SARAH WELCH
Developmental & Line Editor
Sarah Welch is a book and magazine editor equally comfortable with fiction and nonfiction. She has edited, among other categories, historical fiction, young adult fantasy, romance, business, memoir, and self-help. She is equally suited to working with self-published and traditionally published authors, thanks to her five-plus years of experience with independent authors, literary agents, and indie and trade publishers, including Da Capo Press, Candlewick Press, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. As a former camp counselor, she is drawn primarily to the kinds of books that inspire young readers to connect with one another. Sarah has a BA in creative writing and playwriting from Northwestern University and a Master’s in book publishing from Emerson College.
AREAS OF SPECIALTY
Nonfiction in a variety of subject areas, including (but not limited to) business, self-help, lifestyle, and memoir
Fiction for young (and not-so-young) adults, fantasy, historical fiction, romance, and contemporary realism
AVAILABLE FOR
Copyediting and proofreading
Developmental editing, content editing, coaching, manuscript critiques
“Sarah is a brilliant editor and writing teammate, and she did a phenomenal job of polishing my words while staying true to my voice. She worked with me through the entire process and this book wouldn’t be what it is today without her. Sarah was flexible with and respectful of my unique process rather than trying to make me fit her process, which helped me become more confident in my own writing and message. I worked with Sarah for an initial developmental edit to help me organize and improve my first VERY rough draft, and then decided to work with her again through two rounds of heavy line editing and I’m so glad I did. The editing process felt like a dialogue and I felt like she was on my team and genuinely wanted my book to be the best possible. My book is immensely better for it.
I started with hiring Sarah for a round of developmental editing, and ended up doing two more rounds of heavy line editing with her and a round of copy editing with Rachel Carter. It was so easy to work with everyone on the team, and Sara, the owner, kept all the communication and costs clear. Working with Yellow Bird Editors is worth every penny and is allowing me to publish the strongest edition of my book possible!”
-Kali Williams, San Francisco, CA
"Sarah is a consummate professional in all of her endeavors. She is intelligent, witty, honest, and rational in the way she edits. She will leave your work better than she finds it."
— Justin Lantier-Novelli, middle-grade author
"Sarah doesn’t just copy edit for grammar, spelling, and punctuation, she turns clunky-sounding passages into smooth, elegant prose."
— Pat Niekamp, Publisher of Texas CEO Magazine
"Too often what we mean to convey does not transfer well to the page. Sarah can tease out the meaning so your readers get the intended message."
— Lucy Stolzenburg, Director of the Texas Solar Energy Society
"I was looking for someone in Austin, Texas, to proofread and edit my second book, so I went online and reached out to a handful of editors. Sarah was very prompt in responding, and she really knew her stuff. Her attention to detail and thoughtful recommendations were invaluable."