I’m a professional editor, certified Author Accelerator book coach, Pitch Wars mentor, and writing instructor.

As your editor and coach, I’ll push you to develop your novel into dynamite. But, more importantly, during our time together you’ll better refine your craft and gain confidence in your work. I love helping writers with character development, world building, and plot, but I love-love helping writers rediscover dedication and joy for their process. I’m also obsessed with getting down into the grit of the prose through line edits—fleshing out the rhythm and magic and finding the sharpest way to render a sentence.

I work with all genres of MG and YA. In adult, I’m a great fit for horror, domestic and psychological thrillers, romance, and literary fiction. I also love editing and coaching creative nonfiction projects (particularly memoirs and narrative-driven self-help). Finally, I have wide experience with LGBTQ+ and diverse fiction and offer sensitivity readings for several different topics; please inquire to see if I’m the right fit.

Whether you have a messy first draft or a revised manuscript that's nearly ready to go, I offer editorial packages that will help you reach your goals. 

Testimonials

“I have worked with Heather on several projects now, and I absolutely cannot imagine my creative writing/novel development process without her! She is a total dream. We've worked on everything from early project brainstorming to substantive and line edits, and she brings her wonderful attentiveness and thoughtfulness to everything she does. Heather has a masterful understanding of the craft of writing and truly takes the time to understand what makes a writer's project-in-development tick.  I am fiercely loyal to her as a book coach and editor - I cannot imagine working with anyone else at this point. I truly feel that Heather brings a special sort of magic to book coaching - I have boundless amounts of gratitude and appreciation for all her invaluable guidance and kindness!”
- Christy Goerzen, author of River Mermaid (Crwth Press); Explore, Farmed Out, and The Big Apple Effect (Orca Books)

“Heather is an absolute dream to work with, and when she’s in, she’s all in. Heather doesn’t do anything at 50% – she dives in head first and is fully committed. Aside from that, Heather is such a talented writer. The first edit letter I received from her was comprehensive and detailed, and her ideas were spot-on. Heather truly got my story and what I wanted to do, and her suggestions took my manuscript to the next level. While I was revising, Heather was always available, so I could email whenever I was feeling stuck, and she’d get back to me right away with tons of encouragement. That’s the thing about working with Heather – you’re getting an editor with so much expertise and talent, but you’re also getting a cheerleader and friend. Not only did my manuscript improve by leaps and bounds, but so did my writing. After two months of working with Heather, I had a fully revised manuscript that I was incredibly proud of and started querying my manuscript right when Pitch Wars ended, and one month later I had an offer of representation from an amazing agent. I joke that Heather is my manuscript’s fairy godmother because it really feels that way. I cannot recommend her highly enough!” 
- Rachel Griffin, author of The Nature of Witches (Sourcebooks)

“I had a wonderful experience working with Heather on my latest project. Her thorough feedback included the perfect mix of nitty-gritty details and big-picture story points, and her tone struck the ideal balance between critical and encouraging. I also really liked how straightforward and actionable her comments were, and always felt inspired after receiving her comments. Last but not least, I enjoyed how smooth the process was. Heather sent her notes when she said she would and was always available for follow-up questions. A very positive experience overall, and I miss our exchanges. Until next time!”
- Anne-Sophie Jouhanneau, author of Kisses and Croissants (Random House - Delacorte Press)

"I was struggling with my story arc in a dual POV novel and hired Heather for a developmental edit. She was very supportive of my work and always ready to champion my characters! With her suggestions, my novel took on a sharper shape and definitely improved. I would not have gone in that direction on my own and am grateful for her insight. Thanks, Heather!"
- Alexandra Latos, author of Under Shifting Stars (HMH Books for Young Readers)

“I wanted to thank Heather again a million times for helping me kickstart my book. I could have never done it so quickly and seamlessly without her help. Heather was such a kind champion and always made excellent suggestions.”
- Taleen Voskuni, author of Sorry, Bro (forthcoming spring 2023, Berkley - Penguin Books)

“I am so grateful to have been matched with Heather as my book coach. There is something magical when you find the right person to help you with your manuscript, and in this case, I feel really lucky to have found someone as genuinely interested and invested in my book as Heather. We worked together for nearly ten months on my first book (a memoir); to say she was helpful is an understatement. She played a part in a huge transformation, from me feeling initially really unconfident and scared about sharing my thoughts, to me feeling fully activated and unafraid to step into my voice. Although I’m relatively new to writing, I feel more confident not only about my story, but also about myself as a writer. Working with Heather has been an invaluable experience, and I highly recommend working with her.”
- Michelle Yu

“Heather is truly excellent at helping you dive into a deep developmental edit. She helped me unearth character motivations, heighten stakes, and tighten my prose, all with a critical eye. She knows how and where to hit those powerful emotional beats. The best part (and most important part, in my opinion) is that Heather was able to do all of this without ever changing my vision of the story. She truly brought my manuscript to further heights, and I can't recommend her enough!”
- Alexandria Warwick, author of The Demon Race, Below, and Night (Wolf Publishing )

