Featured Testimonial: Chevy Stevens, author of Still Missing, a NY Times bestseller

I have nothing but wonderful things to say about my experiences with the professionals at the Editorial Department. They helped me write my second book, from initial concept to manuscript completion, in less than two months. Ross Browne did a masterful job of quarterbacking the team. He knew just what professional to use at each stage of the process. Peter Gelfan, their man in New York, made important initial suggestions that completely changed the structure and direction of my book. After his initial suggestions, Peter was extraordinarily responsive in editing my chapters, often returning my work via e-mail at warp speed. Peter was constructive, brutally honest and made the process a lot of fun with his wry sense of humor. Once the proposal was completed, Beth Lieberman put the icing on the cake from Los Angeles. Beth made some excellent suggestions regarding content and did a masterful job with the line editing. Finally, Karinya Funsett-Topping ran the anchor leg and landed an agent for my book with the prestigious Jean Naggar Agency. I give the Editorial Department my highest recommendation. Life is too short to work with mediocre editors. These folks are a class act!....

Steven D. Knope, M.D., Tucson, AZ

A couple of years ago, I had the good fortune of meeting a charming lady named Renni Browne. An old friend of hers had gotten himself into trouble in my neck of the woods, and she called my law office to see whether I'd be willing to represent him in court. I was.

Not long after that, however, I decided I'd had my fill of practicing law. I'd always fancied myself a decent writer, and I told my wife I thought I'd give fiction writing a try. "Call Renni Browne," she said. "Isn't she an editor?"

I called Renni, met her for lunch in her favorite restaurant in Greeneville, Tennessee, and handed her a sheaf of paper on which I'd written what I hoped would be the beginning of a publishable manuscript. She looked at it for about thirty seconds and said, "You can write."

Over the next year, Renni and Ross Browne helped me develop a novel called "An Innocent Client." Back and forth my manuscript went, like a child on a swing. I'd write something and Renni would say, "You've got it." I'd write something else and she'd say, "Not quite. Try again." Keep in mind, folks, that I was a novice. A rookie. A short-timer. I had absolutely no clue how to write a novel.

Today, I am soon to be an internationally published author. Renni and Ross helped me get the manuscript into shape, and then Karinya joined the team and they went the extra mile. They found literary agent Philip Spitzer for me. Renni even talked him into "briefcasing" the manuscript. He read it in only two days.

Mr. Spitzer and his very capable assistant, Lukas Ortiz, have since sold the novel in Japan, France, Germany, Bulgaria (don't laugh, their money spends like everyone else's) and yes, the good ol' USA. I now have a two-book contract with New American Library, a division of Penguin.

I feel lucky. I feel humbled. But most of all, I feel grateful. I'm grateful to everyone at the Editorial Department, and especially grateful to Renni Browne. Without them, my dream would not have come true.

Scott Pratt, Johnson City, TN

Featured Testimonial: Sheila Lowe, author of Poison Pen and the Claudia Rose series

Several years ago Ross Browne critiqued my manuscript, POISON PEN (mystery introducing handwriting expert, Claudia Rose), which was the first really helpful input I'd had. While it was still a long road to publication, Ross's comments helped me understand and implement important changes that needed to be made throughout the book. Bottom line, last month Poison Pen received a starred review in Publishers Weekly. As a result, Penguin has purchased the first two books in the series from Capital Crime Press, the small publisher who took it on. So, I wanted to let you know that you do really good work and you are free to quote me. I've recommended your book to many writers and have listed it as recommended reading for attendees at the upcoming Book Passage Mystery Conference, where I'll be on the faculty.

Sheila Lowe,  Valencia, CA

Featured Testimonial: Maurice Medland, bestselling author of China Star

My first encounter—though it was completely unknown to me—was back in the days when I was trying to find an agent to rep my first novel, a thriller titled The Boarding Party. One of the New York agents who had asked to see the manuscript had the great good sense to send it to Ross Browne at The Editorial Department to evaluate it and make a recommendation as to whether he should take it on or not. Ross, told me recently that ". . .your manuscript was by far the strongest of any of the submissions I ever reviewed for him. I doubt you ever saw it, but I wrote a very enthusiastic recommendation that he take on TBP." The agent did take it on, and the rest, as they say, is history. He sold the book in a hard/soft deal with Kensington/Pinnacle, and the book, retitled Point of Honor and armed with a Clive Cussler endorsement, went on to become a national bestseller.

My second encounter with (and first awareness of) The Editorial Department came when I was teaching a course in fiction writing at The University of California, Irvine. I was looking for a book that my students could take with them that would reinforce all the principles of good writing that I had tried to teach them. I came across a wonderful little book called Self-Editing for Fiction Writers. My students loved it and so did I. Of all the books on writing in my library, SEFW is still the most dog-eared. The book, it turned out, was co-authored by Renni Browne, a former editor for William Morrow, and Dave King. Renni, I noted in passing, had founded a company called The Editorial Department.

Most recently, after receiving several "glowing rejections" for my latest novel, a thriller titled China Star, I began to sense that something wasn't quite right about the book and asked my agent to pull it back. I dug out my tattered copy of SEFW, and while going through the self-editing process decided to peek in on the web site for The Editorial Department. That led to an e-mail conversation with Ross Browne and the assignment of Peter Gelfan, one of the company's talented editors, to do an evaluation of the book. The evaluation was painful to read, but I found myself agreeing with every single point. These were all flaws I would have seen in my student's work. Why couldn't I see them in my own? The answer is simple, and one I've heard from many other writers. It's impossible to be objective about your own work.

We all know the value in having your own editor, not only for the reason above but because the industry has changed. The consolidations in the publishing industry have placed such an emphasis on the bottom line that unless your manuscript is ready to go to press, it's likely to be passed over in favor of one that is. Sure, you say. We all know we need an editor, but there are a lot of flakes out there. Where the heck do you find a good one, someone you can trust, someone who really knows the craft of writing, and someone who will tell you the truth? Look no further. These guys have been around for twenty-six years, and there's a reason: They're the best. If you're serious about getting published, working with the pros at The Editorial Department is a decision you won't regret.

Featured Testimonial: Dale Lowther

I can't imagine how difficult it is to edit someone else's work, especially when there is a good chance it might be a either an exciting page turner or a boring challenge that would be difficult to push through. I highly respect John Marlow and Kate Steele for giving me their best effort. I just hope they enjoyed the story while they worked.

And thank you Jesse for doing a terrific job of explaining the benefits of doing more rather than less and in motivating me with that first "professional image" of the Editorial Department to boost my confidence in using your services.

I would recommend the Editorial Department to anyone looking for quality editing services.

Thanks,

Dale Lowther, Folsom, CA