A former acquisitions and development editor for two major publishers, I offer my clients over twenty-five years of experience in book publishing. Currently a freelance book editor, I help published authors and new writers develop their manuscripts and/or book proposals so they can attract the attention of a literary agent or an acquisitions editor. My editing services also include the editorial critique - an analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of a manuscript.

To review the numerous fiction and nonfiction projects I have helped improve and strengthen, please see my project list (and some of the corresponding book cover images) at: www.bookcraftersllc.com

If you work with me, ultimately your project will be authoritative, immensely readable, and well-organized. It will deliver all the necessary information in the best possible tone and in the most commercial way. So let me help you distinguish your project in today's competitive marketplace! Please visit http://www.bookcraftersllc.com

"We initially were referred to Elizabeth Zack with our book proposal. Her expert 'doctoring' resulted in an excellent prospectus and eventual book contract...Her work is professional and smart. She has a canny ability to bring life to a manuscript, while maintaining the integrity of your work. She has an authoritative, energetic, confident style where you always feel her partnership and dedication to shaping and improving your project. She is a pleasure to work with, and any author would feel well-served by working with her."- BETH GROSSHANS, PH.D. and JANET BURTON, L.C.S.W., authors, Beyond Time-Out: New Strategies for Effective Parenting in Challenging Times

"You've focused me to write the first work of mine that I truly like and wish to see published. This is new for me. I admitted no outside force to my other books and plays to keep me on track, and they did not end in the assurance I hold for this work, that 'This is a darned good book.' What a miracle of clarity you have brought me.I've truly loved working with you and can only, through these words, give a far too limited indication of my deep respect and appreciation for the excellent craft that you provide." - HARRIS MONOSOFF, PH.D., author of the upcoming The Boy Who Ended War

"After researching and speaking with several potential book editors, I discovered Elizabeth Zack and BookCrafters. Her high-energy, 'can-do' attitude and in-depth knowledge of form and structure made all other options irrelevant. Work was completed on time, below budget, and with such ease that the entire process seemed stress-free, enjoyable and rewarding. If you are looking for an editor, a relationship and an outstanding result - look no further.!"-BOB SCOTT, www.smallbusinesspain.com

“Just last week I was talking to a local writer about “editors I have known” and I said you are absolutely the best....{You deliver} professional thoroughness, promptness, and cleverness as you make the best out of my manuscripts. Especially dear to my heart was the sense of camaraderie that I felt when working together on our projects….I am grateful for all your help.”—JOAN MATHEWS LARSON, PH.D., best-selling author of Depression-Free, Naturally and Seven Weeks to Sobriety

“Over the past several years I have worked with Elizabeth, first as the editor of my nonfiction project (The Wisdom of St. Patrick), and then as a publishing colleague at Ballantine Books—and I can, with great confidence and enthusiasm, recommend her a talented editor who has “saved” any number of books and substantially improved others, including my own. She handles books and authors with great respect and skill.”—GREG TOBIN, author of Conclave and Credo and former Editor-in-Chief of Book-of-the-Month Club and Ballantine Books

“Quick, organized, and a fine line-editor. It’s rare to find an editor who truly enjoys and excels at the detailed work of line editing and shaping a manuscript. Elizabeth does just that.”—DENISE MARCIL, President, Denise Marcil Literary Agency, Inc.

“Elizabeth Zack is a superb developmental editor. Her sense of structure and market expectations has contributed materially to the success of the projects we have worked on together over the years.” –DIANA FAULHABER, Publisher, American Dietetic Association

“Elizabeth Zack is an awesome editor, her instincts flawless, her grasp of material swift and all-encompassing. And she has a sense of humor! She makes all her authors look good.”—JOAN WESTER ANDERSON, New York Times best-selling author

“You’ve edited three of my recent health books, raising the bar each time with excellent editing skills. Both The Sinus Cure and Making a Baby (Ballantine) are strong sellers on Amazon.com and other Internet booksellers, and the reviews are superb. I cannot wait for The Women’s Guide to Ending Pain to be released. Elizabeth, if I ever need an editorial consult, I’ll know where to turn!”—DEBRA FULGHUM BRUCE, award-winning writer

Throughout my career in publishing, I have worked with these best-selling and/or award-winning authors, among others:

Joan Wester Anderson
Phillip L. Berman
David Elkind, Ph.D.
Robert Fritz
Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.
Joan Mathews-Larson, Ph.D.
Renee Mosiman, M.A. & Mike Mosiman
Martin Yate

Through BookCrafters LLC:

Beyond Time-Out: New Strategies for Effective Parenting in Challenging Times by Beth A. Grosshans, Ph.D. and Janet H. Burton, L.C.S.W.

