Creative, versatile, and authoritative, Skurnick Editorial offers skilled editing and consultation services for authors, agents, and editors to craft proposals, create publication-ready manuscripts, and develop publicity and social media strategies. Tell us more about your project and get Lizzie on your team.
From novels to memoir to business to how-to, Lizzie Skurnick has edited projects in all fields, bringing them successfully to fruition. We work closely with the authors to prepare their project for consideration, as well as with agents and editors to prepare books for publication. If your book needs an experienced editor, an organizational overhaul, or even a rewrite, Skurnick Editorial is ready to handle it.
“I came to Lizzie with an idea for a guide for women in the workplace. She translated my voice into prose perfectly, turned the project around quickly, and was wonderful to work with.”
Fran Hauser, Venture Capitalist and Former President, Digital at Time Inc.
Before the book comes the proposal! Skurnick Editorial can help you craft a vibrant presentation for submission to agents and editors, or take an existing proposal and give it a fresh tweak. (And even suggest a new title or two.) We can help craft or punch up your cover letter, and even provide a specialized list of places to query.
“Lizzie Skurnick is a skilled practitioner of all aspects of the writing and publishing process. She is an expert in the business and a fantastic writer and editor, with a discerning eye and an ability to coax a great story out of an author.”
Kate Lee, EIC, Medium
Need a larger presence online? Planning a book tour? Considering venues for publicity? Lizzie Skurnick has developed successful publicity and marketing campaigns for many individual authors, forthcoming books, and book proposals, placing clients on NPR, PRI, The New York Times and the Wall Street Journal, and in venues across the country. Whether you simply need a marketing plan in your proposal or want to launch a world-wide tour, Skurnick Editorial will craft a plan just for you.
“Lizzie content edited my recent book, GODSIGNS: Health, Hope and Miracles; My Journey to Recovery. Lizzie’s suggestions were spot on. Her analysis made my rewriting process much smoother. Results: a book readers continue to enjoy and of which I remain proud.”
Suzy Farbman
Lizzie Skurnick is an experienced teacher who has taught classes in poetry, short stories, and novel-writing at the Johns Hopkins Writing Seminars, New York University’s Gallatin School, Adelphi University, and numerous conferences and seminars. Whether you are seeking a one-time session, an ongoing individual workshop, or are looking for a group course, we can provide workshop sessions and a course of study. We are located in the New York area, but phone, Skype, and Facetime sessions are available.
“Lizzie Skurnick provided insightful editing on early drafts of the first few chapters of my manuscript. She helped me find a tone and a voice that I was able to carry through the whole book. It was just the kick start I needed.”
Paul Oyer, Professor of Economics, Stanford Graduate School of Business and author of Everything I Ever Needed to Know About Economics I Learned From Online Dating
Lizzie Skurnick is a critically lauded author and editor, a frequent NPR guest whose work appears in the New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Time magazine, and most major outlets. As the New York Times Magazine word maven, she created hundreds of neologisms collected in That Should Be a Word, appearing on over 50 radio call-ins with dedicated readers. Her memoir Shelf Discovery offered thirsty readers fresh takes on YA classics of the 50’s, 60’s, 70’s, and 80’s, and led to the founding of Lizzie Skurnick Books, an award-winning YA publisher. She’s taught in the MFA programs of New York University and Johns Hopkins; appears regularly at BookExpo America; was a Vice-President of the National Book Critics Circle; and has received prestigious awards and residencies, including a Yaddo fellowship. She lives in Jersey City.