Book an editor with experience at Knopf, Norton, and Vintage

Industry-best developmental, line, and copy editing for authors

I’m Michael Tizzano, an independent book editor and publishing consultant in New York. I bring a decade of major house, small press, agency, and academic experience, including teaching editing at Pace University. I’m now pleased to offer bespoke editorial services to my clients directly.

Inquire now See Reedsy

Tizzano Editorial seal, Est. 2023, New York

NYC staff editor
Big Five experience with Alfred A. Knopf, Vintage Books, and Pantheon at Penguin Random House. Acquiring editor at W. W. Norton & Company. Internships with Liveright Books and Scribner at Simon & Schuster.
Trusted professional
A 5.0 rating from 70+ clients on Reedsy, the most reputable and selective publishing marketplace. Reedsy accepts fewer than 3% of editors, whom it regularly re-vets and publicly reviews.
Educator & scholar
Professor of Line Editing & Rewriting at Pace University, New York, since 2025
M.S. in Publishing (2016), Pace: 4.0 GPA; Excellence in Publishing Award; Outstanding Graduate Award. B.A. in English Literature (2013), Boston University

Services

What does your manuscript need?

Editing is a process of refinement, from concept to final product

Then: query and proposal review

The editorial service you need depends on where you are in this process. You might still be developing your main argument, revising a third draft, or finalizing for reader- or agent-readiness. Many authors bundle multiple services for continuity, convenience, and price. Explore the options below, or write to me with your specific needs.

Developmental

The whole book

Manuscript Assessment

For a draft you want an expert read on before deciding next steps

A thorough, multi-page editorial assessment including critical reaction, market insights, comp title research, actionable proposal and submission advice, and a proposed editorial direction clearly outlining recommended next steps based on your goals.

Developmental Editing

For a complete draft whose concept, argument, or structure needs substantive work

A full, professional developmental edit of your manuscript with focus on concept, argument, structure, accuracy, relevance, and market. Line edits throughout are tracked in Word, with thorough comments and an editorial note.

Line

Every sentence and paragraph

Line Editing

For text that’s conceptually sound but doesn’t read like a good book yet

A full, professional line edit focused on prose at the sentence level: flow, clarity, rhythm, word choice, and emotional impact, with your voice preserved. Every sentence and paragraph is edited to support the whole of the book, with every change and rewrite tracked for your review. In-document comments explain the edits and demonstrate the book’s improvement as you read. A thorough editorial note explains the work and recommended next steps.

Copy

Correct and consistent

Copyediting

For a revised manuscript headed toward design or publication

A full, professional copyedit focused on grammar, punctuation, consistency, formatting, and light fact and continuity checks to bring the manuscript in line with the industry-preferred Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster. I will create a custom style sheet that follows the book downstream to proofing and design. The finished manuscript will be ready for typesetting, layout, and agency submission, following all best practices that these professionals will expect.

Fact-Checking

For text that names people, dates, figures, and sources

A professional, fastidious check of names, dates, figures, quotations, and citations against reliable sources, with every query and correction flagged in the margin. I bring robust research experience and have fact-checked categories including medicine, finance, psychology, and more.

Proof

The final read

Proofreading

For finished pages before they go to print

A complete, professional proofread of your manuscript over multiple reads on paper and screen, with either Word or Adobe Acrobat markup if working with designed documents.

Query and Proposal Review

Then, for a finished book you’re ready to pitch to agents

A querying package containing multiple, modular variants of polished, submission-ready pitch letters and a complete submission strategy, including contacts and submission guidelines for recommended agencies.

Book your edit

Every edit comes in two passes

No matter how big or small the job, your feedback is taken seriously. For any service, the first pass arrives as tracked changes and comments in Word, with an editorial letter for developmental and line edits. You accept, reject, or query every change through Word’s Review tab. The second pass incorporates your responses, edits, and any new material.

Need something else?

I also offer indexing, ghostwriting, book coaching, publishing consulting, and more. Contact me and we’ll figure out what fits.

Inquire about custom services

Books

Books I’ve edited

Self-help, business, medicine, philosophy, memoir, food, sports, parenting, and so much more

Method

How I read, assess, and edit manuscripts

The job: reveal meaning, cut everything we don’t need, make it move as one book, and elevate everything the reader will ultimately see

I developed and teach a practical editing philosophy focused on defining the book’s message, its readers, and how to connect them. I abstract the qualities of a well-written book into Meaning, Economy, Movement, and Expression, themselves broken down into concrete aspects such as concision, relevance, or pace. Every edit is in support of these demonstrable improvements. Below, explore the methodology I teach in the classroom and use for my clients in more detail.

Meaning

What are we literally trying to communicate, and to whom? What’s the point?

Clarity. Readers instantly understand the point.

Economy

How do we communicate effectively and efficiently in the real world? Why and how will people read it?

Concision. Cut any text that doesn’t meaningfully contribute to the other qualities.

Movement

How do we build sustained interest and engagement throughout? Is it one cohesive piece, readable from cover to cover?

Pace. The text gives appropriate space and weight to each section. Readers are not bored or overwhelmed.

Expression

How do we elevate the text to its maximum potential? Does it read like it’s professionally written and edited?

Tone. The overall mood and register of the piece suit the subject, author, and reader.

The editor’s loop

The simple, powerful workflow behind every edit, as taught to my students

When text isn’t working, define why. Name the quality and issue, apply a solution (cut, edit, rewrite, or query), then reread for all four qualities.

Read
Diagnose
Edit

The decision, after weeks of debate and several confusing emails, was finally made by the board.

