Kudos

Cynthia Lebrun

“I was nervous about handing over my book/ child to Sarah, but I need not have worried. She was like a guiding light, seeing the book through my eyes and hearing my voice. Always encouraging, and generous with her time, she offered suggestions that were brilliant and insightful. I highly recommend Sarah and look forward to working with her on my second book.”

Robin Gregory

“It was an absolute pleasure to work with Sarah on our book. She helped us avoid the use of jargon and learn to express complex ideas in ways that would make sense to our audience. Sarah encouraged not only clear thinking and writing but showed us the benefits of incorporating humour and examples. She knows her stuff, and I would recommend her editorial skills to anyone hoping to reach an audience through the wonderful but challenging world of words.”

JF Marleau

“It has been a pleasure collaborating with Sarah. Her keen critical insights and valuable suggestions have significantly improved both the structure and content of the book. Additionally, her reliability in meeting tight deadlines has been commendable. I am immensely grateful for her assistance and look forward to working together on future projects. Thank you, Sarah!”

Robin Stevenson

“Sarah Harvey picked my first YA novel out of the slush pile over twelve years ago, and since then she has edited more than a dozen of my books: fiction and non-fiction, for children and for teens. She has been a wonderful editor and mentor, has taught me a great deal about writing, and has improved my books immeasurably. She edited my Silver Birch winning novel, Record Breaker, and my Stonewall Honor book Pride. Other books she has edited for me have gone on to be nominated for numerous awards—including the Governor General’s Literary Awards and four BC Book Prizes. Sarah has a keen eye for character development and story structure, respects the author’s voice and goals, and always helps me bring my book closer to what I want it to be. She is astute, insightful, thorough, and a pleasure to work with. I highly recommend her as an editor.”

Bobbi Hunter

“I have nothing but admiration for the work that Sarah Harvey put into my book, Mr. Mindbomb. This book is an anthological biography of my late husband, the founder of Greenpeace, Bob Hunter. I conceived the idea for this book over two years ago. I enlisted approximately 45 friends, relatives, admirers, prodigy and cohorts to write short story chapters about Bob’s incredible life. To find a common voice, a smooth flow of sequences and to not repeat sentiments took a lot of time. Sarah worked with me to find a way to make this book sing the praises of Bob Hunter in a fashion that would make any reader feel a sense of awe. This is an inspiring book about a Canadian hero and Sarah knew just how to make the work a compelling read. She was astute and knowledgeable and made my book ready to be accepted by a publisher in short order. It was an honour to work with her.”

Marsha Skrypuch

“Sarah Harvey has the ability to get inside my characters and narratives in a way that helps me smooth, tighten, clarify. It’s almost like having a second brain. As an editor, she is phenomenal, but I am also grateful for our conversations on Trapped in Hitler’s Web, Traitors Among Us and Winterkill. For me, her insights and encouragement help streamline the writing process.”

Merrie-Ellen Wilcox

“Sarah Harvey is an editor’s editor—literally in my case, since I’m both an editor and one of Sarah’s lucky authors, but also because she embodies everything we editors aspire to in our profession. Her knowledge of the publishing industry, gleaned from many years and many different contexts, is vast. She has a clear sense of what works and what doesn’t. And perhaps most importantly, she’s an author’s best friend and advocate; especially through her finely tuned ear for authenticity and voice, she brings out the very best in the writing and makes it sing. Any author who gets to work with Sarah is truly fortunate.”

Monique Polak

“I’m not exaggerating when I say that I would trust Sarah with my life—because my writing is my life. I consider myself blessed to have been working with Sarah for more than a decade. Her editing feedback has made me a far better writer. She has pushed me to go deeper into every one of my books—both fiction and non-fiction projects. Sarah is wise and incisive and she asks great questions. I also appreciate that she’s forthright and kind. I don’t know what I’d do without her in my life!”

Monique Gray Smith

“I had the privilege of working with and collaborating with Sarah on the non-fiction book Speaking our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation. The book is written for 9- to 13-year olds and shares both the truth and the hope of reconciliation. As you can imagine, this was a daunting task. We both understood and felt the immense sense of responsibility to “get it right.” We quickly became a team and as a writer I relied heavily on her guidance, experience, tenderness and wisdom. I know for a fact that Speaking our Truth would not be the book it is without Sarah as the editor!”

