Editing Services
As an editor and book coach, I’ve helped authors develop and refine their manuscripts for over a decade. In that time, I’ve evaluated nearly 3,000 short and long form manuscripts and taught and participated in 25 semester-long creative writing workshops. My writing and publishing expertise enables my clients to hone their craft while also guiding them toward the ideal venues to showcase their work.
I’m not one to subscribe to catch-all writing rules or trite platitudes. Each manuscript is considered within its own parameters, with distinct goals and possibilities, accountable only to the author and the desired outcome for their work. I’m committed to an author-focused process designed to shape your work into its best possible self.
Whether you're looking for a developmental edit, a substantive edit, or book coaching, I’m here to take your work to new heights and enhance your craft knowledge.
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I serve as a Guest Editor at CRAFT, The Masters Review, Fractured, and Uncharted Magazine, where I provide personalized feedback letters on fiction and nonfiction across multiple genres. I’m also the Marketing Director for Split/Lip Press, an indie publisher dedicated to boundary-breaking prose.
I received a Ph.D. in Fiction from Oklahoma State University, an M.F.A. and M.A. from McNeese State University, and a B.A. from the College of Charleston. I previously served as an editor at Cimarron Review, The McNeese Review, as well as other esteemed literary journals. I’ve worked as a reader for FC2, Hub City Press, and Split/Lip Press. My fiction has received the Katherine Anne Porter Prize and the Robert Olen Butler Prize, and my short story collection has been finalist for publication at Iowa Press, Dzanc Books, TTU Press, SFWP, Press 53, and elsewhere. -
My approach as a developmental editor is unique in that I have a maximalist mindset, with my feedback letters ranging from 15 to 30 single-spaced pages for a full-length manuscript. After three passes through the manuscript, I create a comprehensive response to your work, providing constructive and approachable paths for revision. I break down every relevant aspect of the project, what’s working and what might work even better, all through the lens of the author’s concerns and goals for their manuscript.
At the end of the day, what matters most is uncovering the truth at the core of an author’s project. My feedback letters leave no stone unturned and reveal the otherwise hidden possibilities in a manuscript.
Do you have a completed novel or memoir that needs a fresh set of eyes and constructive, uplifting feedback to take the next leap? Do you have a story or essay you can’t quite crack or haven’t found a home for? If so, developmental editing might be for you.
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In addition to my developmental feedback letter, clients interested in substantive editing also receive line comments and edits throughout their draft. With a heightened attention to prose, I analyze writing tendencies and help sharpen the manuscript on the level of the line. My developmental edits will often unpack select passages of the manuscript within the letter, but a substantive edit includes a dedicated look at the prose in additional to higher order concerns.
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Whether it’s an aspiring author preparing to pen their dream project, a seasoned author struggling with their latest book, or somewhere in the between, I’m happy to discuss arrangements to work with clients on a regular basis.
With an individualized plan to meet the needs of each client, I’m able to give guided feedback at each stage of the drafting process, help outline the project and foresee obstacles before they appear, establish firm writing deadlines to build author accountability, provide writing prompts to develop long-term skills, act as a sounding board for ideas throughout the writing process, and more.
Book coaching allows for a flexible approach that meets the needs of writers from all backgrounds and lifestyles. Reach out today to learn more!
I am currently open for consultations. If you're interested in learning more about my services or rates, please contact me. My rates are generally in step with the Editorial Freelancers Association (EFA) but I offer a sliding scale based on your concerns about the manuscript and the current state of your work.
I look forward to working with you!
Testimonials
“Gage wrote a thoughtful, instructive, and inspiring editorial letter that deeply moved me. We take huge risks writing a novel; sometimes, staying the course seems foolish. His appreciation for “The Lost Chagall’s” potential validates my commitment, and for this, I am deeply thankful. He read my novel carefully and gave detailed suggestions for its improvement! I appreciate his inspiring comments and love this one: “Part of the fun with this type of historical fiction is sanding off some of the edges and making space for yourself (and your story) within this history.” I have no doubt his influence will spark the next generation of writers to do the work required.”
“I worked with Gage Saylor on a short story. It was my first short story and I needed a lot of guidance not just with editing, but with everything from the submission process to cover letters. Gage provided developmental editing that was clear and actionable. His line edits were meticulous and thorough. After working with Gage, my story had improved significantly, especially in terms of readability, pacing and character development. I was ready to submit with confidence and it wasn’t too long before I got my first acceptance.”
“Gage Saylor is a wonderful writer but lucky for me, he is one hell of an editor as well. Over the course of several of my stories, Gage has served as both a guide and a catalyst; excavating the bones of a better story and sparking the imagination to take the story places I hadn’t thought about. Working with Gage is a dialogue. He asks questions that probe the writer’s intention, offers suggestions that unlock possibility, and always, always listens. Every story shaped in his care emerges truer to itself, a testament not only to the writer’s vision, but to the editor’s art.”
“I really appreciate the thought and care Gage put into my story. He shed light on issues of timing and plot I’d been struggling with. The result was a stronger, better crafted story.”