REVIEWS FOR
ERIN YOUNG
See more at https://reedsy.com/erin-young
As a first-time novelist, I cannot begin to thank Erin for the professional editing she provided me. She has an innate sense of what’s working in a manuscript and what’s not. She’s as open, honest, and forthcoming as any writer could ask for. In my case, she took a rambling first novel and turned it into a gem. I seriously doubt my book would have been published [by Pegasus] without her editing skills. I will always be in debt to Erin.
Monka Jean, Jan 9, 2023
Erin is the real deal when it comes to finding an editor you can trust and who will help not only polish your work, but help you grow as a writer in the process. Erin kept to schedule, was very thorough in her work and very professional. It is clear that Erin enjoys what she does and is an expert at her craft. I feel that Erin went above and beyond to help improve my manuscript and set me on the path to a better writting process through her comments and materials, while respecting my efforts and voice as an author. This collaboration was money very well spent and I highly recommend working with Erin if you have the opportunity to do so!
Louise Rosenau, Dec 7, 2022
Erin was wonderful to work with! She allowed me to see my manuscript objectively and offered incredibly helpful recommendations. After the process was over, she even spoke with me on the phone and answered a few publishing related questions that I had. If you’re looking for a talented editor to greatly improve your manuscript, look no further!
Hannah Lohr, Nov 28, 2017
I contacted Erin Young for many reasons, but first among those was/is that she specializes in fantasy as an editor, as a scholar, and formerly, an agent. I feared this might be a two-edged sword, as she’d seen all possible permutations of the genre. However, this was not the case. Erin entered my project wholeheartedly. She walked around in its world, followed the characters like a bloodhound. and she asked questions, many questions. Thus, the dialogue I had hoped for began.
If there were a Magical Editorial Plot-Hole Diviner, Erin would be that person. Take heart, dear writer. She spots the many tiny and sometimes large gaps the writer is too close to perceive. More importantly, she reminds the writer that the reader is not always a careful absorber of subtly dropped details. She spots over-correction for the dreaded info-dump and any so-crafty-it’s-obscure plot points. All of this makes her an ideal developmental editor.
Her line edits are both specific and broad. She remembers the fine points of the text and asks for clarification where needed. She’s got an incisive eye for description and points out where more is needed. We did not always agree but did forge a third way.
The phone conference/discussion that followed her report was enormously helpful in explaining any comments and responding to new ideas that popped up because of her suggestions. Finally, her understanding of exactly what readers of fantasy want that might be unique is most helpful to those of us who write in a couple of genres. As she said at the beginning of our work together, “It is at the conference that the magic happens.”
Erin is supportive, helpfully critical, and brings enthusiasm to working with writers to shape a novel to its full potential. As a result, instead of being overwhelmed, I’m approaching my revisions with confidence.
Michelle Koetke, Aug 26, 2022
Erin is an outstanding editor with passion and vision for how the story can achieve its potential. I was amazed at her generous and meticulous notes. Erin's macro suggestions were the breakthrough I needed to save my novel structurally and make it into everything I had wanted it to be. When we talked on the phone to discuss her notes, Erin had several, insanely good and creative, solutions for each of my concerns. I could barely write fast enough to record all that brilliance. If you need a fantastic diagnostician for your beloved story, I passionately recommend Erin. Your baby novel could not get into better hands. THANK YOU ERIN!!!
Monika Kalina, August 15th, 2018
