Editorial Freelancers Association
Member Profile
Holly Lyn Walrath
Let’s Level Up Your Book!
Hi! I’m Holly, a freelance editor living in Houston, Texas. I’ve been an editor working with authors from all walks of life for about ten years now. My clients vary from poets to nonfiction authors with big ideas to artists to indie writers in the speculative genres. My favorite clients to work with are new writers looking to make the leap into publishing.
I am the managing editor for Interstellar Flight Press, an indie speculative publishing house focusing on novellas, short story collections, anthologies, and poetry collections.
Services & Specialties
Speculative Genres: SFFH
I work with clients who write speculative fiction in genres such as science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I am experienced in editing various forms of writing in this field, including short stories, poetry, and anthologies. Although most of my clients are independent self-publishers, I have also worked with agents and editors from top publishing houses. I am passionate about editing series for rapid release on eBook platforms and helping self-published writers create marketing plans for platforms like Amazon.
Poetry Manuscripts
My main love is poetry! I work with poets to develop manuscripts for submission to awards and self-publication. My expertise includes ordering/sequencing, line editing, thematic development, and helping poets build emotional narratives.
Big Idea Nonfiction Books: Arts & Culture
My favorite nonfiction books to work with are big idea books that explore the wide range of history, art, religion, and culture. I am a coordinator for the Religious Studies Review, hosted by Rice University. From self-help to education, I want to help writers help others.
Phone and Zoom Consultations
Pick my brain! I offer consultations for $75/hour. Not sure what your genre is? Need help with ideas for where to submit? Want advice on navigating the query process? Want some “writing therapy”? I’ll be your huckleberry.
Types of Services Offered
- Developmental and content editing
- Copyediting/line-editing
- Proofreading
- Reference citation formatting
- Academic research
- Marketing and Advertising/Social Media Advice
- Interior book formatting and eBook formatting
Developmental Editing: During a developmental edit, I will dive deep into your manuscript. I’ll read it from cover to cover with a keen eye for detail and make notes throughout the document to suggest areas that could use some tweaking. Along with a feedback letter, I’ll focus on improving the story, plot, characters, and other essential elements that make your manuscript shine. I’m confident that this edit will help take your writing to the next level!
Copyediting: During a copyedit, I will thoroughly review your manuscript by focusing on the language. Afterward, I will send you a document that has been line edited, containing corrections for voice, tone, sentence structure, paragraph structure, and other crucial elements that make a manuscript stand out. Please note that this option is recommended for writers who have already undergone a developmental edit or believe that their manuscript is already strong. Additionally, if you desire, I can create a style sheet for you as well.
Proofreading: I specialize in detecting and correcting all sorts of errors, including those related to spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting. I can also thoroughly review print-ready PDFs to ensure that they meet the highest standards of quality. With my keen attention to detail and nitpicky ways, you can rest assured that your writing will be polished to perfection!
How I Work
I work in 2-week increments, which means every book I edit gets two weeks of my time, more if it’s longer or more involved. Each book-length editing project includes a one-hour consultation either before or after the edits are delivered (not included for short stories). I use Microsoft Word and the “track changes” feature, but I can also work from print-ready PDFs. All clients are provided an editing contract with clear delivery dates.
I’m usually booked out at least 1-2 months in advance, so if you’re on a deadline, please let me know, and I can provide a quote for a rush job. I charge by page count (250 words/page). I require a 50% deposit for new clients and large projects. I prefer to work with completed manuscripts, but there are times when I’ll work with an author on an hourly basis. I’m happy to work with remote or local clients.
Editor Biography
Holly Lyn Walrath is a writer, editor, and publisher. Her poetry and short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Fireside Fiction, Analog, and Flash Fiction Online. She is the author of several books of poetry, including Glimmerglass Girl, The Smallest of Bones, and Numinous Stones. Her writing has been nominated for several awards and won the SFPA Elgin Award.
She holds a B.A. in English from The University of Texas and a Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Denver. In 2019, she launched Interstellar Flight Press, an indie SFF publisher dedicated to publishing underrepresented genres and voices. As a freelance editor, she provides editing services for writers and organizations of all genres, experiences, and backgrounds, but enjoys working with new writers best.
Q & A
Can you provide me with a free sample?
