Naomi Rose
EDITING
with care & expertise
30+ years in the publications field
“Naomi took my manuscript and turned it into a book.
I cannot begin to thank her enough. . . .”
Editing, in my hands, is not a separate service from Book Development — it’s the final act of the same loving attention I’ve brought to your book from the beginning.
If we’ve worked together to develop your manuscript, I already know your book intimately. I know what it’s trying to become, where it found its voice, which passages arrived fully formed and which were hard-won. Editing from that place is qualitatively different from if an editor unfamiliar with the whole trajectory of your book — and with you — were to edit your manuscript with the online equivalent of a red pen.
A skilled editor makes all the difference between a good manuscript and a great book. You deserve to have your writing flow seamlessly, communicate with clarity and impact, connect emotionally with readers, and be a living expression of your vision.
What I bring to editing is genuine care for what you have so carefully created, a trained ear for what’s alive in your writing, an artist’s eye for your book’s organic shape, and the skill to clear away whatever stands between your deepest intention and the resonant experience your reader will take in and take away.
Who This Service Is For
This service is offered to my Book Development clients, current and past — authors whose books I have accompanied from spark to finish, and know well and hold dear. If this is you, no “vetting” is needed. You only have to let me know.
Once in a while I work with authors whose books are new to me, but with which I feel a genuine resonance. If you’re not yet a client but feel drawn to work with me as your editor, I welcome you to reach out. We’ll have a conversation, which will tell us both whether your manuscript is a right fit for me, and vice-versa.
What I Bring to Your Manuscript
After spending half a lifetime in the publications field as an editor, writer, and consultant to publishers and authors — after editing hundreds and hundreds of books — I have developed a way of editing that works on two levels simultaneously: mind and heart.
On a rigorous intellectual level, I bring meticulous attention to every dimension of your manuscript, including:
Copyediting — grammar, spelling, punctuation, and more;
Developmental editing — structural coherence and logical flow, shaping, bridging, consistency of voice, clarity and readability, and more;
Professional formatting according to industry standards;
Stylistic consistency that maintains your unique voice throughout.
I also put myself in the place of your eventual reader as I work, pre-digesting whatever is problematic until the writing reads as if it were “born” that way. That’s how your readers get to receive a book that serves what you want them to experience.
On a heart level, I seek to be personally affected by your book — to be your book’s first enthusiastic reader. I edit with this relatability in mind.
Who you are as an author and a person, and what you envision for your book, inform my work. We confer, when needed. My suggestions serve your vision rather than my own preferences. We work together until your manuscript truly reflects what you wish to communicate. My goal is for you to come away feeling: “It’s as if you were right there with me inside my deepest wishes, helping me make my vision real.”
And at the very end of every editing project, I do a final seamless pass through the entire manuscript. This ensures that whatever decisions were made along the way — restructuring, additions, tonal shifts — have been woven in so thoroughly that the book reads as if you always knew exactly where you were going while you were writing it.
My professional recognition includes multiple-year listings in Who’s Who and Who’s Who of American Women, and the “Best Editor in the San Francisco Bay Area” award for two years running from Thumbtack.com.
Kinds and Levels of Editing
Editing isn’t one size fits all. There are different kinds and levels of editing. A good editor will use one, two, or all of the following to bring your manuscript to a professional, publishable level. I will use any or all of them, as needed.
Developmental Editing
This kind of editing addresses the big picture: overall structure, organization, and content strategy. Does your book serve its intended audience? Are there gaps, redundancies, or pacing problems? This is where we ensure your manuscript has a solid foundation before moving to finer levels of work.
Substantive Editing
This kind of editing refines the substance of your writing at the section and paragraph level — fine-tuning organization within chapters, enhancing clarity, ensuring smooth transitions, and advising where to trim or expand.
Copyediting
This kind of editing addresses the mechanics: grammar, spelling, sentence structure, consistency, and adherence to style guides (Chicago Manual of Style, APA, etc.). Footnotes, references, and bibliography also fall under copyediting.
Rewriting
This skill takes the material you provide and elevates it — rewording, restructuring, finding more precise or evocative language — so that in the end you can say: “Yes, that’s it. That’s exactly what I meant to say.”
Intuitive Editing
This skill (my own terminology) infuses all of the above. When an editor is proficiently right-brained as well as left-brained, able to make connections and leaps of interweaving, your book has the advantage of a whole-brained makeover that can reach your readers’ hearts as well as minds.
Genres I Work With
I edit primarily nonfiction, but also work with narrative nonfiction, memoir, and select fiction. (I don’t edit poetry, but I can refer you to an excellent poetry editor who can.)
In My Clients’ Own Words
“I cannot imagine another editor on the planet who could step into my shoes and edit esoteric material as beautifully and sincerely as Naomi did. She has been utterly exceptional.”
— Rebecca Field, author, To Choose the Fire of the Cosmos. Foreword by H. H. The Dalai Lama
“I owe the present edition of my book to Naomi Rose, to whom I am indebted. She was moved by its content and was grateful for the opportunity to read it. I like the idea of having my book produced with such maternal care and deep appreciation.”
— Claudio Naranjo, MD, author, Healing Civilization: Bringing Personal Transformation into the Societal Realm (Foreword by Dr. Jean Houston)
"I just finished going through all the pages you edited. You did a superb job. It was just marvelous to see all the things you caught, when I thought it was in pretty good shape [already] — especially some really good catches of things that were fuzzy. I can’t imagine doing anything that meticulous. The only thing I do that comes close is a 1000-piece puzzle."
— Cindy Spring, co-author, 7 Questions About Life After Life
“Naomi took my manuscript and turned it into a book. I cannot begin to thank her enough.”
— Larry R. Decker, PhD, author, The Alchemy of Combat: Transforming Trauma in Combat Veterans. With a Foreword by Karl Malantes, author of Why We Go to War
“I have worked with several editors and none can compare to the precise, detailed work Naomi has done. She developed a real sense and feel for the material, and treated my writing as if it was the most important work. Throughout the process, I was confident, calm, and at ease. I could not have done it without Naomi. Naomi is the one.”
— Christina Pillai, PhD
Naomi Rose
Over 30 years in the publications field: Award-winning editor, consultant, and (a plus, in this case) writing-related perfectionist at your service.
A Sampling of Books I’ve Edited
A PARTIAL LIST OF PUBLISHERS I HAVE WORKED WITH:
Ten Speed Press / Ortho Books / New World Library / McGraw-Hill / Crittenden Books / Scott Foresman / Stephen Greene / Viking / Intuition Magazine / Massage Magazine / True Inspiration Magazine / & others.
HOW WE WOULD WORK TOGETHER
If you have been my Book Development client, we can move directly into editing — I’m already familiar with your manuscript, your voice, and what your book is trying to become. You only need to let me know you’re ready.
If you’re coming to me as a new editing client, we’ll begin with a conversation. If it feels like a right fit for both of us, I’ll do a brief compensated sample edit — enough for us both to assess whether my approach serves your work and whether your manuscript is one I can bring my full self to. From there I’ll provide a fee quote and estimated timeline, and we’ll begin.
Ready to Take Your Manuscript to the Next Level?
Whether you’re a returning client or coming to me for the first time, I welcome you to reach out. Let’s have a conversation about your manuscript and see if we’re a right fit.
(and thinking Ahead. . . .)
I can also guide you through the entire self-publishing process once editing is complete — from book design & typesetting through print-on-demand setup — with my comprehensive video course and written materials.
At this final stage, your manuscript deserves the same care it took you to write it.
~ Naomi Rose, Book Developer & Creative Midwife / Editor ~