Testimonials

"Leslie Wells served as editor for my first three books: Lucky Man, Always Looking Up, and A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future, all of which became New York Times bestsellers. When I signed with a new publisher for my fourth book, No Time Like the Future, I knew there was only one choice for my editor: I hired Leslie Wells. Leslie has consistently offered me the benefit of her experience, intuition, insight and encouragement. She helped me to find my voice as a writer, and to access the same discipline and temperament that I depend on as an actor. I appreciated her focused attention to the material, rapid turnaround time, and mastery of all things grammatical. I'm a Lucky Man to have worked with Leslie, and I would encourage anyone else with the opportunity to do so."

--Michael J. Fox, author, actor, and founder of the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

"Leslie Wells is an insightful editor and generous collaborator who knows how to bring out the best in your writing. Any author would be lucky to work with her. She is one of the very best in the business."

--Adrienne Brodeur, Executive Director, Aspen Words, Aspen Institute; author of the bestselling memoir Wild Game

"Leslie Wells was my editor for The Five People You Meet in Heaven, For One More Day, and Have a Little Faith. She is exceptionally bright, receptive, and sensitive to a writer's work. She is both encouraging and constructive when she edits, and made everything I wrote better--while keeping it 'my' work. I would recommend Leslie for any writer--of fiction or nonfiction--who is looking for a supportive, encouraging, creative and helpfully critical voice. She is a delight to work with."

--Mitch Albom, author of The Five People You Meet in Heaven, For One More Day, and Have a Little Faith, among other bestsellers

"Although I had many years of experience as a newspaper editor, I realized I needed an editor myself when it came to writing a book. Leslie Wells was a godsend. She helped me whittle down a whale of a manuscript to a more publishable size. She is a seasoned judge of what to cut and what to keep. In the process, she manages to be encouraging, singling out areas for praise and providing helpful suggestions. I learned a lot from her, and don't think I would have gotten my manuscript over the finish line without her."

--Rena Pederson, author of The King of Diamonds,

"I spent almost 40 years in journalism, writing thousands of newspaper and magazine stories, as well as publishing three nonfiction books. When I wrote a magazine story for Newsday about the 1954 murder of a woman on Long Island, I felt certain it could only be fully explored as a novel.

When I began working on that novel, I found it - to say the least - incredibly challenging. I discussed the idea with my agent, who was cautious, and rightly so. He had one very good recommendation: work with Leslie Wells. You will find her terrific. And I did just that.

Over the course of several months, an unwieldy, overly long, confusing manuscript evolved into an actual novel. Leslie was brilliant and wonderful to work with, and whatever I do going forward will include her. My agent’s recommendation was both a game-changer for the novel, and a life-changer for me. Leslie taught me how to make the transition.

And the end result? My agent sold the novel to Pegasus! I can now call myself a novelist. Wow. Thank you, Leslie, for making this possible for me."

--Steve Wick, author of The Ruins

"I count my turn into the home stretch from the moment I opened that fat FedEx parcel and pulled out my manuscript -- annotated in the bright red ink of Leslie Wells. Trim, cut, move, clarify! I credit Leslie with sharpening the draft of my thriller, The Russian Pink, until it had the edge I was hoping for. The book comes out in October, and the second I'm through with the sequel, I'm taking it to Leslie, too. If you're looking for a partner to help you make your draft all it can be, you'll never regret going to Leslie Wells. "

--Matthew Hart, author of The Russian Pink and Ice Angel

"It was a lucky day when Leslie Wells came into my life. I had been so terrified of writing my first memoir, Home, that fourteen years elapsed between my signing the contract and producing the book itself. For most of those years I struggled on my own. My daughter Emma eventually joined me in the effort--but when Leslie came on board as my editor, it was as if my pen had been given wings. She has an infallible instinct for when to dig deeper, where to trim, how to encourage, what benchmarks to reach for, and all of this delivered with such tact and respect for the writer's journey. I felt safe and supported at all times."

