Rachel Knowles
Freelance Editor
Hi! I have extensive experience editing novels, short stories, memoirs, longform journalism, personal essays, and screenplays. Clients have sold projects to places like Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, McSweeney’s, GQ magazine, and The New York Times Magazine.
Whether you’re just starting out or you’re an established author (or, like me, you inhabit that big space in between), I’m here to help.
About Me
Writing, editing, and relationship building are at the heart of my professional life. The first step in my career was at Riverhead Books (part of Penguin Group), with a focus on literary fiction and general nonfiction. An impulse to be “of service” led me to leave book publishing for nonprofit fundraising. Even as a busy executive, I took on editing clients because I truly loved the people and the work.
After building a successful career in the nonprofit world, I moved to Los Angeles and became a full-time editor and writer. I work as half of a screenwriting team and have developed many film, TV, and podcast projects with partners like A+E Studios, Atlas Entertainment, and CBS Studios. Recent work includes the feature documentary Stone Locals, directed by Cheyne Lempe and Mikey Schaefer, and LA Made: Blood, Sweat & Rockets, an award-winning podcast for LAist Studios.
Testimonials
Jennifer Murphy is the author of the memoir First Responder. Her nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times, Time, and Forbes, among others. Her creative work has been included in numerous literary journals and anthologies. Jennifer was featured at Joe’s Pub at The Public Theater and TED.
“Whatever piece of writing I'm working on – essay, short story, memoir, novel – Rachel is the first person I want to read and edit it. She has a talent for refining creative writing and challenges me to reimagine my concepts in new and innovative ways. She’s also gifted at delivering insightful editorial notes in an encouraging way, and offering solutions to fix narrative problems that I would have never come up with on my own. I can say without hesitation that Rachel is one of the best editors I have worked with.”
Daniel Wallace is the J. Ross MacDonald Distinguished Professor of English at UNC Chapel Hill. He’s published six novels (including Big Fish, adapted into a film and a Broadway musical) and many short stories, essays, and interviews. His recent memoir is This Isn’t Going to End Well.
"Rachel is a rarity: a brilliant editor with a heart, one who cares about your work as much as you do. If you’re blocked, she knows the way over, around or through it; if you’re stuck, she knows the way forward, working with you to achieve the ideal version of whatever it is you’re writing. She has rescued some of my work from certain oblivion, and I am ever thankful. And you should see her shoes."
How I Work
We all have stories worth sharing. Whether you’ve got a first draft of a personal essay, a detailed outline for a memoir, or a manuscript that you’re polishing for submission, I’m here to help. Writing is an exercise in finding the truth – it’s my job to help you peel back the layers and get to the heart of the story that you want to tell.
Every project is different because every writer has different needs. Following are some recent collaborations:
One-hour brainstorm session with an established author about a nonfiction book proposal
Developmental edit of a short story
First pass of a journalism piece to provide feedback about direction, tone, and structure
Line edit of a novel before the author submitted it to his publisher
Script notes for a feature-length screenplay
Manuscript evaluation of a nonfiction book
Full edit of a writing sample to be used in an agent search
I’d love to hear from you!
Contact me to set up a time to discuss your goals, budget, and timetable.