curtains, with a mannequin in period costume, a mirror with lights, and makeup items on a wooden table.
Book cover titled 'Sun Seekers' by Rachel McRady with a blurred a grandfather and granddaughter holding hands before a sunset background and stylized text.
Book cover of 'Since She's Been Gone' by Sagit Schwartz, featuring distorted, overlapping images of a woman with flowing hair.
Book cover for "Bed Chemistry" by Elizabeth McKenzie featuring an illustrated man and woman lying in bed with pink bedding, the woman is holding a sleep mask and the man has tattoos on his arm and thigh.
Book cover titled "How to Dance" by Jason B. Dutton, featuring a young couple dancing, with a walker in the background, set against a blue background with music notes.
Book cover illustration of a young Black woman with curly hair, wearing gold earrings and a yellow shirt, set against a cityscape background. The title reads 'The Only Black Girl in the Room,' authored by Alex Travis.
Book cover titled 'She Used to Be Nice' by Alexia LaFata. Features a woman with long hair wearing layered necklaces, with a large pink lipstick splash obscuring her eyes and forehead against a light blue background.
Book cover titled 'Love Camera Action' by Noël Stark, depicting a woman sitting on a film clapperboard labeled 'Love Camera Action' and a man standing beside it, with colorful geometric background.
Book cover illustration for 'Barely Even Friends' by Mae Bennett, depicting a woman on a ladder and a man standing beside her in a cozy, decorated room.
The cover of a book titled "The Lonely Hearts Trivia Night" by Lauren Farnsworth. The cover features a bar scene with five bar stools, various drinks on the counter, and a spilled drink on the floor. The background is divided into yellow and blue sec
Book cover titled 'My Kind of Trouble' by L. A. Schwartz, featuring a woman in a red dress sitting on a bookshelf and a man holding a stack of books.
Book cover with an orange background, featuring a large beer mug with foam overflowing, two people, one sitting on the coffee mug and another standing beside it, and the title "I've Got My Mind Set on Brew" in purple text.
Book cover featuring a woman embracing a man holding a knife, with the woman’s face partially visible and staring. The title is 'Close Enough to Hurt' in large pink letters, and the author's name 'Katherine A. Olson' is at the bottom. The background

Testimonials

Jess Verdi is a brilliant editor with a keen eye for detail and a gift for bringing out the best in a writer. I’ve had the privilege of working with her for years and my books are immeasurably better because of her advice and guidance. I can’t recommend her highly enough!

—Amy E., New York Times bestselling YA and adult romance author

Jess is absolutely fantastic!! I loved being able to work with her; she is attentive, observant, responsible, meets deadlines, and always approaches conversations in a welcoming and warm way. Her attention to detail is stellar, and her feedback and suggestions are also fantastic, being very detailed and specific! Highly recommend her work :)

—Gabby M., self-published YA author

Jess Verdi is hands down the best editor I’ve ever worked with. I love this girl! She really knows how to make a book shine and has a keen eye that’ll help you shape and craft a novel to its finest. She’s worked on several of my books and will continue to be my go-to Girl Friday. I can’t recommend her more highly!

—Daco A., traditionally published thriller author

Jess Verdi is a gifted writer, reader, and editor. She edited my jaunty contemporary romance and also my dark Gothic Victorian romance—two very different projects! She was able to see each manuscript on its own terms and to make each manuscript more truly the novel it wanted to be. That’s one of the things that’s so great about working with Jess. She doesn’t impose her editorial vision. Instead, she sees what you’re trying to do and helps you do it better. You get her edits and you say to yourself, “Oh, THAT’S what I meant!” And you feel super smart and shiny. Every writer should get to have that experience. Thank you, Jess!

—Joanna L., award-winning romance author

A woman standing outdoors near a river, wearing a colorful floral top and wide-legged pants, with arms raised and flexed, smiling and looking at the camera.

Let’s chat about your project!