When I’m not working on my own books, I run Yellow Bird Editors, a collective of independent editors and writing coaches based in Austin, TX. A lot of authors really hate to edit other writers’ work, but I am not one of them! Editing is as much a passion for me as writing, and I especially love working with new writers who have natural talent but need to learn the basics of the craft. If you’re interested having me read and edit your novel or memoir, check out my other website:  www.Yellow Bird Editors.com.

Testimonials

 

“I am a better writer because of Sara Kocek. She didn’t just fix what was weak; she explained why, teaching me through her edits. Yet, her kind, supportive attitude combined with her sharp understanding of storytelling made me feel more, not less, confident in myself. She doesn’t tear you down, but builds you up by giving you the tools you need to succeed. On the business side, she gave me a fair estimate and returned my manuscript promptly, as promised. She was also accessible later to discuss follow-up questions. Although I was at first unsure about spending money on what might be a pipe dream, I wouldn’t hesitate to do it again, for the return surpassed the investment.”

–Eva Pohler, bestselling author of The Gatekeeper’s Sons series

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“I’ve worked with Sara of Yellow Bird Editors on six of my novels. She has provided thoughtful, helpful feedback on each one, on-time, and for the price I expected. As of the time I am writing this testimonial and with her spot-on critique assistance, one of these novels won the Silver Falchion for Best Adult Mystery, and two of the them won top novel honors in consecutive years in USA Best Book’s Cross Genre category. She is a joy to work with, and I highly recommend her.”

-Pamela Fagan Hutchins, bestselling author of the What Doesn’t Kill You Romantic Mystery Series (Silver Falchion Best Mystery Winner & USA Best Cross Genre Novel Winner)

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“I asked Sara Kocek to critique my novel, and she did a great job. She really “got” the book and appreciated what was good about it, but at the same time she offered very thoughtful suggestions for improving it. Her comments were specific, insightful, and clearly articulated. Her critique left me feeling encouraged and eager to move forward with my work. Sara is very professional and works well via email, but I also know from attending her occasional classes (which I highly recommend!) that she is friendly and charming in person as well. I fully intend to ask her to read my next novel!”

–Elizabeth Buhmann, bestselling author of Lay Death at Her Door (Amazon Top 100 – Nook Top Ten – Starred review from Publishers Weekly)

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“I asked Sara to edit a lengthy manuscript (my first) that I’d worked on for years–seven to be exact.  I had literally worn out all my beta reader friends and lost all objectivity about the manuscript and writing in general.  Sara did an amazing job of pointing out restructuring needs that made so much sense, I wondered why I hadn’t thought of them myself.  She also did a detailed line-by-line edit with copious side notes.  I felt as if I were getting a personalized creative writing course–well, actually, that is exactly what I did get.  I completed all the rewrites that she recommended, but during this process, a vague, unformed notion, which had been flitting through my mind, for a young adult novel sprang into full, technicolor life. I quickly wrote Polarity in Motion and found a publisher.  There is no doubt that the work I did with Sara on my first manuscript provided some of the best training of my writing life. I was much better prepared to produce a publishable manuscript because of Sara’s teaching. I will seek her help again, and I highly recommend her to anyone who wants to improve his or her technique!  Thank you, Sara!  Polarity thanks you, too!”

-Brenda Vicars, author of Polarity in Motion (Red Adept Publishing, 2014)

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“Thanks, Sara, for the brilliant editorial job with my book.  A well-educated author/ friend referred me to you, and I am very grateful to her for doing so.  Aside from spot-on developmental editing, you acknowledged and praised my novel’s strengths while guiding me to powerful solutions for its weaknesses.  Your critique of my book resonated with me – it rang of truth that authors buried in their work fail to see. With 67,000 plus words, it’s a challenge to line up all the dots to create the perfect story, so I recommend that any author—whether e-publishing or submitting to agent—ask for Sara’s help in fine-tuning their masterpiece-in-the-making. Whether I e-publish or seek an agent, Sara’s help will be invaluable in helping me sell my novel. So, thanks for caring about my novel and thanks for answering my rebel-driven questions about writing conventions.”

–Kelly K. Lavender, author of Beautiful Evil Winter (Eric Hoffer Book Award & National Indie Excellence Award)

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“Sara Kocek from Yellow Bird Editors provided invaluable guidance. Keeping an eye on the overall structure of the story, Sara pointed out what was still missing in terms of character development and emotional response, and helped me bring the story to a meaningful end.”

-Annette Oppenlander, author of Surviving the Fatherland (2017 National Indie Excellence Award)

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“Sara considerably exceeded my expectations for her developmental edit of my manuscript.  She complimented things I was particularly proud of—chapter beginnings and descriptive and anecdotal sections—but she also identified key structural problems and areas where her attention lagged as a reader, and provided workable suggestions for addressing them. Sara helped me think outside the box by offering unique approaches for character actions and reactions, suggesting that since my manuscript stretched the reader’s imagination to begin with, taking it one step further would serve to enhance the story. As I suspect is the case with most authors, I vacillate on any given day between thinking I can tell my story in a unique and compelling way, and wondering if anyone else will enjoy reading it as much as I enjoy writing it. Sara’s critique has given me renewed confidence. I really can do this.”

–Karen Swensson, author of Conversations Loosely Translated

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“I feel fortunate to have worked with Sara on my chapter edit and critique. Her editing talent, impressive thoroughness, and prompt professionalism surpassed my expectations. Sara’s truly a skilled and experienced professional that assists you in making your work shine and ensures that your work is professionally prepared for publication. Her comments and critique not only guide you, but encourage you. Her work is meticulous and she respectfully maintains the voice of the author. She’s an author’s dream! It was a pleasure and a wonderful learning experience to be edited by Sara. I look forward to working with her in the future for all my editing needs.”