The Smarter Preschooler: Unlocking Your Child's Intellectual Potential by Renee Mosiman, M.A. and Mike Mosiman. Winner, Gold Mom's Choice Award

Making Divorce Work: 8 Essential Keys to Resolving Conflict and Rebuilding Your Life by Diana Mercer, J.D. and Marsha Kline Pruett

Somebody by Campbell Lawson

Waking Up Dead: The Longest Six Minutes of Stephen Kline's Afterlife by Greg Pyne

The Boy Who Ended War by Harris Monosoff

Bear: Heart of a Hero by Captain Scott Shields with Nancy M. West

How to Be a Positively Powerful Person by Joel P. Martin, Ph.D.

"Oh No, I've Become My Mother!" How to Outwit the "Mom Gene" and Have the Life You Want by Sandra Reishus, M.H.S., A.C.S.

In the Eyes of Anahita: An Adventure in Search of Humanity by Hugo Bonjean

The World According to Gabe: Stories from the Lower Bunk by Justin Matott

Here is a small sampling of the projects I have edited throughout my publishing career:

American Dietetic Association Complete Food and Nutrition Guide, 2nd Edition by Roberta Larson Duyff, M.S., R.D., F.A.D.A., C.F.C.S.

Chicken Soup and Other Folk Remedies by Joan Wilen and Lydia Wilen

The Complete Directory to Prime Time Network and Cable TV Shows, 20th Anniversary Edition by Tim Brooks and Earle Marsh

Depression-Free, Naturally: 7 Weeks to Eliminating Anxiety, Despair, Fatigue and Anger from Your Life by best-selling author Joan Mathews-Larson, Ph.D.

Feel the Fear…and Beyond: Mastering the Techniques for Doing it Anyway! by best-selling author Susan Jeffers, Ph.D.

Finding Time for Serenity: Every Woman’s Book of Days by Reverend Barbara Cawthorne Crafton

The Five-Day Miracle Diet, the New York Times bestseller by Adele Puhn, M.S., C.N.S.

The Hidden Truth of Your Name: A Complete Guide to First Names and What They Say About the Real You by The Nomenology Project

How Men Think: The Seven Essential Rules for Making It in a Man’s World by Adrienne Mendell, M.A.

Making a Baby: Everything You Need to Know to Get Pregnant by Debra Fulghum Bruce and Samuel Thatcher, M.D., Ph.D.

Oneness: Great Principles Shared by All Religions, a bestseller by Jeffrey Moses

Parenting Guide to Your Baby’s First Year by Anne Kreuger with The Editors of Parenting Magazine

Playful Parenting: A Bold New Way to Nurture Close Connections, Solve Behavior Problems, and Encourage Children’s Confidence by Larry Cohen, Ph.D.

The Real James Herriot: A Memoir of My Father , the bestseller by Jim Wight

The Sinus Cure: 7 Simple Steps to Relieve Sinusitis and Other Ear, Nose, and Throat Conditions by Murray Grossan, M.D., and Debra Fulghum Bruce

Surviving Cancer Emotionally: Learning How to Heal by Roger Granet, M.D.

Where Angels Walk, the New York Times bestseller by Joan Wester Anderson

A Year of Days with the Book of Common Prayer by Bishop Edmond Lee Browning

Before founding BookCrafters LLC I served as a Senior Editor for The Ballantine Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., and John Wiley & Sons, Inc. During that time I acquired and developed over 130 titles in a wide range of subject areas, including self-help, parenting, reference, spirituality, humor, health & fitness, and biography. I am a cum laude graduate of Colgate University in Hamilton, New York and have a B.A. in English and Psychology.

In addition, I am a contributing author to Making the Perfect Pitch: Catching a Literary Agent's Eye (The Writer Books, April 2004). I have also been a panelist or workshop leader for the ASJA annual conference as well as the Golden Triangle Writers Conference and the Houston Writers League.