SUSAN MARY
Susan Mary Malone is a dedicated book editor who started editing at the Tarleton State University newspaper before writing full time. While at a writer’s workshop, she discovered a talent for driving characterization, story plot, pacing, literary devices and styles, and fixing issues with book manuscripts. The workshop members recognized Susan’s skill for editing and began delivering their manuscripts for her to review.
Based on the demand for her editing skills, Susan started Malone Editorial in 1993.
She stated, “I love piecing out the puzzles of a book, how everything fits together, attending to the forest and the trees.” She thoroughly enjoys teaching writers about great books and how to structure their books for exceptional stories
Writer and Editor Insights
Break down everything into the components involved in a story. Develop characterization and details required to make the people come alive. Make sure the characters turn the plot, and the plot changes the characters.
Teach story structure, why that truly matters to books, and how that helps writers manage revisions.
Understand the art of writing great prose and how the prose ‘fits’ the genre, and then within every specific scene of the story.
Understanding the specs of a genre and why those specs matter to every book.
Support a writer through the peaks and valleys of writing, provide guidance and then helping them remain motivated about the revisions.
Susan has a true love of the writing process and working with writers who want to learn and improve their craft. The initial edit and critique can be a major learning experience that allows a writer to expand and develop the people and story. Writing is a process of ideas, edits, and perseverance, leading to published works.
Professional accomplishments include editing Ginnie Bivona’s, Ida May Tutwiler and the Traveling Tea Party, which was made into a Hallmark Film. Also, Randy Denmon’s, Lords of an Empty Land was awarded the prestigious Spur Award by the Western Writers of America and many more award-winning books.
Susan Mary Malone received a Bachelor’s of Science in Political Science and minors in English, and Journalism from Tarleton State University as well as pursuing hours toward a master’s degree in English. A native of Texas, Susan enjoys breeding and raising champion Labrador Retrievers. She also loves Texas wines and has a novel coming out set in a Texas vineyard