--Julie Andrews, actor, singer, author of the memoirs Home and Home Work

“I had only a few months to cut virtually in half a novel I had worked on for many years. Not knowing where to begin, I very fortuitously found Leslie Wells, who read the manuscript and immediately recognized a significant subplot that could be trimmed. Other chapters I might have been at pains to eliminate, she calmly ran her red pen through. In the end, with Leslie’s tremendous help, I achieved the word count the publisher required. The loss of scenes and characters has not impoverished the book, as I feared, but given it focus. Leslie’s expertise and depth of experience turned a monumental undertaking into a remarkably smooth and easy process.”

--Parul Kapur, author of Inside the Mirror

"Leslie Wells is a brilliant and insightful editor who brings out the best in her clients. Working with her was an absolute pleasure, as she helped us to hone and refine our story while respecting our voice and our vision. She is a true champion of writers, and one whose skill and talent beautifully enrich the work."

--Liv Constantine, author of The Senator's Wife and The Next Mrs. Parrish

“I was so fortunate to have Leslie as my editor for my debut novel. Her red pen quickly became my new best friend. From assessing the big picture, pointing my plot in a solid direction, and keeping my characters in line, to her incredible line editing, she helped turn my drafts into a polished novel. Her pruning, cutting, and suggestions for new material made all the difference for reader engagement and emotional impact. She is also a dream to collaborate with, never afraid to offer firm advice, but always with kindness. Lucky me!”

—Diane Bergner, author of Royal Coconut Beach Lunch Club

"Leslie helped me cut out the flab to find the beating heart of my story. Her edits were drastic, but necessary. She explained why certain characters had to go, how to pick up the pace when the story dragged, and why the ending had to be completely re-written. And best of all, she held my hand the entire time! Her edits took my manuscript from ‘promising’ to ‘publishable’!"

--Lori Kaufmann, author of Rebel Daughter

"Leslie Wells possesses a deep, refined and highly attuned understanding of all aspects of writing--from the plot and construction of a book to the precision of a sentence. She is truly a writer's editor, who knows how to work closely with an author while never stepping on an author's instincts. Her insights and guidance have been truly invaluable to me."

--Candace Bushnell, author of Lipstick Jungle, Killing Monica, Sex and the City, and other New York Times bestsellers

"Leslie Wells has a magic, confident-but-light touch. Her intuitive insights and spot-on line edits helped me to access and expand the heart and essence of my characters. There is a "Before Leslie" and an "After Leslie." Believe me, "After Leslie" was well worth the trust I invested in her on behalf of my novel."

--Laurie Lico Albanese, author of Stolen Beauty

"Leslie and I worked together for 17 years at Hyperion, and she was our secret weapon, editing almost all of our #1 bestsellers--from Mitch Albom to Oprah Winfrey to Don't Sweat the Small Stuff. Leslie is not only a skilled line editor; she is unusually good at helping authors shape their books and hone their concepts."

--Robert Miller, Publisher, Flatiron Books

"Leslie Wells did major editing of my book, from shaping and concepting, to cutting material and line-editing it. The book's success--e.g. being on the New York Times bestseller list, and named a Top Ten Nonfiction Book of the Year by Time Magazine--would not have happened but for the wonderful work she did. Leslie is the best!"

--Elyn Saks, author of The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey through Madness

"I cannot speak highly enough about Leslie Wells as an editor. She took my book, draft by draft, line by line, and improved every page. When we were done, I went from feeling like I had a manuscript, to having the actual book I'd always dreamed of writing--one that even became a New York Times bestseller. Leslie is a master at hearing your book's true message and working painstakingly to bring that message forward with fidelity and precision. I'm so grateful that we had a chance to work together."

--Liz Murray, author of Breaking Night

"I feel fortunate to have worked with Leslie on two novels. Her insightful feedback was always attentive to my vision for the books, while helping to craft them into infinitely more polished products. Leslie's comments are thoughtful, sensitive, yet tough enough to push the work in necessary directions that I wouldn't have been able to see on my own. Her instincts for what readers and the marketplace want are unfailing. Any book will be stronger for her involvement."

--Katherine Howe, author of The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane and The House of Velvet and Glass

Leslie Wells Editorial

Novel editing and memoir editing by a publishing professional

Testimonials