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Sarah Chauncey・Memoir & Nonfiction Developmental Editor

Write an unforgettable book.

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Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a freelance developmental editor for memoir and nonfiction books.

In today’s competitive publishing landscape, writing a well-received memoir or narrative nonfiction book takes a significant investment of time, energy, and yes, money.

I teach you the skills you need to succeed while also helping you create a book that readers eagerly share with their friends. I go beyond what you can learn from books, writers’ workshops, courses or even retreats, because my sole focus is on you and your work.

I’m a trade-published author, a contributor to Writer’s Digest and Jane Friedman’s site; over the past 30 years, I’ve written for outlets from Comedy Central to Lion’s Roar, as well as for organizations from the University of Toronto to NASA.

If this is what you’re looking for, let’s talk.

Schedule your free consultation

Selected Client Books

Elizabeth Shockman - Behind the Red Velvet Curtain

Natural Light: Transformation in The Wild by Greg C.D. Dandeneau

Chasing Africa: Fear Won’t Find Me Here, by Lisa Duncan

Outside the Gate: The True Story of a British Home Child in Canada, by Carol Marie Newall

Crazy: Reclaiming Life from the Shadow of Traumatic Memory, by Lyn Barrett

What I offer:

Developmental editing
Book doctoring
Manuscript evaluations
MFA-style packets (pages & mentorship)
One-off consultations
Check-ins (for existing clients)

The best fit for my style:

Open to substantive, direct feedback
Seeking a professional partnership
Serious about craft and revision

I work with:

Memoir writers
Academics, psychologists, physicians and other subject-matter experts
Commercial fiction writers (on a case-by-case basis)

If you:

Are looking for rigorous feedback from a professional partner
Seek an expert eye on your structure and storytelling
Want your book to resonate deeply with readers

Let’s talk.

Schedule your free consultation

"Sarah’s skill at developmental editing has elevated my manuscript to the next level while still preserving my voice.

My memoir no longer reads like it was written by a rambling amateur author, and now reads as if it was written by a professional novelist. Which is exactly what I wanted. Furthermore, she has included me in every step of the process making me a better writer along the way. I cannot say enough good things about my experience working with Sarah and I highly recommend her for your project."

Ryan McPherson, D.O.
Author, While You Were Asleep

"I highly recommend Sarah. She has a big brain, a huge heart, and a precious capacity to tune in. Sarah is a keeper.

I hired Sarah in a moment of desperation after two developmental editorial readings had taken me only partway. My pages were still not a real book. With Sarah, I got exactly what I wanted: concrete help and a conceptual kick in the pants. Her detailed report was a road map of how and where to revise, boosting my confidence and encouraging me to focus on voice, scene construction, and narrative tension. Her comments served as trailheads to explore, with praise when scenes worked.”

Jane Gerhard
Author, Love in the Bardo

"I would definitely recommend Sarah for developmental editing.

In writing memoir for the first time, I reached out to Sarah to get developmental feedback. I had written academic books before, but I had never written a story and needed a lot of guidance to make sure the story made sense and kept the readers engaged. I appreciated Sarah’s attention to detail, the resources she provided (links and PDFs of helpful readings), and very specific ideas as to what I could do to improve the manuscript. I learned a lot of great tips and strategies for moving forward for future writing as well!”

Corey Seemiller, Ph.D.

"She’s intuitive, knowledgeable, funny, whip-smart, thoughtful and genuine.

I hired Sarah to give me objective feedback on a manuscript trying to be too many things—a self-help book, a family memoir, and a personal memoir. I was emotionally stuck and couldn’t find my way forward. Sarah sinks deep into your material and has a natural ability to see what it’s trying to be. Her evaluation was comprehensive, beautifully wrought, and full of rich resources. Sarah is a genuine manuscript whisperer—do not hesitate to work with her!"

Alisa Bair
Author, Grief is a Dancer

"Sarah is very perceptive and her comments were helpful throughout.

Sarah did a substantive edit on my book of essays about the changing relationship between humans and landscape. Her edit was extremely useful; she is very perceptive and her comments were helpful throughout. I anticipated some of he issues Sarah had with my writing—which is true—but she (thankfully!) showed me how I can improve, all the way along. The breadth and depth of her edit, and a subsequent manuscript review of the revision, helped me understand how writing weaves across all scales.”

Roger Courtenay
Author, Coming in to View: the future of landscape appreciation

"She's a good editor and a good person to boot!

As a business writer, I hired Sarah because I wanted some help bringing my writing to life. As expected, she did just that--helping me add another dimension to a few flat stories and make my book more dynamic in the process. Sarah brought a refreshing combination of directness and encouragement, helping me tweak what needed editing while maintaining my confidence throughout the process. She's a good editor and a good person to boot!"

Josh Wymore
Author, Humbler Leadership

"If you're looking for a companion who will give you tough but kind editing, Sarah’s your girl!

The eighth draft of my 60,000-word memoir was complete when I hired Sarah to do a substantive edit. Sarah had a gift for getting into my story. She helped me see what parts of my story were relevant to the memoir and what parts were good writing but not meant for this showcase. Serious about the work but light and humorous in her tone, Sarah became a companion on my journey.”