Unfortunately, I no longer provide free editing samples. I receive so many requests that I have to charge for this service, otherwise, I would be unable to manage my paying clients’ work. However, I do offer a discounted rate of $1/page (250 words/page) for sample edits, which is significantly less than my standard rate.
What’s your editing style?
I believe that the author is the best editor for a work. Therefore, when I approach a manuscript, I want to achieve what the author feels the manuscript needs, combined with what the manuscript seems to be asking of me as a reader. My goal in editing is to guide a writer towards being able to make revisions themselves. Often, these are more successful than if a writer merely follows my advice. For great writing to happen, something has to break open in the writer and surprise them. It’s that surprise that will catch a reader, too.
I want to self-publish. Can you help?
Yes! I offer formatting and marketing services for indie authors. I can create beautiful, fully formatted interiors for eBooks and print books in .mobi, .epub, and .pdf versions. These interiors are gorgeously designed and ready to upload to KDP, Ingram, or the self-publishing platform of your choice. (Please note: I do not design book covers or work with image-heavy books.)
Need help with getting reviews and spreading awareness of your brand? I can develop a multi-step marketing plan for your book, complete with Twitter campaign advice, reviewer outreach, Goodreads setup and outreach, Facebook advertising, and media/press releases.
As far as authors go, I greatly admire Margaret Atwood, Kazuo Ishiguro, Kelly Link, and Edward Hirsch. My influences and tastes are constantly changing. Other good reads include Brandon Sanderson, Nnedi Okorafor, Ursula Le Guin, Walt Whitman, Sherman Alexie, Sofia Samatar, Amelia Grey, Stephen King, Kazuo Ishiguro, Margaret Atwood, Ken Liu, Sabrina Orah Mark, J.R.R. Tolkien, Virginia Woolf, Audre Lorde, and Rita Dove.
My favorite writing resources are: What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers by Ann Bernays & Pamela Painter, How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry by Edward Hirsch, and Steering the Craft by Ursula Le Guin.
Seabrook, TX
US
Email: hlwalrath@gmail.com
Years in the field: 10
Years freelancing: 8
Holly Walrath
Let’s Level Up Your Book!
Hi! I’m Holly, a freelance editor living in Houston, Texas. I’ve been an editor working with authors from all walks of life for about ten years now. My clients vary from poets to nonfiction authors with big ideas to artists to indie writers in the speculative genres. My favorite clients to work with are new writers looking to make the leap into publishing.
I am the managing editor for Interstellar Flight Press, an indie speculative publishing house focusing on novellas, short story collections, anthologies, and poetry collections.
Services & Specialties
Speculative Genres: SFFH
I work with clients who write speculative fiction in genres such as science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I am experienced in editing various forms of writing in this field, including short stories, poetry, and anthologies. Although most of my clients are independent self-publishers, I have also worked with agents and editors from top publishing houses. I am passionate about editing series for rapid release on eBook platforms and helping self-published writers create marketing plans for platforms like Amazon.
Poetry Manuscripts
My main love is poetry! I work with poets to develop manuscripts for submission to awards and self-publication. My expertise includes ordering/sequencing, line editing, thematic development, and helping poets build emotional narratives.
Big Idea Nonfiction Books: Arts & Culture
My favorite nonfiction books to work with are big idea books that explore the wide range of history, art, religion, and culture. I am a coordinator for the Religious Studies Review, hosted by Rice University. From self-help to education, I want to help writers help others.
Phone and Zoom Consultations
Pick my brain! I offer consultations for $75/hour. Not sure what your genre is? Need help with ideas for where to submit? Want advice on navigating the query process? Want some “writing therapy”? I’ll be your huckleberry.
Types of Services Offered
- Developmental and content editing
- Copyediting/line-editing
- Proofreading
- Reference citation formatting
- Academic research
- Marketing and Advertising/Social Media Advice
- Interior book formatting and eBook formatting
Developmental Editing: During a developmental edit, I will dive deep into your manuscript. I’ll read it from cover to cover with a keen eye for detail and make notes throughout the document to suggest areas that could use some tweaking. Along with a feedback letter, I’ll focus on improving the story, plot, characters, and other essential elements that make your manuscript shine. I’m confident that this edit will help take your writing to the next level!
