Alma Alexander – Editor

Alma Alexander is an internationally published novelist (14 languages in more than 20 countries), short story writer, and anthologist.

She has more than 30 years of experience in the publishing industry, as a writer and as both an in-house and freelance editor of fiction and non-fiction. She has taught at several writing workshops and conferences, including the Odyssey Writing Workshop in New Hampshire, USA, and has been nominated for or reached the finals of a number of literary awards (Endeavour Award, the Pushcart Prize, the World Fantasy Award, the Washington State Book Award)

She has had more than 20 novels published in this millennium, including “The Hidden Queen”/”Changer of Days” (high fantasy), “The Secrets of Jin-Shei”, “Embers of Heaven” and “Empress/” (historical fantasy), other standalone novels and story collections in a range of speculative fiction subgenres as well as contemporary literature, and several YA series (the Worldweavers series, the Were Chronicles). She is currently – and always – at work on several new projects.

From us From them Services

Why we love Alma

Alma has extensive experience of the US publishing world and understands how to guide writers to get the best out of their work. We particularly recommend her for any writers who want an expert US industry perspective on their work, and those writing fantasy – particularly for young adults.

What Alma says about editing

I have learned my craft from the ground up, having discovered my writing vocation early, and editorial work (helping other writers) followed naturally. I’ve always believed that a good editor is essential in the presentation of a work for publication. An editor’s role is advisory, not prescriptive – the editor may offer advice on places where action is necessary and what it might entail , but will never “fix” the writer’s work for them, or interfere with the work to the point of visibly inserting themselves into it. I have benefitted, in my career, from the advice of several such editors, and good editors are worth their weight in gold when they appear at the right stage in a book’s development.

A writer can be guided to tell a story in a more accomplished and smoother fashion – but it’s the writer who needs to bring that story. The editor cannot “rewrite” – and if a story presented ends up requiring that much input then editing becomes ghostwriting and an entirely different discipline.

What Alma works on

Editorial Assessment

Post-Editorial Guidance

Line-Editing

Genres Alma specialises in

Fiction:

Contemporary
Literary (including ‘bookclub’)
Women’s
Science Fiction
Fantasy
Short stories & novellas
Young Adult

Non-Fiction:

Memoir/Autobiography
Other narrative non-fiction
Subject-led non-fiction

Alma’s published books

The Second Star

The Second Star

The Parada had been lost for almost two hundred years before they recovered the ship, drifting in stygian interstellar darkness, and brought her home again.

But that was not the miracle.

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The Secrets of Jin-shei

The Secrets of Jin-shei

A group of women, the jin-shei sisterhood, form a uniquely powerful circle that transcends class and social custom. They are bound together by a declaration of loyalty that transcends all other vows, even those with the gods, by their own secret language, passed from mother to daughter, by the knowledge that some of them will have to pay the ultimate sacrifice to enable others to fulfill their destiny.

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Untranslatable

Worldweavers

Worldweavers

This year at the Wandless Academy feels all wrong to Thea. Her best friend, Magpie, will barely give her the time of day. Ben’s been moody and dismissive. Since when did Tess have a boyfriend? And why is Humphrey May, agent for the Federal Bureau of Magic, lurking around the Academy?

Thea is out of sorts—in all ways, magical and otherwise—and that’s before she discovers she’s an elemental mage, a category of magician so rare that only four others are known to exist.

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Random

Random Random

I am a Random Were, which means I am a Were of no fixed form – like all Random Were, my family can become any warm-blooded creature which is the last thing they see before they Turn. For me, when my time came, that meant… trouble. I was quite young when I lost my older sister, Celia, and my family never spoke about her. It was only when I found the secret diaries that she had left behind that I began to discover the truth behind her life and her death. I never understood what drove my moody and dangerous older brother until I began to get an inkling about his part in Celia’s death… and until, driven to the edge of patience and understanding, he finally had to face his own Turn problems… and disastrously took matters into his own hands. One thing is clear. Everything I thought I knew about Were-kind was wrong.

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Testimonials

“I followed your suggestions and changed the POV character in the story you edited for me – and I just sold it! Are you available for my next project?”

S. Edwards, USA

“Thank you! I can’t believe I missed the things you caught!”

I. Radford, USA

“I need to start again and write something I really , really care about. I need to read and reread your critique.”

P. Adunaya, UK

“You’ve provided me with a wealth of information to think about. I’m very grateful for your help!”

W. Randel

“Your criticisms are all extremely constructive and helpful and are exactly what I need at this stage.”

N. Stewart, UK

Alma Alexander – Editor

Why we love Alma

What Alma says about editing

What Alma works on

Editorial Assessment

Post-Editorial Guidance

Line-Editing

Genres Alma specialises in

Alma’s published books

Testimonials

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