Michael Carr is an editor, copy editor, translator, and writer—some 300 titles and counting, for major publishers including Time Warner Books, Penguin Putnam, Little, Brown and Co., Kensington, Regnery, Holcomb Hathaway, Globo Libros, and many others. Fiction editing and copyediting credits include hardback literary and historical, crime/mystery, drama, fantasy, and science fiction. Representative crime fiction titles: New York Times Notable Book of the Year winner Archer Mayor’s Gatekeeper and The Surrogate Thief, Brad Meltzer’s political thriller The Zero Game (#3 NY Times best-seller), Robert Greer’s Heat Shock, and Patricia Smiley’s Cover Your Assets (L.A. Times best-seller). Fantasy and science fiction works include Beyond Infinity, by Gregory Benford (who has cowritten with Arthur C. Clarke), Stewart and Cohen’s Heaven, and Michael Moorcock’s The White Wolf’s Son, to name but a few. Nonfiction titles run the gamut: from scholarly to self-help, business, and motivation; from health and psychology to history, politics, world affairs, and popular culture, with a little forensic science and true crime thrown in. Representative nonfiction titles include Bernard Goldberg’s Arrogance (NY Times best-seller), CNN Crossfire host Tucker Carlson’s Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites, Rev. Al Sharpton’s Al on America, and CNN host Lou Dobbs’s Exporting America. Robert Ankony’s LURPS:A Ranger’s Diary of Tet, Khe Sanh, A Shau, and Quang Tri, was nominated for the Army Historical Foundation’s 2006 Distinguished Writing Award. Michael’s own published work includes narrative nonfiction, short fiction, and poetry, as well as mainstream articles on everything from adventure travel to martial arts. Michael has an MA in English and taught creative writing and poetry at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Every day, terrific manuscripts get tossed because of avoidable problems with grammar and punctuation, factual or logical oversights, or an inelegant transition or turn of phrase—things that a professional edit could have fixed. A good editor, like a good doctor, knows what to fix and what to leave alone, and remembers always, “First, do no harm.”
Substantive Editing, Copyediting, Rewriting, Translation (Spanish to English)
Fiction and Nonfiction: Literary, How-to, Psychology, Self-Help, Crime Fiction, Drama, Fantasy, Sci-fi, True Crime, International Relations, Current Affairs, Nature and Science, Military History, Forensic Science, Travel
Partial list from some 350 titles edited (developmental,
substantive, or copyediting)
Crime/mystery Will Adams, The Alexander Cipher Leslie Banks, Betrayal of Trust Leslie Banks, Dark Dreams James Scott Bell, Try Darkness Marc Blatte (as Goodman Brody) Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed
James Cobb, Robert Ludlum's The Arctic Event Mark Cohen, Bluetick Revenge Jeffrey Cruikshank, Murder at the B-School Robert Dugoni, The Jury Master Robert Greer, Heat Shock Archer Mayor, Chat Archer Mayor, Gatekeeper Archer Mayor, The Second Mouse Archer Mayor, The Surrogate Thief *Brad Meltzer, The Zero Game Marcia Muller, Cape Perdition Marcia Muller, Cyanide Wells Marcia Muller, Dangerous Hour Gary Phillips, Bangers David Rosenfelt, Play Dead Patricia Smiley, False Profits Patricia Smiley, Cover Your
Assets Jeff Stetson, Justice Donald Westlake, The Road to
Ruin Donald Westlake, Thieves' Dozen Donald Westlake, Watch Your Back Donald Westlake (as Richard Stark), Nobody Runs Forever
Fantasy Ashok Banker, Prince of Ayodhya Gregory Benford, Beyond Infinity David & Leigh Eddings, The Elder Gods Michael Moorcock, The White Wolf's Son
Ian Stewart & Jack Cohen, Heaven
Drama, romance Wendy Alec, The Fall of Lucifer Wendy Alec, Messiah Cheri Paris Edwards, Plenty Good Room Aisha Ford, Flippin' the Script