–Sarah A. Kunz, writer

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“I took two of Sara’s classes and after each, my writing greatly improved by using her recommendations. Her classes were relevant, organized, clearly communicated, and provided valuable insight into the craft and business of writing. When it was time to edit my manuscript, I wanted Sara to do the work. She discussed the various editing strategies and identified my intended goals, then provided cost options and a predicted turnaround time. Her work was within the timeframe promised and it was exceptional. In addition to partial rewrites, her editing included suggestions for improved dialogue, character development, and storyline progression. All edits were clearly specified and justified with explanations and these were provided in a respectful, constructive manner so that my specific voice was improved but not lost in the editing. The final edits were presented such that it was like taking another one of Sara’s classes. I learned so much more than simply what to change. I learned how to be a better writer and my manuscript came alive in the process.”

–Jim Murray, author of Lethal Medicine

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“A few years ago I started writing a story I absolutely fell in love with. It is thanks to Sara’s advice, teaching, and editing that I am confident in sharing my story. Although I had experience in research writing and read many books on how to write a novel, working with Sara surmounted that in that I learned how to smoothly control my story’s POV and transitions. My favorite part after developmental editing was the beautiful depth I discovered in my characters and, thanks to Sara’s guidance, was able to confidently express that in my writing. There was a particular story line suggestion from Sara that brought the entire excitement of the plot to a new level. Sara had a master’s intuition in line editing—she understood my intentions behind awkwardly phrased sentences and transformed them into something simple, clear, and to the point. Last but not least, for any first time writer looking to publish, I strongly recommend Sara for help writing your query letter and synopsis. I don’t know how she did it, but she turned this process that felt tedious and scary into something I am excited about to pursue. It is an amazing feeling knowing that everything that makes my story special and unique is communicated clearly in my letter and synopsis. All in all, every aspect of my story—characters, setting, plot, grammar, dialogue, magic 😉 —is where I dreamed it to be thanks to Sara, and I am grateful to have found the perfect place for help with my writing in the future.

-M. Rosestone, writer

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“I wasn’t sure where to go with the manuscript for my first novel. It had good parts and its share of problems. There were many ways to revise it, and I didn’t know which path to choose. Sara’s critique was extremely helpful, and inspiring. She found the essence of the book and identified what was wrong, and equally importantly, what was right. The critique gave me concrete suggestions on fixing the problems and kick-started some serious character development. I now have a clear idea how to shape my collection of ideas into a novel. Sara is a joy to work with. I’m definitely going to use her services in the future.”

–Jim Olinger, author of Dark Flowers

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“With my finished manuscript, I knew I had a lot to fix but I didn’t know where to start. My own friends were given a copy to assess it for me, but that route turned up empty. Seeing Sara’s name attached to a Writer’s League of Texas class, I took a leap and came to Yellow Bird Editors for help. I liked knowing who the folks were behind the website, vs. others where their personnel are a mystery. Sara took my 80K words not knowing what she was going to read, and validated everything I felt was needed in the text and more. She specifically pinpointed areas that worked, then gave ideas and direction for improvement, to include character development and plot arc. I was happy she was able to see these items in the context of the whole story. Her analysis included a lot of critical and actionable feedback that encouraged me to continue honing my writing and book. It made me want to clear my desk immediately to get started on the revising process, and more importantly, I look forward to it. I believe I would not have gotten these results anywhere else.”

–Alden Gilroy, writer

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“I asked Sara to be my content editor for a YA romance novel. Not only did she very thoroughly edit the manuscript, but she also delivered it two weeks early. Sara is everything an author looks for in an editor; she modifies the story’s rhythm and pacing to accommodate the reader while staying fiercely loyal to the author’s personal style of writing. She catches subtle problems that the author would not typically notice and she internalizes what the characters’ distinct personalities are like. Working with Sara was an absolute privilege; it not only made my book better, but it also made ME better as a writer. I highly recommend that all authors see Sara first before finalizing their work.”

–Walucia Gand, author of 10 Reasons Not to Fall in Love

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“I am very impressed with the quality of your work and attention to detail. You obviously spent a great deal of time on these fifty pages and I very much appreciate it. I’ve never worked with an editor, so this is a new experience. But your explanations and examples are extremely helpful in helping me understand the points you are making and how I should implement them. I’m very happy with what you have done, though a bit apprehensive about my ability to execute. Again, thanks very much for a great job!”

–Jim Wharton, author of Delirium and The Destiny Project

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“Sara is a fine editor with great instincts about how a manuscript should flow.  I recently worked with her on a first draft of a novel, and her suggestions were on point with helpful ideas about how to handle both character and plot. Even with Sara’s busy schedule, she was thorough and prompt with her feedback. Of course my novel is my baby, and my baby was in a pair of very caring, capable hands with Sara.”

–Cheryl Pace, 2014 Writers’ League of Texas Manuscript Contest Finalist

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“I couldn’t be more happy with my choice to use you to provide editorial feedback on this. You have treated their story with the respect I hoped for. I am more motivated than ever to continue. Thanks!”

 –Christine Haines (Houston, TX)

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“I’ve read your big picture feedback three times since receiving it. Today I finally made the time to open the edited manuscript. I even hummed a little fanfare while double clicking. The academic and organization geek inside went a little berserk. I. Love. Your. Editing. Thank you so much for breathing new perspective into this project. I’m actually excited again.”

-Stephen Adams, author of Wash Water Baptism

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“Wow, that is awesome!  Exactly the kind of constructive feedback I was looking for to help strengthen the work.  I’m going to jump on this to improve, and will get back with you. This is money well-spent.”

-Dwayne Goetzel (Austin, TX)