Lyn Barrett
Author, Crazy: Reclaiming Life from the Shadow of Traumatic Memory

"I’m so grateful for her gentle editing and for the support and encouragement she gives me still.

One of Sarah Chauncey’s blogs on Jane Friedman’s weekly newsletter inspired me to reach out to her. I’m a first time author who had benefited from the help of five previous editors, all with different skills and points of view. Sarah was the one who took my manuscript across the finish line. Some editors might have been tempted to suggest major changes, but by this point in the process, Sarah recognized that the manuscript only needed polishing. I think that holding back is equally as important as pushing new ideas. Editing is a tedious task, but the best editors approach the process with sensitivity to the author’s message. It’s always personal and Sarah recognizes that. I’m so grateful for her gentle editing and for the support and encouragement she gives me still. Thank you, Sarah.”

Carol Newall
Author, Outside the Gate

"I would highly recommend Sarah for your writing project. She put her heart into my book and went above and beyond to give me the feedback I needed.

I hired Sarah Chauncey to evaluate a large project I’d spent six years on. I was too close to see it objectively and needed help understanding what worked, what didn’t, and if the structure was sound. Sarah delivered exactly what I needed. She was also able to see my idea through a fresh lens, and she provided ideas for how I could move forward, what my book could be, and how I could get there. She put her heart into my book and went above and beyond. I highly recommend Sarah."

Karen Scholl
Author, Surviving Soccer

"I gained access to not only a wealth of years of knowledge, love of the craft of writing and a high calibre mentor; I got access to a human being who has walked a very long road and does not walk ahead of you.

I hired Sarah to do a developmental edit on my 270-page memoir. Her kind, patient, and generous guidance convinced me of her commitment and belief in my project. She challenged me to grow as a writer and person, helping me find a deeper voice for my story. Her honesty and easygoing nature made her approachable for difficult territory, and she brought years of knowledge, love of writing, and mentorship to the process."

Greg Dandeneau
Author, Natural Light

"Working with Sarah was like being with a long-time friend who tells you the good stuff but cares enough to give you honest advice. I am fortunate to have had the benefit of her guidance.

I chose Sarah because she is listed on Jane Friedman's website as a writing resource. She did not disappoint! Her critique of my book structure and story flow was immensely constructive for tackling re-writes. Sarah's tracking comments clearly noted why certain content did or did not work. She provided insight as to topics I needed to expand on and those I needed to edit out. I also appreciated that she pointed out repetitive syntax and other errors. "

Ann Price
Author, ANNIE UP HIGH

"I enjoyed working with Sarah and believe her professional input will improve the quality of my book.

I hired Sarah to help me with my book about my trek up Mount Kilimanjaro. She highlighted how to make my work more readable as a memoir, suggesting ways to enhance my storytelling. The main work I face is bringing the heart of my story, the heart of Me, to the page to allow readers to better connect with my experience. She also pointed out where I could improve in some of the basic crafts of writing, like dialogue and characterization."

Kerry McGlynn

"By working with Sarah, I went from writing MY book to co-creating THE book. It’s still mine (perhaps more so, since Sarah encouraged me to put more of myself into the story), but it is on its way to becoming the book others will want to read.

I hired Sarah to do an evaluation of my 80K word manuscript. She went above and beyond by going through the first part of my book in quite some detail and providing editorial advice.
I appreciated Sarah’s offer of a complimentary session to make sure we were a good fit. She brings professionalism, intelligence, humor and sensitivity to her work. Sarah’s familiarity with the psychospiritual subject matter in my memoir made her an excellent choice."

Elizabeth Stacey
Author, EVOLUTION ROAD

“Sarah will help you remain on a path to grow and improve as a writer.

Sarah is the consummate professional and has provided me with development expertise, detailed editing, and constructive information to help grow my skills while keeping my eyes on my end goal: finishing my book. Hiring Sarah, a person of good character and humor, has been a wonderful experience.”

Debbie Friedman

“Working with Sarah helped me confront personal histories, gain distance from my manuscript, and develop a greater sense of its possibilities.

Sarah went beyond the call of duty, offering stylistic, structural, and other advice, and showing empathy and patience as I made a stylistic transition. Sarah is personable, empathetic, skillful, and knowledgeable, which motivates confidence. Her approach is structured, with detailed notes and a lengthy letter explaining decisions. I’d definitely recommend her.”

Wendy Wilson-Fall, Ph.D.

“The experience of working with Sarah has been life-changing. I cannot recommend her enough.

Sarah has this extraordinary gift of finding the gold in a story, and she does it in a way that’s enthusiastic and supportive. Yet at the same time, she gently pointed out areas which needed work or just didn’t fit the narrative. Sarah’s knack for balancing praise and encouragement with critical thinking and tactful suggestions allowed me to tell my story in a far more compelling way. What surprised me was Sarah’s intuitive way of drawing out elements in the story that I had glossed over as inconsequential but were in fact illuminating.”

Hannah Dennison