Copyediting: During a copyedit, I will thoroughly review your manuscript by focusing on the language. Afterward, I will send you a document that has been line edited, containing corrections for voice, tone, sentence structure, paragraph structure, and other crucial elements that make a manuscript stand out. Please note that this option is recommended for writers who have already undergone a developmental edit or believe that their manuscript is already strong. Additionally, if you desire, I can create a style sheet for you as well.
Proofreading: I specialize in detecting and correcting all sorts of errors, including those related to spelling, grammar, punctuation, and formatting. I can also thoroughly review print-ready PDFs to ensure that they meet the highest standards of quality. With my keen attention to detail and nitpicky ways, you can rest assured that your writing will be polished to perfection!
How I Work
I work in 2-week increments, which means every book I edit gets two weeks of my time, more if it’s longer or more involved. Each book-length editing project includes a one-hour consultation either before or after the edits are delivered (not included for short stories). I use Microsoft Word and the “track changes” feature, but I can also work from print-ready PDFs. All clients are provided an editing contract with clear delivery dates.
I’m usually booked out at least 1-2 months in advance, so if you’re on a deadline, please let me know, and I can provide a quote for a rush job. I charge by page count (250 words/page). I require a 50% deposit for new clients and large projects. I prefer to work with completed manuscripts, but there are times when I’ll work with an author on an hourly basis. I’m happy to work with remote or local clients.
Editor Biography
Holly Lyn Walrath is a writer, editor, and publisher. Her poetry and short fiction has appeared in Strange Horizons, Fireside Fiction, Analog, and Flash Fiction Online. She is the author of several books of poetry, including Glimmerglass Girl, The Smallest of Bones, and Numinous Stones. Her writing has been nominated for several awards and won the SFPA Elgin Award.
She holds a B.A. in English from The University of Texas and a Master’s in Creative Writing from the University of Denver. In 2019, she launched Interstellar Flight Press, an indie SFF publisher dedicated to publishing underrepresented genres and voices. As a freelance editor, she provides editing services for writers and organizations of all genres, experiences, and backgrounds, but enjoys working with new writers best.
Q & A
Can you provide me with a free sample?
Unfortunately, I no longer provide free editing samples. I receive so many requests that I have to charge for this service, otherwise, I would be unable to manage my paying clients’ work. However, I do offer a discounted rate of $1/page (250 words/page) for sample edits, which is significantly less than my standard rate.
What’s your editing style?
I believe that the author is the best editor for a work. Therefore, when I approach a manuscript, I want to achieve what the author feels the manuscript needs, combined with what the manuscript seems to be asking of me as a reader. My goal in editing is to guide a writer towards being able to make revisions themselves. Often, these are more successful than if a writer merely follows my advice. For great writing to happen, something has to break open in the writer and surprise them. It’s that surprise that will catch a reader, too.
I want to self-publish. Can you help?
Yes! I offer formatting and marketing services for indie authors. I can create beautiful, fully formatted interiors for eBooks and print books in .mobi, .epub, and .pdf versions. These interiors are gorgeously designed and ready to upload to KDP, Ingram, or the self-publishing platform of your choice. (Please note: I do not design book covers or work with image-heavy books.)
Need help with getting reviews and spreading awareness of your brand? I can develop a multi-step marketing plan for your book, complete with Twitter campaign advice, reviewer outreach, Goodreads setup and outreach, Facebook advertising, and media/press releases.
As far as authors go, I greatly admire Margaret Atwood, Kazuo Ishiguro, Kelly Link, and Edward Hirsch. My influences and tastes are constantly changing. Other good reads include Brandon Sanderson, Nnedi Okorafor, Ursula Le Guin, Walt Whitman, Sherman Alexie, Sofia Samatar, Amelia Grey, Stephen King, Kazuo Ishiguro, Margaret Atwood, Ken Liu, Sabrina Orah Mark, J.R.R. Tolkien, Virginia Woolf, Audre Lorde, and Rita Dove.
My favorite writing resources are: What If? Writing Exercises for Fiction Writers by Ann Bernays & Pamela Painter, How to Read a Poem and Fall in Love with Poetry by Edward Hirsch, and Steering the Craft by Ursula Le Guin.
