Sophia Dembling

Sophia Dembling – Editor

I've edited professional authors with St. Martin's Press and Kensington and first-time, self-published authors. Everyone gets the same TLC.

Overview

A good editor doesn’t just make sure your commas are properly placed. That’s only where the job begins.

A good editor makes sure your vision for your book comes through as clearly and elegantly as possible. That your paragraphs flow like a stream tumbling over rocks. That your sentences are crystal clear and the words within them sparkle with just the right meaning. That the structure of your plot is solid and your characters move through space in ways that the laws of physics support. That your historical references are accurate, and celebrities’ names are spelled correctly. A good editor gets to know the characters in your book well enough to recognize and flag when they stray out of character or behave in ways counter to human nature. A good editor does all this and more without interfering with your voice as a writer​, and has a good ear for when to follow the rules and when to break them.

In my years of working with St. Martin's Press, I have edited everything from memoir to sci fi, and I love working with first-time and self-published authors. With many years experience as an editor and an author myself, I can help make your good work even better.

ENDORSEMENTS

I had the pleasure of working with Sophia , an experience I wholeheartedly endorse and would recommend to other people.

My publisher, St. Martin’s Press, assigned Sophia to be the copy editor of Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk, and Sophia could not have been better suited to the job. Her corrections, suggestions, questions and feedback were clearly articulated, extremely thorough, and thoughtfully delivered. Her careful attention to the book helped to make my writing as clean and felicitous as it could possibly be, and I am grateful to have gotten the opportunity to work with her.

---Kathleen Rooney, author, Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk

I can recommend Sophia as a copyeditor unreservedly and without hesitation. Her work is meticulous and thoughtful with a keen sense of narrative voice. Her queries to authors are always reasonable and unfailingly polite.

She is a pleasure to work with and a great favorite with many of my authors.
--- Meryl Gross, Managing Editor, St. Martin's Press
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Health & Wellbeing Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Psychological Thriller Romance Women's Fiction
Languages
English (UK) English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2011 — Present

After a stint as a staff writer at a newspaper and many years freelancing as a writer for newspapers, magazines, and websites, I took a turn to freelance editing, which I find infinitely satisfying and pleasurable. I love working on novels, but I have edited everything from white papers to website copy to promotional materials. I love words.

Self-employed

Jan, 1995 — Jan, 2018 (about 23 years)

I wrote for newspapers, magazines, and websites--from the LA Times to Sierra magazine to PreservationNation--on travel, health, psychology, and more. I continue to blog about introversion for the Psychology Today website, and have published two books about introversion with Perigee Press (a division of Penguin), along with several other books. Today I continue writing but focus on fiction. I am represented by Sharon Pelletier.

Sophia has 22 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Jennifer J.

Jennifer J.

May, 2022

Pinned
Sophia is a phenomenal editor! Friendly and professional, her notes were spot on and her commentary often made me laugh for not having seen the issue myself. Thanks to Sophia my sentence structure is clearer and the story flows like a melody. I definitely plan to hire her for Book II.
Sophia D.
Thank you, Jennifer! It was a pleasure working with your manuscript. I wish you the very best with it and look forward to the next one.
GREGORY F.

GREGORY F.

Jan, 2022

Pinned
Searching for an editor is one of the hardest tasks I've ever undertaken. And I was filled with angst even after initially partnering with Sophia. But then I saw the impact of her keen eye on my work and my writing has not been the same since. Her tough love and dedication to her craft opened my eyes to a world of writing possibilities I never imagined before. Not only that, but she was also, k...
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Sophia D.
Thank you, Gregory! I guess I am a little tough love, aren't I? Well, I love and respect every writer I work with because writing a book is a lot of work and I give huge props to everyone who finis...
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Jeffrey C.

Jeffrey C.

Jul, 2021

Pinned
Sophia was great to work with. Diligent in her work. Tactful in pointing things out. Would pose questions on content and story. Finished before promised. And, has a terrific sense of humor. Recommend her highly.
Sophia D.
Well, my favorite part of this review is the comment about my sense of humor! Thank you, Jeffrey. It was a pleasure to work on your book and I wish you lots of success with it.
John D.

John D.

Jun, 2024

Sophia Dembling is an experienced pro who takes great care with her work and who is great to work with. She completed the work I requested (copy editing) on time. She was an excellent communicator throughout the process and went above and beyond by providing important insights about how to make my book better -- essentially an editorial review.
Sophia D.
Thanks, John. The book was a pleasure to work on--even the parts that made me cry.
reagan E.

reagan E.

May, 2024

amazing to work with!

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