Betsy Thorpe worked as an acquiring and developmental editor at John Wiley & Sons, Macmillan Books, Broadway Books, and HarperCollins. Since 2000, she has run Betsy Thorpe Literary Services, where she consults authors on the book publishing business, gives developmental edits, helps authors prepare their proposals for agents and publishers, advises clients on querying agents, and will coach authors on what to expect from the traditional agent/publisher model. Betsy is also available as a ghost or co-writer, having co-written four non-fiction works, three of which have been reviewed/appeared in the New York Times, with one book featured on Oprah and People Magazine.

With over 20 years of experience in the book publishing business, she is a professional developmental editor, who gives every book the care and attention it deserves to make it readable, interesting, and well-constructed from start to finish. A "big picture" editor, she looks at every project from the point-of-view of the reader, and considers the reaction of the reader from the overall concept to the individual sentence, from the narrative flow and character descriptions, to the settings and plot. Betsy is equally comfortable and well-versed in both fiction and non-fiction.

For those authors interested in self-publishing, BTLS helps them produce the best product possible, whether it be in print or ebook form, or both. BTLS has assembled a team of professional copyeditors, jacket and interior designers, epub converters, web advisors and marketing pros who can be used a la carte depending upon the needs of the individual author. There is no reason a self-published book can nor be as professionally produced as a book from a New York publisher, and the profit per copy for the author who has a viable market for their book, is much higher than the traditional publishing model. BTLS can help each client decide which model to pursue.

Betsy's years of experience in the book publishing business, working both at the top trade houses as an editor, to being an agent, to being an author and consultant, gives her a unique 360 degree perspective on the industry as it continually changes with the times.

See my website for more: www.betsythorpe.com

“How fortunate I was to be connected with Betsy Thorpe as I set out to write my first book. Betsy's insight, direction and ability to pull from me things that I did not even know I could express helped me accomplish my goal. Her never-ending support and encouragement saw me to the finish line and with her help, I self-published The Mustard Seed Chronicles in 2011. I hope to have the opportunity to work with Betsy again. Whether you are seasoned in the world of writing and publishing or stepping out for the first time, Betsy is the kind of person you want on your team.”
Anne Cochran, author of The Mustard Seed Chronicles.

“Betsy Thorpe is one of the finest editors I've ever worked with. She
not only helped me trim a sprawling opus down to two books, she also
understood my characters and helped me make their story clearer. In
addition, she's provided moral support and insight into the
professional world of publishing. There were several times when I
felt like giving up, but a quick email from Betsy always lifted my
spirits.”
Julie Davis, Author, Harker Island Girl

“Forget the expensive workshops and courses. Just get to the writing. Create something and make it your best. Then give it to Betsy for a thorough edit, and see how she carefully shows you what you are doing right, takes out what you are doing wrong, and outlines how to make the whole book work better. Be ready for all that it will take to grow. Do this a few times and you'll have your Phd in writing in no time... maybe a book too.”
Jennifer Arfa (nascent novelist)

365 Nights: A Memoir of Intimacy, Berkley Books, July 2008, as seen on Oprah, the Today Show, and the View, and the front page of the Style section in the New York Times.

I have worked as an acquiring editor for at John Wiley & Sons, Macmillan, Broadway Books, and HarperCollins, and have co-written two health books (John Wiley & Sons, Broadway Books), a memoir (365 Nights), and a book on volunteering. She has taught for Queen's College in Charlotte, gives workshops through her company Two Editors and a Comma, and is a frequent faculty member for the North Carolina Writer's Network.

Please contact me about your project with a brief email to bthorpe@mac.com, and see my website: www.betsythorpe.com for many more details about me and my clients.