Anne Brewer

Anne Brewer – Editor

Former senior editor with 10 years' experience at traditional and indie publishers. Specializing in mystery, historical, and WF.

Overview

As an editor with 10 years’ experience working at both Big Five and indie publishers in NYC, I look forward to bringing my skills and experience to helping you polish your very best manuscript.

After graduating from Harvard College, I worked at St. Martin's Press, Minotaur Books, Thomas Dunne Books, and Crooked Lane Books, where I published award-winning and bestselling books. I've worked on a wide variety of fiction, from light cozy mysteries to dark crime thrillers; from sweeping historical sagas to bubbly commercial women's; from serious literary tomes to fantastical YA. I love that the editorial process allows me to get to know both an author and his/her characters, as well as the world he/she's created. My favorite part of the job is working collaboratively with an author to bring out the very best version of his/her work.

Testimonials:

“Anne is a brilliant editor. She’s rare in that she is both an amazing line editor, and someone who can help a writer think conceptually about plot, structure and architecture. It’s no coincidence that in a long literary career, my first bestseller was edited by Anne."
—Thomas Christopher Greene, author of The Headmaster's Wife

"Anne gives the kind of structural edits an author dreams of: with an acute eye, she identifies the problem, is happy to talk it through and offer suggestions, and then is every bit as happy when her author solves it in an entirely different way."
—Judith Flanders, New York Times bestselling author of A Howl of Wolves and The Invention of Murder

"Working with Anne was a wonderful experience. She not only has a keen sense of what makes a strong plot and story, but a meticulous eye for detail. Her insights not only helped me to elevate my book to the next level, but to quickly land a wonderful agent."
--Agnes Blum, author of I Don't Forgive You
Services
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Historical Fiction Mystery & Crime Thriller & Suspense Women's Fiction
Languages
English (CAN) English (UK) English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

May, 2018 — Present

Crooked Lane Books

Feb, 2016 — May, 2018 (about 2 years)

Acquired female-oriented crime fiction of all stripes: cozies, traditional, historical, procedurals, thrillers, medium boiled, psychological suspense, and more. Wrote commercial book concepts and story bibles. Developed and oversaw strategy to grow the business of a new independent publisher.

Thomas Dunne Books/Minotaur Books

Jun, 2010 — Jan, 2016 (over 5 years)

Editor for mysteries and thrillers; women's fiction; historical fiction; YA; general nonfiction. Acquired and developed manuscripts; oversaw the in-house production process; managed the development of sales, marketing, and publicity strategy for individual titles; coached authors on best practices for promotion.

St. Martin's Press

Jun, 2008 — Jun, 2010 (about 2 years)

Assistant to an executive editor who specialized in women's fiction, YA fiction, mystery, and women's-interest nonfiction.

Portfolio

I Don't Forgive You

Thompson, Aggie Blum

Developmental Editing
The Haunted Season: A Max Tudor Mystery (A Max Tudor Novel Book 5)

G. M. Malliet

Max Tudor must contend with his new role as a father as well as a murder all too close to home in Nether Monkslip in the next installment in G. M. Malliet's wildly popular seriesAgatha Award-w... read more
Developmental Editing
Prep School Confidential (A Prep School Confidential Novel)

Kara Taylor

"This book rocks! Scandalously delicious in the same vein as Pretty Little Liars and Revenge, with a wickedly clever plot that kept me guessing right up until the end." -- Gemma Halliday, New ... read more
Developmental Editing
Mad Women: The Other Side of Life on Madison Avenue in the '60s and Beyond

Jane Maas

Fans of the show Mad Men are dying to know how accurate it is. Was there really that much sex at the office? Were there really three-martini lunches? Were women really second-class citizens? J... read more
Developmental Editing
The Secrets of Lake Road: A Novel

Karen Katchur

A haunting story about the destructive power of secrets, The Secrets of Lake Road is an accomplished and gripping suspenseful women's fiction debut.Jo has been hiding the truth about her role ... read more
Developmental Editing
Stars Over Clear Lake: A Novel

Loretta Ellsworth

Mesmerizing and romantic, Stars Over Clear Lake transports readers to the Surf Ballroom, where musical acts became legends in the 1940s and which holds the key to one woman’s deepest secret.Lo... read more
Developmental Editing
The Perfume Garden: A Novel

Kate Lord Brown

A sensuously written international bestseller of lost love, family secrets, and the art of creating a perfect perfume, perfect for fans of Kate Morton and Tatiana de Rosnay.High in the hills o... read more
Developmental Editing
Letters to the Lost: A Novel

