Madison Schultz

Madison Schultz – Editor

Developmental editor and copyeditor with experience in memoir/biography, adult/YA/middle grade fiction, romance, and trade nonfiction.

Overview

My approach to editing can be summed up by an interaction I recently had with a first-time author. The manuscript, a young adult dystopia, had a lot of heart, but the structure, narrative, and language needed a great deal of work. As part of my developmental edit, I sent the author a fifteen-page edit letter with recommendations for everything from characterization to world-building. The author took a few of my suggestions at face value, but for the most part, my feedback inspired her to think more deeply about the world she'd made and come up with her own creative, innovative, and effective solutions.

As an editor, my goal is to work closely with you to help your book be the best possible version of itself, whether I'm offering broad strokes developmental feedback or copyediting for clarity and consistency. I've worked on memoirs and biographies, fiction for teens and adults, and even comics and poetry collections. Each project and author is unique and requires a customized approach; there's no such thing as one-size-fits-all in editing!

I'm most comfortable providing developmental editing for fiction, biography, and memoir, but I can and will copyedit just about anything! If your book is about dysfunctional families, food, or horses, I want to work on it.
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Cozy Mysteries Gaming & LitRPG Middle Grade Fantasy Romantic Fantasy Young Adult
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

Sep, 2016 — Present

In addition to working with independent authors, I copyedit and proofread for clients such as Andrews McMeel, Sourcebooks, and Beyond Words.

Ooligan Press

Jun, 2018 — Jun, 2019 (about 1 year)

As Ooligan Press's managing editor, I shepherded books through every part of the editorial process, from developmental editing and copyediting to print and ebook proofreading. For each stage, I supervised a team of 4-10 student editors and provided quality control on all titles. I also worked directly with authors to communicate the team's feedback.

Portfolio

I Guarantee It

George Zimmer

America knew George Zimmer for one of the most famous slogans in television advertising history: “I guarantee it.” Zimmer rode his promise to lead the Men’s Wearhouse to unimagined success as ... read more
Proofreading
A heartfelt, inspiring narrative that is inextricably linked to the nation’s past and present, civil rights activist and public servant Alvin Brooks shares engaging, funny, and tragic stories ... read more
Copy Editing
Trailblazers

Billie Jean King

Legendary tennis player Billie Jean King details the remarkable history of women’s tennis in this stunning edition of Trailblazers: The Unmatched Story of Women's Tennis.In celebration of the ... read more
Proofreading
A Killer Clue

Victoria Gilbert

Crooked Lane Books

Perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz and Jenn McKinlay, acclaimed author Victoria Gilbert is back with more devious clues and deadly secrets as Hunter and Clewe take on a new case in the second Hunter and Clewe mystery.When Eloise Anderson, the owner of an ant... read more
Made with Reedsy
Fig Wheatley and The Circle of Lunch

DeFinis, Lori

Developmental Editing Copy Editing Proofreading
Learn all about the fascinating lives and tremendous impact of 100 extraordinary Hispanic and Latino Americans with this fact-filled biography collection for kids. Educational and engaging, 10... read more
Proofreading
LVOE.

Atticus

For the first time since he began writing, three-time New York Times bestselling author Atticus is inviting readers to take a look behind the mask as he embarks on a powerful journey inward in... read more
Proofreading
Soul Riders

Helena Dahlgren

Helena Dahlgren is the winner of 2021 Kids’ Book Choice Awards, Age 12-18: Best Fantasy World Builder category. Step into the final installment of the fantasy trilogy based on the massively po... read more
Copy Editing
Soul Riders

Helena Dahlgren

Step into the second installment of the massively popular online Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) Star Stable, and follow four friends who discover their magic powers an... read more
Copy Editing
Soul Riders

Helena Dahlgren

Helena Dahlgren is the winner of 2021 Kids’ Book Choice Awards, Age 12-18: Best Fantasy World Builder category. Step into the universe of the massively popular adventure game Star Stable, and ... read more
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Developmental Editing Copy Editing

Madison has 8 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Elizabeth J.

Elizabeth J.

Oct, 2022

Pinned
Madison was great to work with. I loved how she explained her reasoning on some of the proposed changes or gave me several suggestions for how to improve a sentence. Highly recommend and will be using her for my next book.
Jake S.

Jake S.

Mar, 2022

Pinned
Madison was fantastic to work with from start to finish. Her enthusiasm for my project, dedication to the craft, and insightful comments were all incredibly valuable. As a first-time author, I really needed someone to give me the confidence to accept constructive feedback and make changes in my manuscript. Madison did all of that and more. She will certainly be my go-to editor for my second book!
Lori D.

Lori D.

Aug, 2021

Pinned
Madison was an absolute pleasure to work with. She was responsive and helpful. This was my first time working with an editor and Madison was so patient in explaining how the process works and answering any questions I had. Her comments and suggestions for my manuscript were comprehensive and insightful and assured me that she truly cared about my writing and my growth as a writer. I hope to wor...
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Barbara J.

Barbara J.

Aug, 2024

Working with Madison is always great.
Barbara J.

Barbara J.

Jan, 2023

Madison was very understanding when I had some unexpected delays, and she stayed in regular contact as we needed to communicate. We renegotiated our deadlines and finished on time.

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