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If you’re looking for a list of spiritual book editors to help you find someone to edit your book, the following compilation is specifically for you.
1. Lia Ottaviano
Lia Ottaviano is a prominent editor living in New York City, New York, who earned her master’s degree in creative writing from Hunter College.
She began her career as an associate editor for John Wiley and Sons back in 2014. Four years later, Lia was editing manuscripts for Callisto Media. There, she was introduced to more non-fiction genres such as New Age spirituality and psychology.
Currently, she conducts developmental editing and copy editing on non-fiction manuscripts involving spirituality and self-help, among others.
One of the books she worked on was Benjamin W. Decker’s Modern Spirituality: A Guide to the Heart of Mindfulness, Meditation, and the Art of Healing.
You can get a quick quote from Lia here.
2. Barry Hudock
Barry Hudock from Albany, Minnesota, has more than two decades of experience in editing not only genre fiction but most especially spiritual and theological manuscripts. His strength in these fields is partly due to his degrees in English and theology from Gannon University and Gregorian University, respectively.
His copy editing and developmental editing services for spiritual non-fiction have been acquired by the likes of Ave Maria Press and Paulist Press. Regardless of which service you choose, Barry will provide a style sheet and an editorial memo, among others.
One of the books he edited is John Michael Talbot’s Desert Dangers and Delights: Stories, Teachings, and Sources, which focuses on Catholic Christian spirituality.
Contact Barry as soon as possible as he books projects two months in advance.
3. Sasha Chaitow
For spiritual writers seeking a London-based editor, Sasha Chaitow is more than ready to develop your manuscript. She’s been an independent editor since 1999 and began editing journals as well in 2014.
Sasha has authored two books herself, so she has firsthand experience of the intensive writing journey.
With her as your editor, you’ll not only get valuable developmental editing and copy editing services but also essential writing suggestions and materials.
Thanks to her sharp editing, Esotericism, Religion, and Politics (Studies in Esotericism) by Arthur Versluis, Lee Irwin, and Melinda Phillips is both compelling and comprehensive.
Request a quote from Sasha when you’re ready.
4. Courtney Andersson
Courtney Andersson earned her English bachelor’s degree and certificate in editing from the University of California, Berkeley. Currently, she resides in Reno, Nevada.
Before becoming an independent editor, she was an associate editor for Earth Aware Editions, Insight Editions, and Mandala Publishing.
With the help of her exemplary copy editing and developmental editing, the spiritual fiction Shadows of the Sun Dynasty: An Illustrated Series Based on the Ramayana by Vrinda Sheth won the 2016 Nautilus Award for religion or spirituality of Eastern thought.
Similarly, Courtney polished Kamla K. Kapur’s The Singing Guru: Legends and Adventures of Guru Nanak, the First Sikh (Sikh Saga), which celebrates the life of a prominent individual in Eastern spirituality.
If you wrote spiritual fiction, feel free to approach her for a price quote.
5. Daniel Johnson
Based in Los Angeles, California, Daniel Johnson began his editing journey as an editorial assistant for Fantagraphics Books Inc. in 2014.
Now, he’s a freelance editor who primarily works on manuscripts. Graphic novels, science fiction, and poetry are part of his specialties — but he’s also impressive in non-fiction titles that discuss well-being and spirituality.
Daniel offers developmental editing and copy-editing services.
His editing contribution to Beth Quist’s Cultivating Spiritual Energy: Tune in, Sense, Direct, Move and use Spiritual Energy to have more Amazing Spiritual Experiences and ICA ICA’s Fulfillment: A Journey Through a Spiritual Life is nothing short of amazing.
Check his portfolio and request a quote here.
6. Teja Watson
Teja Watson from Arcata, California, has more than two decades of editing experience. She’s honed her skills by working for a women’s magazine, political and culture magazine, and plenty of publishers.
She’s written five books and one screenplay, enabling her to understand the long but rewarding process of getting published. Teja’s editing services include copy editing and developmental editing of fiction and nonfiction.
And a spiritual individual herself, Teja welcomes works from writers of spiritual manuscripts. She loved editing Jes Bertelsen’s Essence of Mind: An Approach to Dzogchen and Sandra Harner’s Ema’s Odyssey: Shamanism for Healing and Spiritual Knowledge.
You can easily contact her online to know more about her services.
