What can Open Boat Editing do for you?

You have a story to break, a groundbreaking policy proposal to share, or fresh insight into how to solve a pressing problem. Now what? Getting your book published is not a clear-cut journey for anyone—and everyone needs an editor.

Evelyn M. Duffy spent the first 13 years of her career as Bob Woodward’s in-house collaborator on six bestselling books on the American presidency. Open Boat Editing was founded to bring that level of support to other authors as they complete, elevate, and publish their work.

We can be a writing partner, a confidant, a trusted sounding board. And if you find yourself lost in the wilderness, we can be your guide. We work in parallel with your literary agent and your editor at your publisher, supplementing and complementing their work. We have helped shepherd an ever-growing number of books into the world, and we are excited to collaborate with you.

Services:

Proposals:

Literary agent research & recommendations
Traditional, academic & hybrid publisher recommendations
Publishing coaching
Proposal editing & development
Consulting
Proposal collaboration & ghostwriting

Books:

Research assistance
Developmental editing
Copy editing for self publishing authors
Confidential transcribing for reporters
Book doctoring
Book collaboration & ghostwriting

Production:

Copy editing for traditional publishing
Permissions research
Fact checking
Source section verification
Web design for authors
Editing for magazines & corporations

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“She is an organizational genius who effectively has acquired multiple PhDs in the presidency, government, journalism, and modern life. Once again she served as full collaborator and in the spirit—and with the level of effort—of a coauthor.”

- Bob Woodward, Rage
“Acknowledgements should be called 'midwives.' ... Evelyn Duffy kept me going on schedule, with invaluable advice to keep my head down on the page.”

- Mary Beth Albright, Eat & Flourish
“You’ve been the best editor I’ve ever had, and I would not want a single word of my manuscript to go out without a final look from you.”

-Ken Ballen, author ofTerrorists in Love
"A singular talent. ... a deft editor and researcher ... a magician when creating order out of the chaos of huge book projects.”

- Stuart Roberts, Dey Street Books
"I don’t know of anyone who understands how to write a narrative nonfiction book better than you."

- confidential nonfiction client
"Your early suggestions helped this daily journalist get his head around writing a 100,000-word book, your organizational ability kept me sane, and your answers to my many moral questions helped guide this work"

- Dakin Campbell, Going Public: How Silicon Valley Rebels Loosened Wall Street’s Grip on the IPO and Sparked a Revolution
"Your feedback is so detailed and thoughtful. Thank you for investing so much time into our book."

- Michael O’Leary, Accountable: The Rise of Citizen Capitalism
“[Open Boat Editing’s] developmental edit of my book was crisp, knowledgeable, and insightful. [They] took a project stuck on the rocks, and returned it to me with a clear navigational path towards publication.”

- Bruce Schneier, A Hacker’s Mind: How the Powerful Bend Society's Rules, and How to Bend them Back
“The editorial find of a lifetime.”

- Daniel Stone, Sinkable: Obsession, the Deep Sea, and the Shipwreck of the Titanic
“Editors are angels draped in the fabric of grammar and words. Thank you to Evelyn Duffy, Ben Gambuzza, and Anna Fiorino at Open Boat Editing for your expert advice and guidance.”

- Lynn Greenky, When Freedom Speaks: The Boundaries and the Boundlessness of Our First Amendment Right
“This is PERFECT! I have not a single change. Extraordinary how you are able to capture my voice. Thank you.”

- confidential client (ghostwriting)
"I just want to conclude by letting you know how incredibly supportive you have been, from our first conversation, through the research and then proposal process--and now with agents. I feel so gratified, indeed lucky, to work with you."

- confidential client (editing, research, book proposal editing, and agent research)
“I don’t know of anyone who understands how to write a narrative nonfiction book better than you.”

- confidential client (book proposal development)
“I am so fortunate to have Open Boat Editing as my advisors and friends. Whatever will be completed will be better, much better, because of your involvement.”

- confidential client (book doctoring/coaching)
“Wow. Wow! WOW!! This is so awesome. This is exactly the kind of honest appraisal and insight I’ve been hoping to receive. I would love to work with you again.”

- confidential fiction client (developmental editing)
“As a queer author, I wanted an editor within the LGBT+ community. Someone who could relate and who I would feel comfortable working with to help craft my story. … I honestly cannot wait to work with Open Boat Editing again.”

- Eric David Roman, Long Night At Lake Never
“This is amazing! So many insightful comments--and a lot of work for me too. I stayed up most of the night reading everything over from you. Thank you so much for your insightful, meticulous and generous work! Though not for my lack of sleep! An extraordinary job of editing.”

- confidential fiction client (developmental editing)
"[Open Boat Editing provided] feedback with great care, not so much in any way to spare my novice feelings but, seemingly, to nurture the work itself with expert tenderness.”

- Tom Kardel, novelist
"You did such a thorough edit! ... [You] have such an eye for revision. ... Right on target. ... Your notes helped me immensely.”

- confidential fiction client (developmental editing)

The Open Boat Editing Team:

Evelyn
Sam
Ally
Tyler
Ben
Adrian
Qres
Ellen
Anna
Madelyn
Cynthia
Jen

Learn More About the Team

Services:

Proposals:

Books:

Production:

“She is an organizational genius who effectively has acquired multiple PhDs in the presidency, government, journalism, and modern life. