editing

► Deborah Sosin is an outstanding editor. I am a regular opener for David Sedaris on his book tours and Deborah is the only editor I turn to for every single essay. Her attention to detail and her understanding not only of what makes a strong essay, but what works as something that is read out loud, is unmatched in my experience. I read her comments and nod my head to every single one. She always makes my work stronger and more polished and meaningful. And she misses nothing—from dialogue to transitions to overuse of a single word to the big picture of a piece. I wouldn't want to get on a stage without her eyes on my work first. 

I also hired Deborah to edit the order of essays in my first book, to read through and make sense of the big picture of the collection. Her idea to pull one of the pieces out of chronological order to use it as the opening, a kind of prologue, was brilliant, and my agent immediately agreed with the choice. I never would have thought of that on my own. 

Cindy House, MFA, author of Mother Noise, poet, artist, https://www.cindyahouse.com/ 

► Deborah Sosin is a no-nonsense, big-hearted collaborator who brings her full self to her projects. She attends equally to the details and the big picture. I hired Debbie as a copyeditor for my first book, Wild World, Joyful Heart: Unlock Your Power to Create Health and Joy (River Grove Books, 2019). I quickly came to appreciate her abilities as a masterful editor, including her unique ability to somehow mentally catalogue the smallest of details as she works through a manuscript. This means that she catches redundancies and contradictions that might otherwise go to print. Debbie has a wonderful ability to make my wordy, repetitive writing style more concise, without losing my voice or intent. She contributes thoughtful, constructive comments; is an excellent communicator; and completes projects on time. Finally, Debbie is simply a beautiful person and a joy to work with.

Laurie Warren, MSN, author and wellness consultant, www.lauriewarren.com

► I hired Debbie as a copyeditor for my debut book, Sometimes Therapy Is Awkward: A Collection of Life-Changing Insights for the Modern Clinician. Before hiring her, I'd had so many eyes on my manuscript, and I felt overwhelmed searching for the right professional to help polish it. Giving your book away to a stranger can feel so vulnerable, and I knew I needed someone who understood the nuances of psychotherapy. I'm so glad to have found someone who did! Debbie was incredibly attentive to detail, but I also felt like she truly understood my unique voice, my targeted readers, and my overall goal for the book. Her thought-provoking comments helped shape my book immensely. After integrating her feedback, I finally felt ready to move forward with publication. There is no doubt that I will use her again for future work.

Nicole Arzt, LMFT, licensed marriage and family therapist; author, Sometimes Therapy Is Awkward, 

https://psychotherapymemes.com/

 ►  There is only one word needed to describe Debbie. She is amazing! She is a thoughtful and deeply respectful editor whose attention to detail is unsurpassed. Debbie helped me to achieve success with my book, The Many Faces of Polyamory: Longing and Belonging in Concurrent Relationships, published by Routledge. I’m not in doubt that her effort contributed to the book being nominated for the Diverse Sexualities Research and Education Award!

I have consulted with other editors and Debbie was by far the best. Her comments in the margins of my manuscript always made me nod with appreciation. She never tried to change my style, as some other editors do, but instead helped me hone and enhance my writing. Her guidance gave me the assurance I needed when my confidence faltered. I have other writing projects on my mind and am looking forward to working with her in the future.

Magdalena J. Fosse, PsyD, Author, Psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, www.drfosse.com

►  I am so thankful for the feedback in your developmental edit. Following your advice made the book stronger and more effective. Thank you so much!! 

Karen Jaye, MS, MA, MA, LCPC, author, I'm Fine: Mental Health Matters--Shattering the Stigma and Embracing Recovery

►  If I had to pick a superhero to represent Debbie Sosin, it would be Mighty Mouse: "Here he comes to save the day!" Only in my case, here she comes to save my manuscript! And she did. As a first-time author, my draft memoir was dear to me. Determined to find the right person to work with me on development (themes, tone, grammar, the usual), I found Debbie’s website and trusted my gut. We started with a tentative three-hour trial. Receiving back Debbie's edits and comments in Track Changes stimulated a new understanding of my project. With Debbie’s keen eye, what had seemed like one lump thing was now revealed to be a complicated and intricate construction, almost like a woven basket. Her gentle, insightful guidance magnified its beauty as well as its gaping holes. We worked together collaboratively to refine the memoir over several drafts. I have since sent out query letters and received several requests to review the work. Thank you, Debbie.  

Lou Storey, PsyD, psychologist and author, My Acre of Moon (seeking representation)

► Working with Debbie was a really inspiring experience that left my manuscript in much better shape than when it had first arrived on her desk. Her communication was always clear, friendly, and encouraging, and she quickly took on the role of mentor to guide me through the challenges of preparing a manuscript for publication.

Of the three editors that I approached through Reedsy, Debbie was the only one who did not offer a free sample of her work. There’s a reason for that. When you see just how much she can do in each paid hour, you cannot begrudge her fair remuneration. So of the three editors I tried Debbie was clearly head and shoulders above the other two (whom I’m sure are very competent). In fact, after the initial two hours that Debbie spent on the first chapters of the book, her feedback and suggestions were so useful and applicable to the entire manuscript that I went away for a whole month to act on her advice. That advice alone allowed me to discard around 7,000 superfluous words before the manuscript went back for the final edit.

I could not be happier with the service that I received. Not only do I now have a manuscript that is leaner, more readable, punchier, and more sellable, I also learned an awful lot about the art of writing and I feel that Debbie’s guidance helped to improve me as a writer. Very highly recommended. 