7. Sandy Draper
Spiritual writers in and around Hampshire, UK, know all about Sandy Draper. Even before she was an independent editor, she already had much editing experience from working for Tigerprint Limited, AA Publishing, and Godsfield Press.
Fiction and nonfiction authors approach her for her impeccable copy editing and developmental editing. Her assessments never fail to further refine how they tell their stories. This is true whether their book is about self-help, spirituality, or psychology — or a mix of all three.
Sandy edited Naomi Chunilal’s unique spiritual book for mothers titled The Mindful Mother: A Practical and Spiritual Guide to Enjoying Pregnancy, Birth and Beyond with Mindfulness.
Request a quote from Sandy anytime you need help with your manuscript.
8. Daniel Conway
Folks in Melbourne, Australia, have always admired Daniel Conway’s superb professionalism. No one can doubt his editing skills, especially when he has certifications from both the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading and the Institute of Professional Editors.
Daniel has edited over 40 published books. Likewise, he’s particularly interested in nonfiction categories like history, science, art, English as a Second Language (ESL), and spirituality.
One of his works is Penny Thornton’s Astrology in the Workplace: The Zodiac Guide to Creating Great Working Relationships, a distinct book of New Age spirituality.
Ask a quote from Daniel here.
9. Natalie Silver
For eight years, Natalie Silver was the managing editor of Templeton Press. During this time, she assured that over 80 books would be published only after they had undergone extensive reviews.
In 2013, she became an independent editor and now offers her non-fiction copy editing services from Havertown, Pennsylvania.
Given her quick work output and proficiency in fields ranging from religion to medicine, organizations such as Healthline Media and the University of Illinois Press have tapped her services.
Two of her remarkable books on spirituality are Jamie Aten’s A Walking Disaster: What Surviving Katrina and Cancer Taught Me About Faith and Resilience and William Dorman’s Restoring the Healer: Spiritual Self-Care for Health Care Professionals.
Contact her here for more details about Natalie and her service rates.
10. Kendall Davis
Situated in Colorado Springs, Colorado, Kendall Davis is both a writer and an editor. She moved up from being an editorial assistant at Penguin Random House in 2012 to an associate editor in 2017.
Kendall established her own content company in 2018, but she’s been offering her freelance services to fiction and non-fiction writers since 2012. Self-help, Christian non-fiction, and religion & spirituality are all non-fiction topics she’s eager to copy edit.
John R. Mabry’s Starting Spiritual Direction: A Guide to Getting Ready, Feeling Safe, and Getting the Most Out of Your Sessions was edited by Kendall and helped individuals navigate themselves to the right path toward spirituality.
You can request a quote online.
11. Bethany Davis
This spiritual editor worked a few years for Rowman & Littlefield and The Author Incubator, giving her all the experience necessary to navigate the book and publishing industry.
Working from Denver, Colorado, she strives to uphold their unique voice while improving their material.
Non-fiction copy editing is one of her main services — and genres include New Age, religion, health & wellbeing, and spirituality.
Her diverse portfolio includes Deborah Sudarsky’s Embrace Your Psychic Gifts: The Guide to Spiritual Awakening and Sara Shisler Goff’s The Art of Feminine Spiritual Leadership: Be a Badass Priest and Create a Ministry You Love.
New writers are encouraged to inquire about the best editing service for their manuscripts. So if you’re interested, request a quote here.
12. Candace Johnson
Based in Portland, Oregon, Candace Johnson has been a freelance editor since 2007. That same year, she began her work at Health Communications, Inc. as a senior editor. This lasted for four years and allowed her to learn all about traditional publishing.
Candace’s forte is non-fiction. Books about spirituality, relationships, personal development, are the kinds of works she loves to evaluate through copy editing and developmental editing.
If you’re unsure why your manuscript seems off, let Candace have a look and have her pinpoint what needs improving.
She edited Phil Diaz and P.D. Alleva’s Let Your Soul Evolve: Spiritual Growth for the New Millennium, a succinct book that delves into quantum mechanics and new perspectives in spirituality.
You can ask for a price quote for your manuscript online.
13. Vanessa Ta
Vanessa Ta studied at the UC Berkeley Extension to earn her professional editing certificate. She lives in Albany, California, and has extensive editing experience in non-fiction genres such as spirituality, mind & body, New Age, and Buddhism.
