I help authors turn ideas into books that change the way people see the world.

As a former Big Five and university press editor, I have spent twenty years working with academics, journalists, and business leaders to publish groundbreaking non-fiction books for general readers. As a freelance editor, I use that expert knowledge to help authors navigate the publishing process and develop book projects that resonate with readers. Whether your goal is to publish with a trade house, a university press, or to self-publish, I will guide you on the journey from initial brainstorm to final draft.

Work with me to write a book that you can be proud of, that will make an impact, and achieve your dream of becoming a published author.

I’m Emily Taber, an accomplished non-fiction book editor with twenty years of experience in the publishing industry. I previously worked as an executive editor in the Basic Books Group, a division of the Hachette Book Group, where I acquired and edited books for the Basic Books, Seal Press, PublicAffairs, and Basic Venture imprints. Prior to that, I was the economics, finance, and business editor at the MIT Press. 

Over the course of my career, I have worked with many best-selling and award-winning authors, including:

  • Ravin Jesuthasan

  • Melanie D.G. Kaplan

  • Andrew Leigh

  • Ruchika T. Malhotra

  • Prisca Dorcas Mojica Rodríguez

  • Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

  • Eswar Prasad

  • Gina Rippon

  • Alvin E. Roth

  • Andrew Scott

  • Karl Schmidt

  • Richard Socher

  • Cass Sunstein

  • Peter Temin

  • John Warner

and many more!

  • Brent Adamson

  • Ron Adner

  • Margaret Andrews

  • Brendan Ballou

  • Victoria Bateman

  • Max Bazerman

  • Dr. Katie Best

  • Olivier Blanchard

  • John Boudreau

  • Emily Callaci

  • Goldie Chan

  • Marcus Collins

  • Joshua Gans

  • Paula Goldman

  • Kerry Hannon

  • Janna Herron

Books I have edited have been shortlisted for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year and the Cundill History Prize, longlisted for the Porchlight Business Book Awards, have won Axiom Business Book Awards and PROSE Book Awards, and have appeared on the Wall Street Journal and USA Today bestseller lists.

The Future of Publishing: Between Commercial and Academic Publishing with Emily Taber

You want to be a published author.
You need a collaborator who can help you at every step of your editorial journey.

To have a successful non-fiction book you need to develop a great idea, position yourself as a recognizable expert, and engage your readers. With twenty years of experience in the publishing industry, I know what it takes to do all three and I’ll share my expertise with you.

In an increasingly constrained publishing ecosystem, it can be difficult to receive the editorial care and attention your book requires. I’m committed to helping you publish a book that connects with readers and achieves your goals as an author—from spreading game-changing ideas to opening new professional doors. Expert writing by humans needs to stand out more than ever and I can help you take your book project to the next level.

I believe in a collaborative working relationship tailored to the specific needs of each project. Take a look at the services offered below and then fill out the inquiry form so that we can talk in further detail about what kind of support would be most useful to you.

What do you get when you hire me to be your editor?

A thought partner to strengthen your ideas.

A trusted guide to navigate the publishing landscape.

A constructive reader to make your writing shine.

Editorial and Commercial Assessment

This service is right for you if you have an idea for a non-fiction book, but you don’t know where to begin. Schedule a call with me to talk through your concept and discover what it takes to get a book published. I will demystify the publishing process, assess your idea, and provide my professional insights into what you can do to increase your chances of getting your book published. This service is appropriate if you want to publish with a traditional publisher, hybrid publisher, or self-publish—or if you don’t know which of these options is right for you!

Book Proposal Coaching

This service is right for you if you already have a literary agent or have completed an editorial and commercial assessment with me and are looking to get a non-fiction book published with a traditional publisher. I help authors write a book proposal from scratch or offer feedback on existing draft proposals. This can include developing a strategy for submitting to publishers, including referrals to literary agents as appropriate, or it can focus on just the proposal itself.

Developmental Editing

This service is right for you if you already have a publishing contract or plan to self-publish a non-fiction book for general readers. Often called “big-picture” editing, a developmental edit involves evaluating the overall argument and structure of a manuscript. Are you making a compelling argument supported by evidence? Is the information presented in a way that will entice readers to keep going? Are the chapters in a logical order? Is the writing suitably accessible for your audience? I’ll identify what’s working as well as the key points to focus on in revision.

This service is right for you if you’ve already incorporated big-picture feedback from an editor, agent, peer reviewers, or colleagues and are one step away from turning in your final draft. This is a more granular level of edit, focused on the paragraph and sentence level. In a line edit, it’s less about the ideas and more about the words on the page. Are there any places where your meaning is unclear? Is your tone appropriate for your audience and the subject matter of the book? If you’re a pair of co-authors wanting to write in a more unified voice, or if your first language isn’t English, I can help you smooth out your writing style. While I may note grammar/punctuation issues here and there, a line edit is distinct from copyediting, which is more specifically focused on grammar, usage, and adherence to a particular style guide.

Line Editing

This service is right for you if you want a coach to guide you through the writing process. Do you need an accountability system to ensure you stay on schedule? Do you want feedback on how to make your writing stronger, not just for one particular book project, but for future projects as well? I’ll work with you to figure out a tailored plan that best suits your needs and writing style.

Writing Support

I work primarily on non-fiction books with a particular interest in the following categories: business, economics, technology, personal development, current affairs, psychology, law, politics, science, sociology, and pop culture.

If you’d like to learn more about how we might be able to work together, please fill out the form below so we can get the conversation started:

Tell Me About Your Book

  • “Emily offers exactly what you want in a great editor—an objective voice of reason, an eagle eye for detail, and effective project management. As both an empathetic listener and a fierce advocate for your reader, Emily will ensure your ideas are not only clear and compelling, but accessible and scalable at the same time. But most importantly, Emily is a great partner in the lonely world of writing. She’s your biggest champion for getting things done and changing the world.”

    —Brent Adamson, coauthor of The Framemaking Sale

  • “One of the best I’ve ever worked with. Calm under pressure. A confident guide. Terrific on the page.”

    —Danielle Svetcov, Levine Greenberg Rostan Literary Agency

  • “What I most appreciated about Emily is her ability to balance my vision of what I want to say to the world, and how to convey that vision to an audience of real-world readers. Finding that balance was the key to the success of More Than Words, both in terms of my sense of satisfaction with the final product, and the audience’s reception of the book.”

    —John Warner, author of More Than Words

  • “Emily Taber is a brilliant editor. She has superb judgment; she knows what works and what doesn't work. She would make any book project much better. To top it all off, she's a joy to work with.”

    —Cass Sunstein, New York Times bestselling author of How Change Happens, The Cost-Benefit Revolution, and Sludge

  • “It was wonderful to work with Emily Taber. She is an expert editor who cares deeply about the manuscripts she works on. Her compassion and guidance were key to finishing a book that I am deeply proud to have published!”

    —Ruchika T. Malhotra, author of Inclusion on Purpose

If you’d like to learn more about how we might be able to work together, please fill out the following form:

Tell Me About Your Book

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