Alexandra Shelley

Illuminated Manuscripts

Contact Alexandra Shelley

Or email: ashelley@aya.yale.edu

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The Curious Man's Podcast interview

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Literary Prospects interview

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East Hampton Star column about Alexandra's work

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SheWrites.com interview

with Alexandra Shelley and agent Eleanor Jackson

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12th Street Magazine interview

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Endorsements
[more horn-tooting on "Endorsements" page]

"I’ve been working with Alexandra Shelley for ten years, starting with my first novel, which we used for on-the-job training. With her guidance, I practiced the craft of fiction writing, from constructing a scene to birthing characters who readers would not only believe, but care something about. It was grueling but it was worth it because when Aibileen’s voice came to me -- which was the genesis of The Help -- I was ready.

"Writing a novel can be a lonely business. Having a first reader who knew when to cheer and when to meddle kept me going through five years and I-don’t-know-how-many drafts of The Help. For part of that time, I was also in Alexandra’s writing workshop, where I watched other books take shape, a weekly dose of inspiration.

"Having a literary advisor who works in publishing has a practical side too. From the first chapters of the novel, she helped me believe I could produce a publishable book, and after I’d finally written the last chapter, she convinced me I HAD done it and shooed me in the direction of the agent who took it on. I am so thankful that I found a mentor who shares my passion for bringing the truth of fiction into the world."

Kathryn Stockett
Author, The Help
(Amy Einhorn/Putnam)

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“Alexandra has an uncanny ability to see the good in a manuscript. My book wouldn't have been acquired so quickly or become a New York Times bestseller without her."

Martha Hall Kelly
Author, Lilac Girls
(Ballantine Books)

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"Alexandra Shelley is the freelance editor I have turned to for help for over a decade. She has worked closely with many of our authors and every time she has stepped in, she has worked her magic and vastly improved every manuscript she touched. She is a true pro. "

Jed Lyons
President and CEO

The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group

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“Alexandra is one of those rare breeds, a person who, through a combination of education and instinct, can turn a merely good manuscript into one that is remembered."

Barbara Phillips
Editorial Director
Bridge Works Publishing Co.

New York Times article on Bridge Works

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"For my third novel I decided to learn how to do it the right way! Alexandra Shelley asks the tough questions about character, plot, location, pacing, and point. With gentle encouragement, unflinching honesty, and deft tips, she enabled me to live up to my own promise."

Elizabeth Cobbs
Author, The Tubman Command
(Arcade Publishing)

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“Alexandra Shelley helped me to transform my messy draft into a publishable manuscript. That she was able to get me to go deeper, flesh out characters, and add dramatic tension while improving my prose speaks volumes to her keen, critical eye. And the fact that she didn’t make me feel like crawling into a hole afterwards is testament to the care she took with my story and my fragile ego, which made working with her such a pleasure.”

Loretta Ellsworth

Author, Stars Over Clear Lake (Macmillan)

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"Writer's Digest" article by Loretta Ellsworth mentioning our work together on revision.

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"Alexandra Shelley came highly recommended, and did not disappoint. With humor, grace, and a fine critical eye, she tackled (and improved) every aspect of my manuscript: structure, pacing, characterization, and trimming the 'fat.' She's also a pleasure to work with—as kind and encouraging as she is brilliant—and I wouldn't hesitate to hire her again. "

Karen Abbott
Author, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War (HarperCollins)

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"Working with Alexandra is like Navy SEALs training for writers. Many apply, few are accepted.

"But if you apply, are accepted, and persevere? You'll find yourself writing at an entirely different level, shedding the ego-exoskeleton that holds so many of us back from identifying and honing our authentic voice. It's no wonder Alexandra has been the top choice of so many publishers, editors and authors—and has humbly, quietly orchestrated some of the finest books of the past 30 years."

Eric Lindner

Author, Tiger in the Sea (Lyons Press)

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"I had heard raves about Alexandra Shelley from three separate people when I decided to contact her about my manuscript. When I received those chapters back, it was like a revelation: although I had written seven previous novels and worked with several editors, I had never had been edited like that. Alexandra worked brilliantly on the macro level, addressing issues of theme, pacing and character with a deftness and insight I found without parallel, yet she was equally attentive on the micro level, even paying attention to such issues as punctuation—her comments on the use of the semi-colon were equally illuminating.