"If you’re looking for writing assistance to turn your beloved story into a professional, competitive novel, Heather Ezell is exactly the resource expert you need. I’ve always had a plethora of ideas, but struggled through draft after draft, not knowing how to begin to fix them. Heather’s balance between coaching and kindness gave me hope. Her comments as we worked to reoutline chapters and plots coupled with her resources she’s given me have transformed my work and pushed my writing growth in more ways than I could have ever imagined. She commits to your success, and her time and talents show in both her editing letter and thorough evaluation no matter if it’s a chapter, or a mixed outline with free writing. I look forward to every submission. I can’t say enough about how grateful I am to work with her."
- Erika Beebe, author of short stories, "The Wheat Witch" in Hero Lost Anthology and "Stage Fright" from One More Day Anthology

"If you’re the type of crazy person who has no business writing a book and does so anyway, you need Heather! I scoured the internet to find a freelance editor who was a perfect fit. Heather has been like having a writers’ reference library at my fingertips. Not knowing what I didn’t know, Heather gave me insight on what the underlying current of my story was, how to pinpoint my characters’ motivations, and where to kill my darlings. If you feel stuck in your writing or need a pair of critical (yet encouraging) expert eyes, investing in Heather’s editing services will give you the second wind to move forward confidently."
- Noelle Williams

“I can’t tell you how invaluable [book coaching] has been for me during the first six weeks of this six-month commitment. I am so energized and excited to write the novel I’ve always wanted to write, the one I always knew I could write.” – Adra Benjamin

"Heather is a combination thoughtful-thorough editor. She read my piece multiple times, mulled it over, and was able to synthesize her opinions into a helpful edit letter that tied together the line edits she’d punched throughout my text. I had so many revision rounds under my belt at this point, and her fresh perspective was what I needed to grasp the overhaul that would have to happen in order for a publisher to take my manuscript seriously. My suggestion for anyone considering Heather as an editor is to tell her your concerns about your piece in advance, your biggest insecurities. I did that, and she kept them in mind, was able to address each."
- Raimey Gallant, shortlisted winner for the Crime Writers of Canada Unhanged Arthur Ellis Award

“I found Heather when I was in desperate need of guidance for my book.  I had loads of pages but, I didn't know how to put them together.  I didn't know how to make my information an actual story. And I wasn't sure how to motivate myself further if I didn't know how to move forward.  Heather was the best thing that happened to me and my writing career.  She listened to what I needed, and offered affordable plans that were catered to me and where I was at.  During the whole process we were able to cater to what I was looking for and what I needed from her as a coach, which changed and is still changing.  Her constant enthusiasm, guidance, and interest in not only my story but ALSO me as a writer is invaluable, and I am SO lucky to have her on my team.”
-Katlyn Murphy

"I knew the moment Heather replied to my first email that she was the perfect editor for me. This was my first time going through a freelance editor, and she made the whole process so exciting and enjoyable. She answered all of my many questions and guided me through with so much ease. Because of her I was able to cut my manuscript down from 120k plus words to 80k words, and her feedback made doing that a piece of cake! I am so proud and grateful to have found her editing services."
- Randi Weigel

Editing Packages

BOOK COACHING
My favorite service, this is for writers in development who are ready to buckle down--whether you’re just embarking on your first draft, diving back into your manuscript for a revision, or simply eager to develop your craft. Book coaching includes weekly writing submissions of 15 double-spaced pages with big picture feedback and line edits, homework as needed, and unlimited back and forth emails for anything from brainstorming to cheerleading. You'll receive support, comprehensive feedback as you write and revise, and high-touch accountability. Typically, writers complete a strong manuscript or revision in 6 months. There is an option for twice-monthly coaching at a reduced rate.
 
DEVELOPMENTAL EDIT
My developmental edit includes a full read of your manuscript and a comprehensive edit letter. My suggestions will range from big picture issues (characters, plot, POV, world-building, etc.) to the more granular elements, such as language and style. Your developmental edit includes unlimited brainstorming and troubleshooting emails in the month following the delivery of my edit letter.
 
LINE EDIT
Want someone to dig deep into your prose? My line edits are for you. I will work through your manuscript and edit for flow, voice consistency, dialogue, grammar, pacing, and more. I want to help make your prose shine, while also giving you tools for self-editing down the road. You can expect detailed in-text edits and in-line comments. The line edit package is for authors who have completed thorough revisions on their manuscript; before agreeing to work with you on a line edit I will review the first chapter of your project to ensure you’re ready for this next step.
 
SENSITIVITY READ
A substantive reading of your novel with an emphasis on spotting bias, stereotypes, cultural inaccuracies, representation issues, and problematic language. Please contact me for greater specifics to see if I’m the right sensitivity reader for your project.

SUBMISSION PACKAGE 
My submission package is a thorough critique of your query letter, synopsis (up to 3 pages), and your first 10 sample pages. This package is for authors with manuscripts that are ready to go out on submission. All pieces will receive in-text edits and detailed comments meant to help prime your material for agent review.

Interested?