Dorothy Garlock, Song of the Road Nancy Lieberman, Admissions Lauren Lipton, It's about Your Husband
Jane Porter, The Frog Prince Robin Schwarz, Night Swimming R. D. Snowcroft, The Blanchard Brothers Film Company David Soos, The Gilded Cage Michelle Stimpson, Boaz Brown Michelle Stimpson, Divas of Damascus Road Caroline Upcher, Falling for Mr. Wrong
Spanish-language romance Luz Borges, Deuda de amor
Lourdes Carvajal, Bésame mucho
Diana Escalera, Jugando con candela
Berta Platas Fuller, Todo de mí
Diana García, Aviso oportuno
Leticia Gómez, Dulce destino
Yvette González, Canto de amor
Victoria Márquez, Cortejo cálido
Sylvia Mendoza, Olas de pasión
Liliana Monteil-Doucette, Conquista
Reyna Ríos, Destino amor
Hebby Roman, La mejor apuesta
Lynda Sandoval, Solo tú
Lynda Sandoval, Soñando contigo
Caridad Scordato, Con todo mi corazón
Dalia Vargas, Blue Moon (translation to English)
Consuelo Vázquez, Estrella
Psychology/self-help/religion Leigh Broadhurst, Natural Asthma Relief Brendon Burchard, Life's Golden Ticket
Brendon Burchard, The Monkey Bar Mind-set Brendon Burchard, The Student Leadership Guide Carlene Cross, Fleeing Fundamentalism David Dempsey, Better to Best: How to Speak for
Extraordinary Results &Every Time! Ken Futch, Take Your Best Shot Dra. Isabel Gómez-Bassols, Dónde están las instrucciones? (Spanish)
James & Beth Hood, Where's the Map? Create Your Own Guide to Life after Graduation
*Russ Harris, MD, The Happiness Trap Harold Levinson, MD, Smart but Feeling Dumb: New Research
on Dyslexia Laurie Martin, Smile across Your Heart David ben Moshe, The Secret of the Jews: Letters to
Nietzsche Will Patterson, The Baron Son Alexandra Robbins and Abby Wilner, Quarter-life Crisis: The Unique Challenges of Life in Your Twenties
Dan Thurmon, Success in Action
Political/documentary/memoir Robert Ankony, LURPS: A Ranger's Diary of Khe Sanh, A
Shau, and Quang Tri Tucker Carlson, Politicians, Partisans, and Parasites Lou Dobbs, Exporting America: Why Corporate Greed Is
Shipping American Jobs Overseas Rusty Fleming, Drug Wars: The Colombianization of Mexico Samantha Glen, Best Friends: The True Story of the World's Most Beloved Animal Sanctuary
*Bernard Goldberg, Arrogance: Rescuing America from the
Media Elite Steve Jackson, No Stone Unturned: The Story of
NecroSearch International Joan Potter, African American
Firsts: Famous Little-Known and Unsung Triumphs of Blacks in America
Reverend Al Sharpton, Al on America Jewel Woods, Don't Blame It on Rio
* (denotes NY Times or international best-seller)
Feedback
"Michael helped me identify clever banter that did not move the plot along. He showed where several possibly entertaining scenes distracted from the plot and suspense. He told me which scenes, dialogue, and characters he loved and which fell a little flat. Most of all, he helped me understand that the emotional impact of each scene must be carefully planned and executed for overall effect. His goal was not just to improve my manuscript (which he did) but to make me a better writer. I recommend him highly."
"Michael Carr was the best thing that could have ever happened to my novel. He went above and beyond and I will use him for all novels to come." — (Contact information on request)
"The network worked impressively well in referring me to three possible editors each of whom gave me substantive and thoughtful comments. Michael Carr is a gifted editor. While I do not have extensive experience in this field, I do understand competence." — Jarlath Hume
"First I must mention that had it not been for the service I would not have found Michael Carr and would still be trying to get my ms into a viable form. Your editor profiles were informative and the response times were very prompt.
