I am a veteran book editor, publisher, literary agent and writer who has worked in the publishing industry for over 35 years. A native New Yorker, I graduated magna cum laude from Duke University.

I began my career at Simon & Schuster ( Fireside, Summit, S&S Trade), where I worked for eight years before moving on to Putnam and  HarperCollins (Editor-at-Large ReganBooks). I also founded the Adult Trade imprint of Golden Books. My bestselling authors included Jodi Picoult,  Steven Covey, Maria Shriver, Mary Tyler Moore, Marilou Henner, Sylvia Earle, Barry Paris, Daniel Coyle, and Nelson George among others.

I left the world of being and in-house editor to experience other parts of the industry. Having recently had a premature baby, I  co-authored Why Motor Skills Matter ( McGraw Hill) with my son’s sensory integration therapist. I subsequently became a contributing editor to Reader’s Digest, where I wrote cover stories on people such as Phil McGraw and Uma Thurman.

I then became a literary agent. As a literary agent , my bestselling and well-known clients include: Henry S. Lodge M.D. and Chris Crowley, bestselling authors of the YOUNGER NEXT YEAR  books which have sold over 3  million copies in the U.S. as well as in 28 languages; George Vaillant M.D , eminent Harvard psychiatrist and long-time director of the famed Harvard Grant Study;  Jane Alexander, former NEA Director and Emmy and Tony award winning actress;  Ping Fu, U.S, government adviser, world-renowned tech superstar and 3D pioneer; Erin Brokovich, renowned consumer advocate ; Frank Ostaski ,world renowned Zen Master, founder of the Mette Institute and the author of THE FIVE INVITATIONS;  John Kim, well known psychologist, The Angry Therapist;  Jimmy Soni, former managing editor of the Huffington Post and author of numerous books including  the bestselling The Founders: The Story of Paypal and the Outsiders who Shaped Silicon Valley ; Willow Bay, veteran broadcast news reporter and Director of  the School of Journalism at USC;  Michael Tonello, author of the cult classic BRINGING HOME THE BIRKIN; Janice Macleod, best-selling author of Paris Letters; Jackie Leo, former Editor-in-Chief of Child, Reader’s Digest and Consumer Reports; World-renowned neurosurgeon Allan Hamilton M.D. , the author of THE SCALPEL AND THE SOUL among any other books;  California’s first and still only female Chief of Fire Protection, Clare Frank; The son of Freedom Sumer’s Bob Moses, Omo Moses and his book The White Peril. 

I conduct deep. extensive editorial work with all of my clients and maintain a robust editorial  business.  I love helping writers mold their words into creation- whether I am acting as an editor, a publisher, a ghostwriter or as  a literary agent. I have remained this passionate since I wrote a novel in college  ( which was politely rejected by a number of houses and George Plimpton). My passion has never flagged. Even so, the publishing industry has undergone radical changes in the past two decades. E books- a wonderful additional portal for readers and a spectacular addition to the ways of being published-are a double-edged sword as they drastically altered the publishing industry’s financial model. As has the online universe. As will AI.

Today, a book that would have been readily published a decade or so ago very well might not be – at least not through traditional publishing. Those deals more generallly go to high profile authors- tops of their fields, celebrity influencers and those with extremely robust soical meida platforms. Hence the tremendous- and extraordinarily valuable-growth of self- publishing.  Publishers are far less willing to take a chance on an unknown author, and they rely on the author to reach his audience as much as they rely on their own abilities. Authors’ advances are now smaller in general. (Of course, major advances are still very much in existence for repeat bestselling authors and those as described above).

Finally, even if an author sells his book to a traditional house, it is far less likely to get the editorial attention it once did; publishers don’t buy novels “that need a lot of work.” They buy manuscripts that are already polished. The same holds true for narrative non-fiction and memoirs. Which is why so many writers today hire freelance editors. And because AI can’t provide narrative structural cohesion or work with authentic voices

My truest love, editing, is  intensely gratifying. My work has always centered on one thing: reorganizing what is essential in a piece of writing- and shaping it until it becomes undeniable. Today, as AI accelerates the production of content, that role has only become more critical. I love helping people use their voices to tell a story, to offer information to others, and to be authentic on the page. I am extremely well-versed in keeping the author’s tone and cadence true while enabling the prose to read smoothly, with the appropriate pacing, resulting in writing that will capture the reader’s attention and keep him or her engaged.  Whether fiction or non- fiction, these assets are invaluable to making a book successful. If, after reading about me and reviewing my testimonials, you feel we would enjoy working together on your project, please look at the “Services” section of this site and contact me!