Lisa B. Kaufman

Editorial Services, Book Proposal Development, Publishing Consultant

Drawing on 35+ years of experience as an editor and marketing executive at major trade publishers in New York and a decade teaching creative writing, I help writers shape words and ideas for maximum impact.

I specialize in narrative nonfiction books in categories including current events, politics, history, memoir, mental health, public health, and psychology, and work with writers at every stage of the process, from evaluating your project’s potential to writing a selling proposal, to developmental and line-editing a complete manuscript.

What I Do

“Without Lisa’s skills and passion, the proposal wouldn’t have been a success that attracted five compelling bids.”

—Ken Duckworth, author of You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Mental Health

I help writers

Whether you want to craft a proposal that effectively sells your book; structure facts, ideas, and stories into a compelling narrative; develop techniques to engage and sustain readers’ interest; enhance the clarity and power of your writing, or navigate the challenges of the writing process, I can provide expert guidance and support.

My approach to editing and content development is informed by my expertise in book marketing. Publishers, agents, and individual authors appreciate my awareness not only of what it takes to turn a good idea into a good book, but what it takes to distinguish a book in a competitive marketplace.

Drawing on 35+ years of experience as an editor and marketing executive at major trade publishers in New York and a decade teaching creative writing, I help writers shape words and ideas for maximum impact.

I specialize in narrative nonfiction books in categories including current events, politics, history, memoir, mental health, public health, and psychology, and work with writers at every stage of the process, from evaluating your project’s potential to writing a selling proposal, to developmental and line-editing a complete manuscript.

— Aevitas Creative Management

— Basic Books

— Bold Type/Nation Books

— Da Capo

— PublicAffairs

— Running Press

— Seal Press

— The Narrative Trust

Recent Clients Include…

…and authors of books published by

Arcade

Avery

Little Brown

Cambridge University Press

Skyhorse

SoundsTrue

The Penguin Press

Zando

Testimonials

  • “Lisa Kaufman is smart and exacting with her critiques. But she’s also compassionate and kind, and made me feel like I had a partner, not just an editor.”

    — Amy Haimerl, author of Detroit Hustle

  • “Lisa nurtured me every step of the long writing journey and helped me express my tale with a clarity that would have eluded me.”

    — Richard Lewis, actor, comedian, author of The Other Great Depression

  • “Lisa has a genius for being able to read a 90,000 word manuscript, digest the entire thing, and then explain how it needs to be organized to make it better. I am extremely lucky to have such a skilled editor and dear friend.”

    — Robert Bryce, author of A Question of Power and Power Hungry