Edit › After weeks of debate and confusing emails, the board decided.

Meaning. Nothing lost: after weeks already says finally.

Economy. Sixteen words down to ten: don’t make a decision when you can just decide.

Movement. One fluid read: subject and verb connected.

Expression. The board acts: remove passive voice to restore agency.

How I teach future editors

Scenes from a lecture at Pace

In Pace University’s M.S. in Publishing program, I teach the professional line editing and rewriting course: one aspect at a time, with real before-and-after edits. Take a look.

Michael teaching a lecture slide titled Ask the Author — **Ask the Author.** When it’s better to query than to rewrite.

Michael teaching a lecture slide titled Say Less — **Say Less.** Redundancy is more pervasive than you think.

Michael teaching a lecture slide titled Feel the Rhythm — **Feel the Rhythm.** Similar sentences one after another cause reader fatigue.

Michael teaching a lecture slide titled Axe AI-ness — **Axe AI-ness.** Know how to identify and edit AI giveaways.

About

Meet the editor

Big-house experience with small-business care

Michael Tizzano

Founder and editor-in-chief

I started out as an intern at Fuse Literary, Scribner, and Liveright, reading and editing for agents and acquiring editors. At W. W. Norton & Company, I was the primary editor on 20+ books a year, then edited for the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group at Penguin Random House through 2023.

Titles I’ve edited have been named among the year’s best by the Los Angeles Times and Bon Appétit and featured nationally by the Associated Press, two of them by celebrity chef Sam the Cooking Guy. I acquired and edited The Big Book of Amaro, an illustrated guide praised in the New York Times and elsewhere. Many of my clients’ books are Amazon Editors’ Picks in categories like health, finance, career, and more. I acquired and edited The Necronomnomnom, which grew into a bestselling series and a card game, and the English-language edition of Marian Rojas Estapé’s international bestseller How to Make Good Things Happen. I’ve also edited books by Alan Watts and by Mike Fitz, the founder of Fat Bear Week, and Publishers Weekly has interviewed me about my acquisitions and category trends.

Most of my work is prescriptive nonfiction, especially self-help, plus history, science, design, sports, technology, and memoir, as well as speculative and literary fiction.

I teach Professional Line Editing & Rewriting in Pace University’s M.S. in Publishing program, where I graduated with a 4.0 GPA and won the Dyson College Outstanding Graduate Student of the Year Award and the Excellence in Publishing Award.

I love to learn, and my vocation brings me in touch with so many incredible individuals with unique wisdom to share and stories to tell. Meeting such people and connecting them with readers is my favorite thing to do. Please reach out; I look forward to how we might uplift one another.

Guaranteed editorial excellence

Voice gets clearer, not flatter

Every edit is about sharing your story in your way.

Nothing changes sneakily

All edits are clearly tracked in Word and subject to your approval.

House standards

The Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster, the authoritative references publishers expect.

Two passes, always

A first pass, then a follow-up based on your responses.

Reviews

Author testimonials

Michael is the rare editor who can tighten your work without diluting your voice.
James O. · Reedsy review
He wasn’t just an editor; he was a true thought partner.
Dave C. · Reedsy review
He made several corrections and asked thought-provoking questions that solidified the structure, resulting in a smooth and cohesive narrative.
Hartford D. · Reedsy review
It is very apparent that he painstakingly went through every word to make sure the prose flowed.
Marla S. · Reedsy review
A superb copyedit of a translated nonfiction manuscript. Precise, respectful of the author’s intent, and a pleasure to work with.
Petteri M. · Reedsy review
He completed the project on time and provided exceptional proofreading and fact-checking that went well beyond my expectations.
Michele K. · Reedsy review
His editorial report offered a succinct, thoughtful assessment of my manuscript’s strengths, weaknesses, and potential placement on a Barnes & Noble bookshelf.
Daniel D. · Reedsy review
Mike was a rock star at editing and providing valuable feedback for my book proposal. His expertise in the industry is very clear.
Chris O. · Reedsy review
His editorial approach is both rigorous and encouraging.
AudryLu B. · Reedsy review
If you’re writing nonfiction that carries weight—especially anything in health, performance, or science—Michael is who you want in your corner.
Brian B. · Reedsy review
He hasn’t just improved my manuscript significantly; he’s made me a better writer in the process.
Aaron F. · Reedsy review

Read all reviews

FAQ

Questions are inevitable, and welcome

How much does editing cost?

Each quote is for your project specifically, based on the service and the manuscript’s word count. Send me a description and the word count and I’ll reply with a fee and a schedule. Reedsy publishes a guide to typical editing costs if you’d like a sense of the range first.

What kind of editing do I need?

Send a sample and a few lines about where the book is. I’m happy to advise and/or create a custom service.

How long will editing take?

This depends on the word count, service, and manuscript status, but a typical 60,000-word line edit takes about two to three weeks. Rush options are available.

Do you provide sample edits?

I am happy to provide short sample edits for select clients seeking substantive work. Please include the sample in your query.

Do you have an AI policy?

Of course. Every word drafted, edited, or rewritten is done so with hard-won, human editorial judgment honed over years of education, training, and professional experience in a pre-AI publishing world. Use of AI is restricted to supporting the operations of a small business, such as this website, as well as fact-checking, comp title analysis, citation verification, and other requested research. Clients must disclose AI-generated text in their manuscripts so that the editor can guarantee a copyrightable final text.

Contact

Tell me about your book

Send a short description, the word count, and the service(s) you have in mind. Include a sample chapter if possible. You’ll get a friendly, human reply with clear recommendations.

michael@tizzanoeditorial.com