As to Michael Carr, what can I say? What he has done with my ms is amazing. At the outset of my project I had thought that my ideas and imagination were enough. Boy was I wrong! What Michael started with was a rough stone that he threw into a tumbler. What emerged was something more shiny and polished. I got so much more than a fine tuned ms; I got knowledge, and expertise that was willingly given. Michael took the time to teach me, to lead me in the direction necessary to become a more effective and efficient writer. I got more than I ever imagined in terms of the finished product. But even more than that, what Michael took the time to impart to me, to coin a cliché, is priceless.
Working with Michael has been an experience that rivals the experience of writing the book. His eyes, his perspective and experience not only made my words better, it has made me better. I will now be able to embark on the next phase, getting my work published, with the confidence and knowledge that my ms is not only ready, but that time effort (and of course money) was invested to make it is as good as it can be."
—Mark Shaff
"Michael Carr is a very talented and creative editor. He is straightforward, exceptionally responsive and honest. It is a real pleasure to work with him and I would use and recommend his services at any opportunity." — Rami Loya
"Michael Carr did a great job cutting the fat and increasing the tension. I imagine there are a lot of good editors who deal effectively with sentence-by-sentence editing for typos, spelling, grammar, and punctuation, but a gifted editor puts fresh eyes on a piece of fiction and sees problems and stylistic opportunities that the author misses. Carr is a gifted editor. The story was all there when I sent it to him, but when I got it back, less had become more—the prose was so much cleaner and clearer. Before, it moved; now it races. Judicious cutting also added to consistency of voice and thereby to dramatic unity. Even though I had written the book, I got deeply into reading the edited version because I wanted to know what happens next. I was so engrossed, I forgot that I already knew. Oh, yes, right, wow!" — George Davis, author of The Melting Points, and also of Coming Home, on which the movie starring Jane Fonda and John Voight was based.
"Michael Carr provided excellent advice that I could clearly understand and use. He gets to the problem areas and doesn't mince words. I wish that I had used his knowledge and perspective a year ago." — Ron Winters
"Michael was fabulous; responsive; encouraging but also pointed out areas that needed improvement; enthusiastic; truly truly helpful. He worked quickly and we stayed on schedule. As I read his suggestions, I could see that he often chose words with more 'punch' and that his selections greatly enhanced the impact. I could not be more pleased and am grateful that I 'found' him. I'm really delighted." — Christine M. Whitehead
"I am very happy with the results of the editing done by your editor, Michael J. Carr. He did a great job cutting the fat and thereby increasing the tension so that reader involvement is heightened. I imagine that there are a lot of good editors who deal effectively with sentence-by-sentence editing for typographical, spelling, grammar and punctuation errors, but a gifted editor puts fresh eyes on a piece of fiction and sees problems and stylistic opportunities that the author misses. Carr is a gifted editor.
The story was all there when I sent it to him but when I got it back less had becomemore, the prose was so much cleaner and clearer. Before it moved now it races.
Judicious cutting also seems to have added to consistence of voice and thereby to dramatic unity. Even though I had written the book I got deeply into reading the edited version because I wanted to know what happens next. I was so engrossed that I forgot that I already knew. Oh, yes, right, wow!" — George Davis, Author/Professor Emeritus (Creative Writing)
"Michael is the best editor I've ever worked with. His instincts for what needed to change and his razor sharp eye for detail were brilliant. His knowledge of a wide range of subjects and complete command of the English language amazed me. Michael understands how to make a piece of writing technically solid as well as lovely to read. Besides all that, he is a delight to work with! I won't submit another book for publication without his help." — Carlene Cross, author, The Undying West and Sacred Deceit
"Michael, the rewrite is spot-on. You made us look good. We plan to have you canonized." — Sara Ann Freed, Ellery Queen Award–winning crime fiction editor, Time Warner Books
"Michael Carr is one of the sharpest, most conscientious and diligent editors I have encountered in the more than ten years I have worked as a writer and publisher. His knack for finding the precise words and turns of phrase is exceeded perhaps only by his wisdom as a human being. Whatever the subject at hand, he has displayed a priceless ability to make writers better." — Adam Gamble, On Cape Publications, Dennis, Massachusetts
"Michael Carr’s copyediting made the language sing. His pleasant cajoling, diplomatic manner, and artful buffing unquestionably improved the final product. I recommend him without reservation—except I fear that he will become too busy for our next project." — David J. Dempsey, JD, CEO of Dempsey Communications, LLC, author of Legally Speaking
"Michael Carr has professional skills and artistic talents that proved invaluable in his work on my manuscript.… He was pleasant, prompt, and candid. It was an education and a pleasure to work with him." — Robert C. Ankony, author of Lurps: A Ranger’s Diary of Tet, Khe Sanh, A Shau, and Quang Tri, nominated for the Army Historical Foundation’s 2006 Distinguished Writing Award.