Regan McDonell

“Sarah pulled my debut novel, Black Chuck, out of the slush pile and turned it into an award-nominated book. Working with Sarah was my first-ever experience with a professional editor and book coach, and while there were sometimes tears (probably for both of us!), it was something I’ll never forget. Sarah taught me to see my writing with a more critical eye, and to pull all the diamonds out of the rough. I’m so proud of what Black Chuck is now, and I couldn’t have done any of that without Sarah. Her notes are always in the back of my head as I write now. Sarah is a seasoned pro with a warm heart in an industry that is ever-changing. She has since read other work of mine, and always offers sage advice. We’re still friends, and I would still trust her with my work!”

Darren Groth

“Sarah possesses the qualities of all fine editors: smarts, dedication, passion, good-heartedness. What sets her apart, though, is her skill in guidance. Asking rather than telling, wondering rather than instructing, observing rather than opining…this sort of marvelous, Socratic approach to editing is a rare find. But, then, so is Sarah.”

Alison Hughes

“Razor-sharp, skilled, savvy, honest and meticulous, Sarah Harvey brings a wealth of publishing experience, a keen editorial eye and a wicked sense of humour to the editing process. It’s a wonderful thing to have Sarah on your team; she has been an integral part of mine for six novels. I honestly can’t recommend Sarah highly enough.”

Kari Jones

“I always feel a sense of relief when I know that Sarah is going to edit my work. Like all the best editors, she has the ability to see into the story and find the places where it needs to be propped up or explained more clearly. She unerringly finds the places I’ve been lazy or uncommitted and points them out to me. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve said a tiny prayer of thanks that my books didn’t reach the public until after they’d been through her hands.”

Michelle Mulder

“I’ve been lucky enough to work with Sarah on ten books, both fiction and nonfiction. I trust her completely about all things literary, and I love the value that she places on relationships. She has a knack for saying exactly what needs to be said about my work in a way that I can hear it, understand it and run with it. Her insight, vision and generosity make the editing process a rich and wonderful adventure. What a thrill to watch each manuscript grow into a much more powerful and compelling version of itself!”

Tom Ryan

“ Sarah and I worked through six rounds of edits on my first book, Way To Go, beginning with a broad structural edit in which we tackled the book’s framework and addressed significant issues with the plot. In subsequent rounds we worked our way through characterization, theme, etc… until we made it to a final polish. At the time, I assumed this is how editing always worked, but in retrospect (and with several more books behind me) I realize that the manuscript was so rough that it required an unusually intense and deliberate approach, which Sarah was willing to bring to the table. I learned so much working with Sarah, and I have taken many of those lessons forward with me as I’ve continued to hone my craft and build a career. I tell the students and aspiring writers I speak with that a great editor is worth their weight in gold, and Sarah is certainly a great editor. I doubt I would have made it this far if she hadn’t been willing to take on my manuscript and treat it with such respect and careful consideration.”

Jen Sookfong Lee

“When we started working on Chinese New Year, Sarah was instrumental in helping me create a vision for a book I had yet to write, in a genre—middle grade non-fiction—that I didn’t have any experience with. Together we decided what needed to be included and the book became a social history of Chinese culture as it travelled around the world with the far-reaching diaspora. What a feat!”

I knew when we started working on Finding Home that it would be a challenge. As it grew, this became patently clear as I worked to conduct interviews and process the very granular, very adult-oriented migration data. I needed Sarah more than ever! With her help, Finding Home became a timely and necessary book that is read by children across North America.”

Joanna Reid

“Sarah is a wonderful, incisive editor, with a rare ability to see each piece of work in terms of its own unique potential. I love talking to her about writing because of how insightful she is about language, stories, and the broader implications of the texts we write and share. She always helps me distill my work into something both richer and clearer. Because of her deep knowledge of the publishing world, she is amazing at helping writers understand how their work fits into wider landscapes and conversations. I feel lucky to have had her expert help.”

Monica Yuzak

“I’m writing my first book, and Sarah is the first editor I have hired. She took the time to get to know me, put me at ease, and worked with my voice without changing it. Her written comments, suggestions, and questions have been insightful and very helpful. She has guided and taught me how to expand my writing and to increase its depth and sharpness. Sarah has been a joy to work with and I highly recommend her to anyone looking for an editor.”

Linda Yetman

“I have loved working with Sarah as I write about my life’s journey as a woman and a nurse. Every conversation with her motivates me to express my ideas in ways I was unaware of. Her skilled questions (and edits) have a way of kindly challenging me to bring more clarity and depth to the ideas I want to convey. I want to write! I am so grateful to have her guiding me through this process.”

Barbara Murray

“Sarah helps clear the path so I can walk unimpeded. My creativity is given room to move when I don’t have a bunch of stuff in the way. She helps move the stuff out of the way so my creativity, talent, skill, and ability can burst forth!”

Painting by Sarah Gee Miller