For novelists ready for a partner

Show me the book you've written; I'll show you the one only you can write.

A developmental editor, line editor, and book coach with thirty years in publishing, including major New York houses.

  • W. W. Norton
  • Ecco / HarperCollins
  • Reedsy
  • RWA speaker
Amanda Sumner, developmental editor and book coach
Is this you?

Maybe you’ve just finished your first novel. Maybe you’ve published five and want the next one to be your best. Either way, you’re not after a light once-over and a pat on the head — you want someone who reads every line closely, tells you the truth with real kindness, and cares about your book almost as much as you do.

Elevate your craft

What I’ll help you do

Whether you’re staring down your first finished draft or shaping your fifth published novel, here’s the work we’ll do together.

  • Find the story you’re reaching for — and help you get it on the page, whether you’re outlining or deep in a draft.
  • Pinpoint what’s holding the book back — structure, pacing, an arc or a scene that won’t land — and show you how to lift it.
  • Sharpen the prose line by line, so your voice rings clearer and every sentence earns its place.
  • Push a strong book toward an unforgettable one — the kind readers stay up too late finishing.
  • Tell you the truth about what’s working and what isn’t — always in service of your voice.
  • Stay in your corner, from first idea to final polish — whether this is your debut or your fifth novel.
Three ways I can help

Editing for wherever you are in the book

Not sure which you need? That’s exactly what the order below is for — find yourself in it, and we’ll take it from there.

You're still drafting

Book coaching

A developmental partner while you write — structure, momentum, and honest feedback, chapter by chapter, so the draft you finish is one worth editing.

You've finished a draft

Developmental editing

Big-picture work on character, plot, structure, and pacing — a clear-eyed editorial report plus in-line notes that show you the book your draft is trying to become.

Your draft is solid

Line editing

Sentence-level craft — rhythm, clarity, and word choice, line by line — sharpening the prose until it reads unmistakably like you, only better.

Quoted from your sample edit Request a sample edit
Voice first

My job isn’t to make your book sound like me. It’s to help it sound completely, unmistakably like you — at your best.

I trained inside major New York publishing houses, and I’ve spent more than thirteen years bringing that experience to independent novelists. I’m warm, I’m candid, and I’ll be as invested in your book as you are — your partner in making it the strongest, truest version of itself, and keeping it unmistakably yours.

Experience & results

Three decades behind your book

30+ years in publishing, including major New York houses
13+ years with independent fiction writers
national-conference speaker for Romance Writers of America
IPPY & National Readers’ Choice awards among client books

Trained and certified as a copyeditor. Books I’ve edited have won and placed in the IPPY Awards and the National Readers’ Choice Award.

In their words

What writers say

A few of the novelists I've worked with — in romance, fantasy, and beyond.

She is very professional and sweet, loving my characters almost as much as I did.
Briana B. Urban fantasy author
Amanda has been my go-to freelance editor for years. She is thorough and thoughtful, and I trust her work implicitly. In fact, she is so good that readers have left comments on how well-edited my book is. Seriously. More importantly, she is a lovely person and a dream to work with. I recommend her highly!!
Natalie Charles Contemporary romance novelist
If you're after an honest, diligent, highly experienced editor, then look no further than Amanda. I've entrusted her with my fiction novel series, and her edits and suggestions were valuable, making for a stronger, more compelling story.
Art M. Science-fiction & thriller author
How it works

From first pages to finished book

  1. Start with a sample or a call

    Send a few pages for a sample edit, or book a short call. Either way I get the project questions I need first.

  2. A plan and a quote

    I tell you straight which service fits where you are, what the work involves, and what it costs — no surprises.

  3. The edit itself

    We work in the manuscript together: candid notes, real conversation, and genuine care for your story.

  4. The book only you can write

    You come away with a stronger draft and a clearer sense of your own voice — ready for readers.

Let's find the book only you can write.

Send a few pages for a sample edit, or book a 15-minute call. I read every message myself.