"I can't say enough about how pleasant the entire experience of working with Michael Carr was. He was at all times gracious, patient, and helpful. And he had to work with someone (me) who had been using an out-of-date program and had written a long, unwieldy novel. Michael put it all together with a more focused storyline, still using all of my many beloved original small-town characters. There was never a phone call or e-mail that went unanswered, never a doubt or stumble on my part that wasn’t met with his voice of assurance." — Marianne Gage, author of The Wind Came Running
"Michael Carr is the finest editor I have ever worked with. His attention to detail, ability to choose the perfect word or phrase, and mastery of syntax and grammar is nothing short of remarkable. He truly made each sentence of my project sing with clarity and rhythm. Just as important, he provided 'big picture' feedback on the overall message of my book, saving me on multiple occasions from taking tangents that would have harmed my credibility and impact with the reader. I'm thrilled with the final product. Overall, a phenomenal experience." — Brendon Burchard, author, The Golden Ticket and The Student Leadership Guide
"Looking back, I didn’t pay enough for Michael's services. He was insightful, constantly available, and consistently on the money with every aspect of my writing. He made it a thoroughly enjoyable working, as well as learning, experience. I can enthusiastically recommend him." — Richard R. Bobé MD
"The work that Michael did exceeded all expectations. Thanks to him, my novel is cohesive, easily comprehended, and wonderfully descriptive.
I have forwarded a couple of blurbs [below] that I've gotten from people who write for the New York Times and the San Francisco Chronicle. All of the good things that they say are in part a reflection of his artistry." — Goodman Brody
"Reading Humpty Dumpty Was Pushed, the pages flew. I went through them like money. Goodman is a natural storyteller, as incapable of writing a boring sentence as he was in his former life of writing a lackluster melody." — Peter DeJong, writer, New York Times and New York magazine, coauthor of the best-seller Beach House, with James Patterson
"After living in California all these years, it’s a pleasure to be hit with this big dose of New York energy. A broad spectrum of characters appears here, dangerous flaws and wild humanity intact." — Marianne Rogoff, book reviewer, San Francisco Chronicle
"I must thank my editor, Michael Carr, who kept me on track throughout the development of my novel by questioning my occasional assumptions and resolving any of my literary and grammatical shortcomings with his stellar expertise and suggestions.” — Clyde Payne, author of Trailing the Moccasin
"Michael Carr is an excellent editor. All of his comments and suggestions were offered with grace and style and professionalism. There were days when personal hardship brought crushing weight into his life, and not once did he allow it to diminish his cheerful demeanor, his high quality efforts, or his concern for my well-being as a writer." — Harley Carnes
"Thank-you, I could not be any more pleased with your service. Retaining Michael Carr's editing services made the difference between writing two hundred pages of never ending thoughts that would end up stuck in my computer for the rest of its life and; having an informative and entertaining manuscript that has a real shot at getting published in the near future. His professionalism and exceptional skills have been worth every dime. I would recommend Michael and your service to any writer regardless of their experience or lack thereof. This was the best decision I made in the entire project." — Gary Fleming Jr., Renavatio Productions
"First I must mention that had it not been for the service I would not have found Michael Carr and would still be trying to get my ms into a viable form. Your editor profiles were informative and the response times were very prompt. What he has done with my ms is amazing. At the outset of my project I had thought that my ideas and imagination were enough. Boy was I wrong! What Michael started with was a rough stone that he threw into a tumbler. What emerged was something more shiny and polished. I got so much more than a fine tuned ms; I got knowledge, and expertise that was willingly given. Michael took the time to teach me, to lead me in the direction necessary to become a more effective and efficient writer. I got more than I ever imagined in terms of the finished product. But even more than that, what Michael took the time to impart to me, to coin a cliché, is priceless. Working with Michael has been an experience that rivals the experience of writing the book. His eyes, his perspective and experience not only made my words better, it has made me better. I will now be able to embark on the next phase, getting my work published, with the confidence and knowledge that my ms is not only ready, but that time effort (and of course money) was invested to make it is as good as it can be." Thank you Michael, Mark Shaff
Submission
Cut and paste the questions and answers into an e-mail:
You may send your initial submission to all addresses to make sure it's received.
