Jessica MacLeish

I’m available for freelance editorial work for writers, publishers, and/or literary agents. With over a decade of professional editing and story development experience under my belt—on YA and middle grade fiction and non-fiction, adult humor/lifestyle, adult memoir/essay collection, adult non-fiction, short story anthologies, audiobooks, you name it—I’d be happy to work with you on a variety of services, including in-depth manuscript critiques and/or line edits for full manuscripts or first pages; synopsis/proposal critiques and/or development; work-for-hire writing projects; and more. For writers: please note, while I will use my editorial experience to guide your revision and shape your manuscript, I cannot guarantee a publishing deal nor can I connect you to agents or publishers.

A brief rundown of the services I offer for writers:

• Editorial Assessment – Ideal for early drafts, this service involves an overview critique of your manuscript to provide general feedback, spotlighting a few possible macro areas for improvement.

• Developmental Edit – I will provide an in-depth editorial letter addressing both macro and micro areas for improvement, including, but not limited to: overall plot, pacing, characterization, voice, etc.

• In-Depth Line Edit – An in-depth edit within the pages of your manuscript (using tracked changes and comment bubbles), focusing on the line level writing as well as overall questions/comments.

• Synopsis/Proposal Development/Edit — A critique and edit, including development & organization, of your synopsis/proposal; outlining your manuscript’s structure (/story plot, for fiction) in one engaging document.

• Revision Consulting/Edit — If you’ve received feedback/notes from another source and would like help implementing that feedback and working on your revision, I can help! This often looks like a combination of developmental/outlining work and in-depth editing work.

Send me an email via the CONTACT page to discuss options and pricing (I offer free custom quotes). Tell me a little bit about your manuscript and what you’re looking for in terms of editorial work, and we can go from there. Clients and I will agree upon a flat fee and schedule before beginning work on a project. If you haven’t heard back from me within a week of your initial query, please check your spam folder, then follow up!

Testimonials from writers I’ve worked with:

“I had reworked my young adult fantasy novel no less than a dozen times over the course of five years with several editors prior to Jessica. Jessica transformed my novel through her pointed questions, clear, detailed genre-specific feedback combined with her (much needed) words of encouragement and overarching plot notes. After our phone call ironing out any final questions I had, I went back to work and within no less than six months, I landed the literary agent of my dreams. She was essential to this process.” - Meagan Adele Lopez, writer (YA fiction)

“Jessica edited my middle-grade speculative novel. She improved it enormously with her insights regarding world building, character development, and plot resolution. I incorporated almost every suggestion into my revision, and am delighted with the outcome. She is encouraging and professional and I recommend her editorial services unreservedly.” - Suzie Fitzadam, writer (middle grade fiction)

“Jessica MacLeish is a brilliant editor. Her keen eye and attention to detail helped me tell the story of my dreams. Jessica has the rare ability to see the story as a whole, yet is able to recognize its necessary pieces.  I was completely bowled over, not simply by her professionalism and expertise, but also her encouraging nature. I could not recommend her enough!” - Ernesto Cisneros, author of Efrén Divided (middle grade fiction)

“Jessica was an absolute pleasure to work with. She provided clear, constructive feedback of my first novel, with guidance on areas that needed the most work. Would work with her again, and highly recommend her to other writers!” - Megan T., writer (YA fiction)

“From our first email exchange, I knew my project would be in great hands with Jess. I was in uncharted waters with this new middle grade endeavor, and Jess's notes were absolutely everything I needed. With clearly categorized high-level feedback as well as in-line observations, she helped me parse out both what was needed at the plot and character level as well as with language and dialogue. Her encouragement was so critical to feeding my confidence at a much-needed time and helped me to better understand what was working in the draft. She exceeded my expectations in every way, and I would not only highly recommend Jess, but would absolutely return to her with future projects.” - Carly Anne West, author (YA and middle grade fiction)

“Jessica has a keen editing eye. She efficiently identified potential areas for improvement, both global and detailed. Her feedback was well written and clear—allowing me to launch right into revisions. Everything she suggested resonated with me. It also made me think deeper about the project, which sparked my own additional insights. She offered a follow up phone call for further discussion. I found it helpful to talk through my thoughts with her. I highly recommend her services.” - Sarah Scheerger, author (YA and middle grade fiction)

“I can’t recommend Jessica enough. Her feedback and edits on my manuscript were clear, thorough, and thoughtful, and she helped me reduce word count while still preserving the essence of my book. Writing a book can be a (very) solitary endeavor, and Jessica made the process feel much more collaborative, while also providing feedback and encouragement at a time when I needed it most. I highly recommend Jessica’s editorial services, and would absolutely work with her again.” - Clare H., author (adult humor/lifestyle/memoir)

"I thoroughly enjoyed working with Jess. She has an excellent editorial eye when it comes to seeing the big picture in story development. She is both professional and fun to collaborate with. Five stars!" - Julie Pennell, author (adult fiction)

“Relief! My piles of chapters, publisher notes, and thoughts were a mess I didn’t think anyone could get through, much less synthesize. Jess’s feedback and suggestions were masterful, both on a micro- and macro-level. With the fresh eyes I needed on my work, she offered brilliant solutions—from big-picture structure to single sentences that miraculously bridged disconnected paragraphs and made them flow. I already had a world-class editor helping me, so I hesitated to bring in Jess, but I’m so glad I went for it. She was the missing piece for getting me and this book unstuck.” - Laura Belgray, author (adult essay collection/memoir)

"It's hard to describe the relief I feel when handing my work over to Jess. With Jess, I can step away from a grueling writing process knowing that my book is in trustworthy hands. Her feedback is compassionate, wise, and expert. Jess brought perspective and direction that fueled me through the final stretch of finishing my manuscript. The process of working with Jess has been an invitation into exponential growth as an author. I'll be back for more of Jess's help soon!" - Casey T., author (adult non-fiction)

“I came to Jess in the messy middle of my writing project, and she gave me the structure, support, and deadlines to get the first draft done. Jess's adaptability, hands-on approach, and willingness to dive deep ensured that no challenge went unresolved. If you're grappling with a stalled manuscript, hiring Jess will reignite your creative spark. With her by your side, momentum and progress are inevitable.” - Amber Rae, author (adult memoir/self-help)

A selection of the books I’ve worked on, which include Indie Next List bestsellers, JLG selections, various award and starred review recipients (over 15 starred reviews in total), Indie Next List picks, and “Best of Year” list entries (including NPR, Amazon, Kirkus, SLJ, and more):