Iona Grey

An accomplished novel from a talented writer, Letters to the Lost is a stunning, emotional love story. Iona Grey's prose is warm, evocative, and immediately engaging; her characters become so ... read more
Developmental Editing
Death Sits Down to Dinner: A Mystery (Lady Montfort Mystery Series)

Tessa Arlen

Filled with deceptions both real and imagined, Death Sits Down to Dinner is a delightful Edwardian mystery set in London.Lady Montfort is thrilled to receive an invitation to a dinner party ho... read more
Developmental Editing
Flowers and Foul Play: A Magic Garden Mystery

Amanda Flower

Fiona Knox lost her fiancé and her flower shop―but when she flies to Scotland to inherit her godfather’s cottage and possibly magical walled garden, she may lose her life as well when she’s sw... read more
Developmental Editing
Bad Housekeeping: An Agnes and Effie Mystery

Maia Chance

National bestselling author Maia Chance debuts a new series featuring dorky, determined Agnes Blythe and her glamorous Great Aunt Effie as they form an unlikely team to save a crumbling inn an... read more
Developmental Editing
Asking for Truffle: A Southern Chocolate Shop Mystery

Dorothy St. James

When Charity Penn receives a letter saying she won a trip to Camellia Beach, South Carolina complete with free cooking lessons at the town’s seaside chocolate shop, The Chocolate Box, she’s im... read more
Developmental Editing
The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes: A Mystery (The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes Mysteries)

Leonard Goldberg

2017 RT Reviewers' Choice―Best Historical MysteryFrom USA Today and internationally bestselling author Leonard Goldberg comes The Daughter of Sherlock Holmes, a new thrilling tale of the great... read more
Developmental Editing
A Murder of Magpies: A Novel (Sam Clair)

Judith Flanders

A whip-smart, impeccably crafted debut mystery, A Murder of Magpies takes readers on a whirlwind tour of London and Paris with an unforgettably original new heroineIt's just another day at the... read more
Developmental Editing
Beneath the Shadows: A Novel

Sara Foster

In this thrilling gothic suspense debut by Sara Foster in the tradition of Rosamund Lupton and Sophie Hannah, a young mother searches Yorkshire's windswept moors for the truth behind her husba... read more
Developmental Editing
Purgatory Chasm: A Mystery (A Conway Sax Mystery)

Steve Ulfelder

"Tander Phigg was an asshole, but he was also a Barnburner. Barnburners saved my life. I help them when I can. No exceptions."The job seems simple. Conway Sax, a no-nonsense auto mechanic with... read more
Developmental Editing
The Headmaster's Wife: A Novel

Thomas Christopher Greene

An immensely talented writer whose work has been described as "incandescent" (Kirkus) and "poetic" (Booklist), Thomas Christopher Greene pens a haunting and deeply affecting portrait of one co... read more
Developmental Editing

Anne has 26 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

George J.

George J.

May, 2023

This was the second time I worked with Anne, and I can give nothing huge thumbs up for both experiences. The first time, she gave me an invaluable course on what goes into writing a mystery and what I had to correct to hew to the genre. Most recently, she read my revisions, praised them, and pointed to the issues that still needed remedying. What I've learned from her will stand me in very good...
Read more
Anne B.
Thanks, George! It was such a pleasure working with you and get to see your hard work turn into a polished novel!
Rob L.

Rob L.

Apr, 2023

We loved working with Anne! Professional, personable, and purposeful. She had a great resume, and it didn't hurt that she had edited novels from other writers we had previously read and enjoyed. We asked for a developmental edit, and she provided helpful feedback on character development and plot, along with solid suggestions for improving both. Exactly what we needed; her comments on our manus...
Read more
Anne B.
Thanks so much, Bob and Robin! I've really enjoyed working with you!
George J.

George J.

Feb, 2023

I turned to Anne after a series of agents' rejections of my mystery manuscript hoping she would find the one fault that was responsible. Well, she found dozens, and though my heart sinks at the prospects of the major rewrite facing me, I am grateful for her friendly but clear-eyed analysis that essentially turned into Mystery Writing 101 for me. I asked her to pull no punches and she didn't, po...
Read more
Anne B.
Thanks George! It’s been a pleasure working with you.
Meredith N.

Meredith N.

Nov, 2022

Anne was such a huge help in polishing my manuscript, query letter, and synopsis. She gave actionable, clear feedback and spent time working through her suggested edits with me. I am so happy to have found her and can't recommend her enough!
Anne B.
Thanks Meredith! It was fantastic working with you too!
Mary C.

Mary C.

May, 2022

Anne has been incredible to work with in the editorial process. Her attention to plot details and development has been incredible and her suggestions for how to enhance my narrative and character development have been invaluable.
Anne B.
Thank you Mary! I've loved working with you!

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