Jonathan Gibbons, Reedsy client and author, The Way of Acceptance 

►  I had neither worked with a writing coach nor written a picture book, but people I trusted at GrubStreet strongly recommended Debbie, and I am glad they did. Debbie is a remarkably thorough, responsible, and insightful editor. Her feel for language (and the market!) is stunning. She was prompt and pleasant to work with and got me over my author's rigidity almost immediately. Amazingly (for me) I was happy to see her markups, as I knew the manuscript would be that much improved. Again, amazing. I look forward to working with her in the future and cannot recommend her highly enough. 

Bill Fried, essayist, humorist, author Now I Know Better! (currently on submission)  www.billfried.com

► Deborah Sosin is the best! Before getting ready to self-publish my first children’s book, The Magical Mindful Day, I consulted two other editors, but it wasn't until I worked with Deborah that I felt I was receiving the guidance and support I needed, especially during the last critical months before giving birth to the book.

She is not only incredibly knowledgeable about the craft but also kind, caring, detail-oriented, timely, and reliable. She has all the qualities that I value in a teacher and mentor. I enjoyed working with Deborah so much that, even after the publication of the book, I have continued to consult with her. I feel deep gratitude for Deborah’s patience and ability to help me grow as an author and writer.

Deborah Salazar Shapiro, MSW, psychotherapist and author, The Magical Mindful Day

► Debbie is terrific. For years, she was the managing editor of the Lahey Health Journal of Medical Ethics (I was the editor). Copies of the publication went to 30,000 people and our writers were eminent scholars. Debbie was a careful and thoughtful editor; she was easy to work with, extremely reliable, and had tactful and excellent relations with our authors. I was lucky to have her.

David Steinberg, MD, former editor in chief, Lahey Health Journal of Medical Ethics

►  Debbie has edited my two self-published children’s books. I enjoyed working with her immensely. She has a brilliant eye for detail and for pulling together plot development so that the content of the book makes full sense.  She is a careful and thorough editor, including making sure grammar is 100% correct. Debbie never pushed her own agenda but graciously partnered with me in manifesting my creative ideas. I highly recommend Debbie and wouldn’t hesitate to hire her again.

Joyce Friedman, author, Celeste and Her Nest 

► I asked Debbie to copyedit my first book, Musing Off the Mat, a collection of personal essays. At our first meeting, she asked good questions to understand my goals. She listened well and then explained her work process. We connected easily and had a professional collaboration. Debbie checked in with me after working on the first 20 pages to make sure she was meeting my expectations. (She was.) Debbie is detailed, thorough, and timely, and I’m happy to recommend her professional services.   

Joyce Poggi Hager, Author, Musing Off the Mat, joycepoggihager.com 

►Debbie is a sensitive collaborator. She is a master of her craft. She is a focused, supportive coach. I asked Debbie to review and edit a second printing of my fifth book. Our process had only begun when it became clear that I should have engaged her in the first book. I look forward to our next project.

Dean Coe, author of the Chesterton Series, picture books about Cape Cod’s good-natured weasel 

► In September 2012, I self-published Horn Playing from the Inside Out: A Method for All Brass Musicians. Debbie Sosin helped me transform my manuscript into a very cohesive, well-organized, tautly written book. Her background as a musician and psychotherapist was very helpful because she really “got” the kind of book it was (a very detailed and meticulous method) and what I was trying to get across to my readers (that music can be taught in healing and positive ways).

I welcomed the discussions we had about how to clearly and dynamically illustrate certain abstract subjects covered in my book. Those sections of the book turned out to be especially vibrant and potent. My book has garnered excellent reviews and sales are growing!

I feel very grateful to Debbie for her professional and incisive editing mind and her always-caring, supportive, and encouraging manner. When one is completing a book, it can be a scary, exhausting, but exciting process. I always felt that Debbie was in my corner! 

Eli K. Epstein, Faculty, New England Conservatory; Faculty, Boston Conservatory; Faculty, Music Academy of the West; Former second horn, Cleveland Orchestra,  www.eliepstein.com    

► Debbie combines her visionary outlook and attention to detail into her clients' alchemy, producing golden work that attracts buyers and retains customers. I hired Debbie to coach me in writing the first edition of my business best-seller, We Are All Self-Employed, and to edit many of my marketing materials over the years.

Cliff Hakim, Author, We Are All Self-Employed and Rethinking Work; Former Principal, Rethinking Work® Career Consulting & Strategy

► Debbie did a fabulous job of editing my book while remaining true to my voice. Her content feedback was right on and her editing carefully done. Her suggestions were always an improvement without changing the meaning. Our work together felt like a partnership. Seeing the book get better and better through the editorial process was magical.

Kit Harrington Hayes, MEd, Author, Managing Career Transitions; Founder and Principal, LifeWork Design

► Debbie was invaluable in helping me pull together a major writing project that felt overwhelming. In addition to her wonderful editing skills, she was able to help me organize and give shape to my project, creating cohesion out of my sometimes chaotic ideas. Debbie has a collaborative style, and knows how to teach and mentor as well as give form and texture to the written word. I highly recommend her work to anyone who wants to learn to write well.

Kathy Goldblatt, LICSW, Psychotherapist, www.kathleengoldblatt.com

► As the longtime writer and editor of the Zamir Chorale of Boston's quarterly e-letter, Debbie brings energy, passion, and love for music to her work. Her attention to detail is unsurpassed and she is willing to go the extra mile whenever needed. Debbie can take a simple set of facts and spin them into a lively blurb for our concerts, events, and promotional materials. She is a pleasure to work with!

Barbara Gaffin, Managing Director, Zamir Chorale of Boston, www.zamir.org

For reviews from Reedsy.com clients, click here.