"My work is far better having had Ellen’s guidance and inspiration. I could not recommend anyone more highly."
- Terence Sullivan
As a fiction editor, I specialize in helping you achieve the perfect blend of excellent prose, factual/historical accuracy and vivid, sweep-you-along storytelling. My editing has been described as "whip-smart" (Amy Tyson), "frank, right-on" (Beth MacDonald) and "wonderful" (Mark Jespersen).
Lara Zielin adds, “There is literally no way I'd be a published author without Ellen! My dream wouldn't have come true without Ellen's steadfast encouragement and sharp eye on my pages. Ellen is the real deal!”
Having devoted 25+ years to studying and writing about early 20th century America, I love working with authors whose historical fiction is set in that time and place and who are committed to great storytelling plus to accuracy in terms of historical context, social mores, language, fashion, technology, and the day-to-day details and experience of life. I’m also highly skilled at editing fiction in other genres, including .young adult, contemporary (“sweet”) romance and upmarket/commercial.
You’ll find me to be a tough and comprehensive editor, with every comment I make in the service of making your book the best it can possibly be. And another important part of my job, as I see it, is to point out what does work and encourage you to see the process through. Once we work together, you and your book will have me forever on your team, supporting you and cheering you on!
Jacob Nurmi
Having the opportunity to work with Ellen was an absolute game changer. Her attention to the finer details and how those details blend brought my story to life in ways I didn’t know were possible. Her passion for the project she is working with resonates with every comment, edit and suggestion. She truly wants to see your work succeed, and that is evident from the moment you start working with her.
Nancy Fagan
Ellen is an insightful reader and sees the big picture as well as the details. Her comments were spot on and her suggestions to repair the areas of the novel to create something cohesive and inviting helped make it a better piece of work. In addition, she led me through any changes, allowing time and grace for my creativity and not thrusting her own upon the story. I would work with Ellen any time and highly recommend her. Plus, with her history of 20th century expertise, she pointed out certain nuances that I had not thought of despite hours of tedious research on my own.
Terence Sullivan
It is a rare experience to find someone with Ellen’s intuition, brilliance, and kindness. The value that Ellen provides far surpasses any expectation I had surrounding the edit process. Ellen has a mastery of character development combined with a gift for understanding her collaborator’s voice and intentions. My work is far better having had Ellen’s guidance and inspiration. I could not recommend anyone more highly.
An insightful editor/book coach with a novelist's experience and sensibilities
With a complete understanding of the novelist's journey (from having been through it myself!), I bring my 25+ years of fiction writing and editing experience to bear on your work. (You can learn more about my novels and my journey as a writer here.)
I specialize in offering a deeper form of editing that not only offers a critique of your work but also teaches the finer points of craft.
As your editor, mentor and coach, I will help and support you to become the finest fiction writer you can be.
I’ll be your biggest critic AND your biggest cheerleader, holding you to the highest possible standards while believing fully in you, your potential, and your writing.
Since it’s a big decision for both of us to decide to work together on your book (I definitely know how precious it is to you!), I’ve developed a process to make sure everyone I work with will get the very best out of me and bring their book as close as possible to publication-ready. Here’s how it works:
1. First 15 pages review. Send me the first 15 pages of your manuscript and I'll read them to be sure that I think you’re at a point to get the most out of your investment and that I’m the right editor for you. If I don’t feel that your manuscript is quite ready for me, I’ll give you pointers as to what you’d need to improve on your own before I would take you on as client.
2. Offer. If I decide that I can take you on as a client, there's no charge for the first 15-pages review; if I don’t feel you’re ready, you’ll be given the option of paying $222 for my detailed comments and notes on the first 15 pages, which will help you as you go about revising the entire book on your own.
3. Conversation. If I feel your work is at a point to fully benefit from my editing services, we'll schedule a 30-minute Zoom call to get to know each other and discuss your vision and hopes for your book. There's no charge or obligation with this call.
4. Decision. If you decide you want to work with me, you'll then have the chance to choose the depth of editing you'd like to have me do, depending on where you are in your process and what your budget is. We'll agree on service, price, and timeline, sign a contract, and be off and running!
I offer the following levels of editing:
Quick Assessment
I read through your ms once and give you detailed feedback in a 1-hour Zoom call. A low-cost way for you to get professional feedback on whether your plot, characters, and major story elements are working -- and how to fix anything that may be going awry.
Full
Editorial Assessment
I start by reading through your book once to get a sense of its overall shape and potential issues, assessing all elements, including plot, scene development, overall structure, characters, conflicts, pacing, tension, time, dialogue, style, continuity, historical accuracy, and anything else that comes to my attention. I write a first response, then go back and read through a second time, this time focusing on flagging any problems or concerns and suggesting possible solutions. You end up with a fair number of marginal notes, no line edits, and general suggestions in my overall (2000-3000 word) feedback letter.
Full
Developmental Edit
Again, I start by reading your ms through once to get a sense of the overarching story and write a first response letter. Then, I go back and delve deeply into every chapter, scene and line, offering suggestions and guidance on the same elements listed with the editorial assessment, but going deeper to really solve any issues that are present in the book. You end up with a huge number of marginal notes, a good number of line edits, and a long (4000-5000 word), extremely thorough response letter.
Line Editing
After all developmental issues have been addressed, I help you tighten and polish every line of your manuscript.
Not sure which service is right for you?
Let's talk about it!
Just email me at [email protected],
attaching your first 15 pages as a Word document, and I'll get back to you asap!
Clint Graves
Ellen was tremendous to work with. I handed her a mess and she helped me wind myself through it and make sense of it all. As an untrained, aspiring author, she really helped me understand the basics and how to find my voice.
Thom Bogle
Ellen was a joy to work with.
She was thorough in her work, clear and creative in her comments and encouraging when I needed it. I would enjoy working with her again.
Beth MacDonald
Working with Ellen Baker on my first novel has been a treat! While always polite, Ellen was frank with her suggestions for improvements. Looking back at the notes I scrawled in response to her carefully considered suggestions, my most frequent comments were: 'yes,' 'good,' and 'got it!'
Got a manuscript?
I recommend you start here
I specialize in providing highly detailed "quick assessments" based on a single read-through of your manuscript.
If your novel (or at least half of it) is complete, I'll read it and give you my overarching, very detailed feedback in a 1-hour Zoom call.
While you won't receive line-by-line or other written critiques, this initial quick assessment is a low-cost way for you to get professional feedback on whether your plot, characters, and major story elements are working -- and how to fix anything that may be going slightly awry.
Typically, based on my quick assessments, writers are able to make substantive, incredibly positive changes to their manuscripts. While some continue on with me to have full edits done after they've finished their assessment-based revisions, some have gone out and quickly gotten agents (!!) after doing the hard work of addressing my comprehensive comments.
Think this could be the right next step for you? Just email me at [email protected] with the subject "Quick Assessment" and attach your first 15 pages as a Word document.
I look forward to hearing from you!