Required:
Submit the first 50 pages of your manuscript (Word/DOC or RTF
attachment preferred). Large files
should be zipped. Attachment not required if writing has not started
(e.g., because you're looking for a ghostwriter).
A sample is required to receive an estimate
for editing services
Along with a sample, the following information is required. Ignore questions that do not apply to your
project (e.g., footnotes).
(01) Word count of complete project (under "Tools" in MS Word):
(02) Put your 100-word (approx) synopsis/description here (or attach):
(03) Describe your genre and topic (e.g., nonfiction/self-help, science fiction,
horror, romance, mystery, Western, young adult, children, poetry, Christian, creative nonfiction, literary):
(04) Deadline date, if any, for return of complete project. (Please be realistic. Remember that professional editors usually have a project in process.):
(05) If you have no immediate deadline, when do you want to start the editing process?: (For instance: within 30 days, within 60 days, within 90 days, 4-12 months)
Copyediting / Proofreading / Line Editing (e.g., English corrections, typos, paragraph and sentence structure, word use)
Developmental (e.g., help with the big picture, such as flow/pacing, telling the story, characterization, structure, style)
Rewriting / Ghostwriting
Critique / Evaluation
(07) Number of charts/tables/pictures (if any):
(08) Writing style/format manual (e.g., Chicago Manual, APA, MLA), if applicable:
(09) Number of footnotes/references:
(10) Do you have a contract with an agent or publisher?:
(11) Do you plan to self-publish?:
(12) What is your budget for the entire project?
$ ________________
(Note: The editors will quote their regular rates, but having an idea of your budget allows the editors to tell you what services they can provide to stay within that budget.)
(13) Your name:
(14) E-mail addresses:
(15) Day/evening phone numbers (required -- in case the response to your e-mail bounces or the editors need clarification
regarding the scope of service needed, deadline, etc.):
(16) City, State, Country (or time zone):
(17) The name(s) of the editor(s)/writer(s) you'd like to contact.
(If no names are selected, your e-mail will be sent to several consultants chosen by the coordinator):
(18) Do you want the coordinator to reroute your submission if you requested editors/writers who (a) are not available by your deadline date, (b) do not handle the type of material you submitted, and/or (c) do not perform the service(s) you want?
(19) How did you learn about our service?:
(20) Attach the first 50 pages of your manuscript (include prologue/preface, proposal, query)
Notes:
No hidden charges
We won't quote you one price and charge you another. When possible, we'll provide you with a per-word or per-page rate so you'll know up front exactly
how much your project will cost. (Of course, we ask that you fairly represent the scope of your project.)
It is a mistaken notion that freelance editors work "on spec" (speculation) with no payment to the editor. It is basically asking the editor to work for free. There's no guarantee that a book will see a profit (or even be published). The editors posted here do not work on spec.
Note: Price quotes and time estimates for individual editors cannot be given over the phone or via chat. This is a network of freelance editors with varying prices and work schedules (see our FAQ). To obtain a price quote please follow the procedures listed on our quotes page.
Contact live support if you do not receive a response within three hours. It is possible that your submission was not received. You may also page the network coordinator by leaving voicemail or sending a fax to 469-789-3030.
Please be as complete as
possible in representing your project's scope and size so you will receive
the most accurate estimate.
Disclaimer: Your agreement, whether oral or written, is with your freelance editor / proofreader / writer, not with the freelance network as a whole or its coordinator.