Her portfolio of riveting spiritual texts includes Francis V. Tiso’s Rainbow Body and Resurrection: Spiritual Attainment, the Dissolution of the Material Body, and the Case of Khenpo A Chö.
If you need proofreading, she can assist you with ease. On the other hand, her developmental editing and copy editing services are more limited in availability.
Thus, request a quote from her as soon as possible to ensure a slot.
14. Colleen Sell
Colleen Sell first worked as the editor-in-chief of Aster Publishing in 1994. Five years later, she began her journey as an independent writer and editor. Since then, she has edited more than 130 books, a majority of which are nonfiction.
Based in Eugene, Oregon, Colleen offers her line editing and copy editing services to both nonfiction and fiction writers. For spiritual books, she only works on nonfiction.
A couple of examples of her edited titles are Mary Ruth Velicki’s Healing Through Chronic Pain: A Physical Therapist’s Personal Journey of Body-Mind-Spirit Transformation and Manisha Kshirsagar’s Ayurveda: A Quick Reference Handbook.
Contact Colleen to know her service rates.
5 More Top Spiritual Book Editors
15. Michael Fedison
Here’s an editor who will stop at nothing until your manuscript no longer has grammatical errors. Based in Corinth, Vermont, Michael Fedison understands the value of collaborating with the author because he’s also a writer.
Since 2002, Michael has worked with publishers such as Moody Publishers and HarperCollins Leadership to work on fiction and nonfiction.
His proofreading and copy-editing services for spiritual nonfiction led to the relative success of Zhi Gang Sha’s Soul Healing Miracles: Ancient and New Sacred Wisdom, Knowledge, and Practical Techniques for Healing the Spiritual, Mental, Emotional, and Physical Bodies.
Contact Michael for his rates to procure impeccable editing.
16. Cathy Suter
Cathy Suter has worked for publishing companies such as Abrams Books, Hachette Book Group, and The Permanent Press. Over the years, she has edited more than 50 books, some of which have won awards.
Situated in New York City, New York, Cathy wants to help aspiring writers in getting their books published whether through traditional means or self-publishing.
Her copy editing and developmental editing services are available for non-fiction genres such as health & well-being and religion & spirituality.
The Healing Power of Mindfulness: A New Way of Being by Jon Kabat-Zinn is a book in the field of mental and spiritual healing that Cathy helped bring into fruition.
Request a quote from Cathy here.
17. Neil Gordon
Another brilliant editor from Los Angeles, California, is Neil Gordon. He was formerly an assistant editor for Penguin Random House and has since been an independent editorial consultant.
His approach to editing ensures that no bad blood develops between him and his client. Instead of giving overwhelming feedback during his first read, Neil will give a bulleted list outlining his editing suggestions.
Once he and his client discuss the list and come to an agreement, Neil will proceed to comprehensive editing.
Currently, he provides developmental editing for spiritual non-fiction — including New Age and any titles about self-help and well-being.
Neil edited Yogi Cameron Alborzian’s The Guru in You: A Personalized Program for Rejuvenating Your Body and Soul, a book about spiritual growth and personal transformation.
Go here if you’d like a price quote.
18. Josephine Ferguson
Josephine Ferguson is a freelance editor who lives in London, UK, and has a degree in English literature and a master’s degree in Psychology.
Her services include developmental editing and copy editing for both fiction and nonfiction. Under the nonfiction category, Josephine handles topics such as New Age, spirituality, psychology, well-being, and self-improvement, among others.
One of her best-edited books is Matthew Krajewski’s Cosmic Consciousness, released in February 2021. It weaves personal stories and research to help individuals connect better with their hearts and mind.
If you’d like to avail of her editing services, check her rates here.
19. Stephanie Gunning
Stephanie has at least 36 years of relevant experience in the industry. Based in New York City, New York, she was the associate editor of HarperCollins Publishers from 1984 to 1994 before serving as the senior editor for Bantam Doubleday Dell and Delacorte Press.
You’ll be elated to know that she specializes in the copy editing and developmental editing of non-fiction books on New Age, spirituality, health, and personal transformation.
Some of her previous clients include best-selling authors like Ruth Montgomery and Gregg Braden.
One of the books in her portfolio is Hale Dwoskin and Jack Canfield’s The Sedona Method: Your Key to Lasting Happiness, Success, Peace and Emotional Well-Being, a spiritual self-help book.
Request a quote here.
Do you know of any other spiritual book editors? Please tell us about them in the comments box below.
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