Editorial Freelancers Association
Member Profile
Nancy Cortelyou
Lit & Fig
“Nancy is an excellent shepherd for writing at any stage in the process. She can write and rewrite, edit and advise, collaborate and counsel, and will help battle the inevitable ups and downs of the editing process with a smile.”
—Jess Thomson, cookbook author and memoir author“Nancy is an excellent and astute reader. She gives large-scale revisions that have been invaluable to the content, structure, style, and character developing of my books.”
—Sylvia Aguilar-Zéleny, professor and YA author
•••
Whether you need a partner to get your manuscript out of your head (or out of its drawer!), a coach to guide you chapter by chapter, a developmental editor to smooth out a fully formed offering, or a ghostwriter to create the whole thing, let me meet you where you are. I love words. Details. The story. And I know what makes a great book.
As an editor or a coach, I help you see what’s not on the page (and should be) and guide you toward keeping the right stuff. Together, we get your manuscript—and your confidence about it—to its apex. As a writer, I understand what it’s like to be edited! And I can create short and long-form writing content. Past clients refer to me as a “calm in the storm.” I’m patient and passionate, blending equal parts creativity and project management, flexibility and fun.
I was born in sunny, surfy Southern California with a librarian’s knack for organization that was soon married up to an artist’s eye. My formative years were spent dressing windows and performers in the fashion world and the arts, respectively—but the publishing industry has been my home since 2003. This collective experience makes me highly skilled at storytelling no matter if I’m focused on a black and white manuscript or a concept that will ultimately be juxtaposed with visuals.
SERVICES:
• Developmental Editing
• Editorial Assessment
• Book Coaching
• Writing / Ghostwriting
SPECIALTIES:
Memoir, Cookbooks, Home & Garden, Arts & Crafts, Creativity, Self-improvement, Grief & Loss, Children’s and anything with a strong visual element.
Contemporary Fiction, especially female-led or character-driven novels.
Email: nancy@houseoflitandfig.com
https://www.houseoflitandfig.com/editing
More information: View PDF file
Years in the field: 21
Years freelancing: 14
Nancy Cortelyou
“Nancy is an excellent shepherd for writing at any stage in the process. She can write and rewrite, edit and advise, collaborate and counsel, and will help battle the inevitable ups and downs of the editing process with a smile.”
—Jess Thomson, cookbook author and memoir author“Nancy is an excellent and astute reader. She gives large-scale revisions that have been invaluable to the content, structure, style, and character developing of my books.”
—Sylvia Aguilar-Zéleny, professor and YA author
•••
Whether you need a partner to get your manuscript out of your head (or out of its drawer!), a coach to guide you chapter by chapter, a developmental editor to smooth out a fully formed offering, or a ghostwriter to create the whole thing, let me meet you where you are. I love words. Details. The story. And I know what makes a great book.
As an editor or a coach, I help you see what’s not on the page (and should be) and guide you toward keeping the right stuff. Together, we get your manuscript—and your confidence about it—to its apex. As a writer, I understand what it’s like to be edited! And I can create short and long-form writing content. Past clients refer to me as a “calm in the storm.” I’m patient and passionate, blending equal parts creativity and project management, flexibility and fun.
I was born in sunny, surfy Southern California with a librarian’s knack for organization that was soon married up to an artist’s eye. My formative years were spent dressing windows and performers in the fashion world and the arts, respectively—but the publishing industry has been my home since 2003. This collective experience makes me highly skilled at storytelling no matter if I’m focused on a black and white manuscript or a concept that will ultimately be juxtaposed with visuals.
SERVICES:
• Developmental Editing
• Editorial Assessment
• Book Coaching
• Writing / Ghostwriting
SPECIALTIES:
Memoir, Cookbooks, Home & Garden, Arts & Crafts, Creativity, Self-improvement, Grief & Loss, Children’s and anything with a strong visual element.
Contemporary Fiction, especially female-led or character-driven novels.
