Olivia has edited three of the four books I’ve sold, and I hope she’s my editor for life. I knew she was good when we worked together on the first two books in The Nine series, but it was our third book together where the full depth of her talents were revealed. The first draft I sent her was admittedly a bit of a mess. Character motivations were unclear, the plot meandered, and the climax didn’t land like it should. She sent me notes and suggestions on structure, plot, characters, and dialogue that were really insightful.
We ended up working on three drafts of the book together, and each time she made further suggestions that strengthened every aspect of the book. Her comments were backed up by explanations, and when she wasn’t sure whether to offer a note, she’d say “something to consider; what do you think?” We also had phone calls where we brainstormed certain scenes, and sometimes it felt like she knew my characters better than I did. She also honors deadlines, so if she says you’ll have notes by EOD on a certain date, you can bet they will be in your inbox the following morning.
I don’t think you’ll find a more technically proficient editor who is also a pleasure to work with.
Kes Trester
/
Author of The Nine series
★★★★★
★★★★★
Finding Olivia was the literal best thing that’s happened to me in my time and process of writing DISENCHANTED. She does SO much more than edit; what she does is pure magic. She dug deep, not only highlighting and teaching me about my manuscript’s weaknesses and character inconsistencies, but also noting my strong points. Olivia has the uncanny ability to make you feel great about your work, all while honestly assessing your manuscript needs depending on your goal. My manuscript got picked up by the publishing house of my dreams, which would not have been possible if it weren’t for her. She is a multitalented editor and writer. I can’t wait to work with her again!
Brianna Sugalski
Author of DISENCHATED and DISILLUSIONED
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
I had the great pleasure of working with Olivia during the editing of my novel THE KEY TO THE UNIVERSE from Owl Hollow Press. As a fellow grammar nerd, Olivia is a fantastic editor to partner with. Her suggestions were insightful, and she of course caught things that I had missed during my countless readings. Moreover, she was easy to collaborate with, taking the time to discuss potential changes on what might work best. No writer wants to put out a subpar product, and I believe my novel is stronger for having gone through Olivia’s shop.
/Pat Scalisi
★★★★★
After working with nearly a dozen editors, including top editors at Penguin Random House and Scholastic, I can say hands down that Olivia is one of the best in the business. She’s diligent, has a keen eye for what works in different genres and how to connect with audiences, and she’s adept at giving both big picture and sentence-level feedback. Rather than merely pointing out what’s not working, Olivia offers solutions and finds ingenious ways to make stories more active and engaging. Most importantly, she’s a pleasure to work with—insightful, diligent, friendly, and supportive. Her professional editing skills are top-notch.
Todd Mitchell
Author of THE NAMER OF SPIRITS
I’ve been trying to come up with the perfect words to describe how incredible Olivia was to work with. She didn’t edit the book, she transformed it, all the while staying true to my vision and voice and world building. She climbed into the story, rolled up her sleeves, and hammered out the dents. She found every single discrepancy and plot hole, polished my writing, and caught tiny details that I missed. Sometimes more than once. And Olivia’s humor and upbeat view of the world made our emails back and forth a pure joy. Oh, and the fact that we both love the em-dash. Love them something fierce. I really, really hope I get a chance to work with her again.
Darby Karchut
Author of DEL TORO MOON, THE HORSE WHO CARRIES THE STARS, and so much more
Form the very beginning of us working together, Olivia assured me that she wanted to make Bea Pearl the best she could be while respecting my vision for the story. That was so reassuring to know and that’s exactly what she did. Olivia spotted inconsistencies that I had never noticed and made Bea Pearl a stronger, tighter story for it. She was great at letting me know what worked in the story and her edit notes were always clear and sent on time. I highly recommend Olivia!
Candice Marley Connor
Author of THE EXISTENCE OF BEA PEARL
Olivia was an absolute godsend during the editing process of both of my YA novels. She approached each round with keen insight and a collaborative method that helped me elevate my manuscripts to more cohesive, well-rounded stories.
Jennifer Hawkins
Author of THE LANGUAGE OF CHERRIES and ALL THE LONELY PEOPLE
Olivia was an outstanding editor to work with on NARCOSIS ROOM and QUICK FIX. Her developmental insight challenged me to improve my storytelling in ways that I didn’t originally see. She also helped with continuity in my series, so that one book naturally flowed into the other. I am grateful to Olivia for helping me become a stronger writer.
Jennifer Bardsley/Louise Cypress
Olivia Swenson is the editor of dreams. She is professional and easy to work with, to the point, and most importantly responsive. She reads with a keen eye for loose ends, continuity, and language flow, but leaves the creative process in your hands. I would recommend her a thousand times. A million.
Katarina Boudreaux
Author of PLATFORM DWELLERS
Olivia was my first and remains my only editor. I hand her my stories with confidence, knowing she is not seeking to alter my writing but to enhance it, drawing out themes, concepts, and imagery that she recognizes under the surface and then brings them forward into the light.
Shelly X. Leonne
Author of THE GHOST AND THE WOLF, CABIN REDEMPTION, and more