"At every stage, she was rigorous, yet supportive, warm and encouraging. I found it an exhilarating and even thrilling experience to work with her and her suggestions for the manuscript improved it immeasurably. As a result, I was able to attract a new agent (something I had long wished to do) who in turn brought me to a wonderful editor at HarperCollins. I recommend Alexandra with the most lavish praise and gratitude, and I strongly encourage all writers serious about bringing their work to the next level to hire her without delay."

Kitty Zeldis
Author, Not Our Kind (HarperCollins)

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"Alexandra Shelley, without doubt, got my novel from patchy draft to a publishable manuscript which went to a three-way auction within days of being submitted to British editors. She is the most incisive, encouraging, and imaginative editor I've ever worked with, someone who pushes you to imagine every facet of the scene you're in, so that you're working at the top of your game.

"She showed me how to inject tension, lighten the gloom, successfully hand off points of view, and most of all deepen the manuscript so that I had a cast of characters who were worth caring about. Alexandra pushes hard – she asks the question that you've avoided in your text, and makes you answer it, whether it's a character's motivation, his back-story, or the smell of what's cooking on the stove. The result is deeper, richer work. I will not hesitate to work with Alexandra on my next novel."

Susie Steiner
Author, Homecoming

and Missing, Presumed

(Faber & Faber)

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"What I loved most about working with Alexandra was how she innately understood the subject matter. With her keen eye, she helped me to restructure the manuscript, adding layers of historical and character detail while patiently guiding me to the finish line."

Kathleen Grissom

Author, Crow Mary (Simon & Schuster)

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"I am absolutely blessed to have found Alexandra Shelley as a freelance editor for my fiction work. She is uniquely skillful-- she has a discerning eye, she is schooled in literature and technique and has the ability to truly appreciate a story. Her respect for my work while her teaching me to become a better writer has made this a remarkable journey."

Susannah Marren

Author, A Palm Beach Wife

and A Palm Beach Scandal

(St. Martin's)

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"Alexandra Shelley's editorial process is impressive and rare: it's as exciting as it is exacting. She is incisive, asks the important and right questions that encourage an author to move ahead with understanding and much-needed momentum. She is able to help writers with big-picture, structural issues as well as offer spot-on line edits – while being sensitive in terms of honoring the author's personal vision. With her good humor and wit, she makes the process of developing a book entertaining – something unexpected when one is tackling multiple drafts of a book.

"Alexandra is a joy to work with – her close reading of one's prose makes her a wonderful advocate, and her deep thoughtfulness about a book astonishes as well as gives an author genuinely helpful and concrete things to address. Too, I admire the energy with which she approaches her task. It is infectious and inspiring. But most importantly, her alchemical process makes good works great."

Laurie Fox
Agent, Linda Chester Literary Agency

Author, The Lost Girls and My Sister from the Black Lagoon (Simon and Schuster)

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"Working with Alexandra has been like participating in a private creative writing program with a master editor. She addresses each element of a project, from language, character, and plot to underlying ideas and structure. As any patient editor does, she guides the writer, careful not to overwhelm the creative process, always with intelligence, respect, and focus. Her first goal is to make the book better and to help the writer realize a book's potential. I have absolute confidence in her literary judgment."

Rachel Klein,
Author, The Moth Diaries (Random House)

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"Alexandra combines rare talents: She offers the technical insights of an experienced editor and the wisdom of a thoughtful reader. She also has the patience of a saint. In dealing with a new work at an early stage, she was able to understand where I wanted to go with the piece and provided specific suggestions to help me get there. As a writer, you can't ask for better assistance than that!"

Joshua Max Feldman
Author, Start Without Me (William Morrow)

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"When I was introduced to Alexandra Shelley I was a new writer with a rambling novel .... Alexandra tackled my novel with a light touch, never insisting on a change unless I agreed. She challenged me to write better. The result was a tightly woven story that made the difference between a so-so novel and one that I was proud of. Because of Alexandra's keen editing my first novel was a finalist in the Barnes & Noble Discover Great New Writers program."

Sharon Rolens
Author, Worthy’s Town and What Else But Home (Bridge Works)

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Illuminated Manuscripts

Editor

Alexandra Shelley has over 30 years of experience, including as deputy editorial director at Bridge Works Publishing. Among the authors she's worked with as an independent editor:

Kathryn Stockett on The Help, a bestseller for over 3 years, selling over 11 million copies; made into a feature film. She is also currently working with Ms. Stockett.

Martha Hall Kelly, Lilac Girls (Ballantine Books, 2016) and Lost Roses (Ballantine Books, 2019), both bestsellers

Kathleen Grissom, Crow Mary (Simon & Schuster, upcoming 2023)

Elizabeth Cobbs, The Tubman Command (Arcade Publishing, 2019)

Karen Abbott, Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War (HarperCollins, 2014)

Emily Giffin, Where We Belong (St. Martin's, 2013)

Susie Steiner, Homecoming (Faber & Faber, 2013) and Missing, Presumed (Random House, 2016), bestseller

Adele Myers, The Tobacco Wives (William Morrow, 2022)

Jennifer Coburn, Cradles of the Reich (Sourcebooks, 2022)

Gretchen Dykstra, Echoes from Wuhan (Atmosphere Press, 2022)

Eric Lindner, Tiger in the Sea: The Ditching of Tiger 923 and the Desperate Struggle for Survival (Lyons Press, 2021)

Nektaria Anastasiadou, A Recipe for Daphne (Hoopoe - American University of Cairo Press, 2021)

Suzzy Roche, The Town Crazy (Gibson House, 2020)

Jo Ivester, Once a girl, Always a boy - A Family Memoir of a Transgender Journey (She Writes Press, 2020) and The Outskirts of Hope (She Writes Press, 2015)

Emily Voigt, The Dragon Behind the Glass (Scribner, 2016)

Joshua Max Feldman, Start Without Me (William Morrow, 2017)

Kitty Zeldis, Not Our Kind (HarperCollins, 2018)

Susannah Marren, A Palm Beach Wife (St. Martin's, 2019) and A Palm Beach Scandal (St. Martin's, 2020)

Loretta Ellsworth, Stars Over Clear Lake (Thomas Dunne/Macmillan, 2017)

Maha Kahn Phillips, The Curse of Mohenjodaro (Pan Macmillan, 2017)

Joy Rhoades, The Woolgrower's Companion (Penguin UK and Australia, 2017)

Erin Siegal, Finding Fernanda: Two Mothers, One Child, and a Cross-Border Search for Truth (Beacon Press, 2012).

Writers she has helped with works-in-progress include Richard Preston, author of The Hot Zone along with other best-selling nonfiction books and novels; Rachel Klein, whose prior novel was The Moth Diaries (Random House); Laurie Fox, The Lost Girls (Simon and Schuster) and My Sister from the Black Lagoon (Simon and Schuster); Bonnie Glover, The Middle Sister (Penguin Random House) and Going Down South (Penguin Random House).

At Bridge Works Publishing, Ms. Shelley was responsible for choosing and editing some of that house's commercial and critical successes. Among these are the best-selling Patty Jane's House of Curl by Lorna Landvik; Worthy's Town by Sharon Rolens (B&N Discover Great New Writers Award Finalist); Aria by Susan Segal (Washington Post Best Books of the Year); Zip Six by Newbery Award-winner Jack Gantos. She also brought in Tom Perrotta's first book, Bad Haircut, Stories of the Seventies.

Illuminated Manuscripts, Ms. Shelley's editorial agency, handles novels, short story collections, memoirs, popular history, biographies, and other narrative non-fiction, as well as the occasional epic poem. She seconds Thomas Mann's observation that "A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people." In addition to hands-on editing, she endeavors to help authors slogging through an umpteenth draft remember what is most worthwhile and vital in their book.

Teacher

Ms. Shelley’s editing is informed by many years of teaching writing at Columbia, Yale, The New School University, and Hungary's graduate journalism program at Eotvos Lorand University. She also leads an independent workshop of seasoned fiction writers. To both clients and students, she provides user-friendly feedback with the goal of helping the author become his or her own best editor.

Background

It took Ms. Shelley a long time to recover from the English Literature major at Yale and to recognize that iambic pentameter isn't always the way to go. She also holds an MFA in fiction from the Columbia University Graduate School of the Arts, where she learned to use "workshop" as a verb. She's a former Fulbright Scholar and recipient of the Katherine Anne Porter Prize for short fiction as well as several other obscure but prestigious awards for fiction and journalism.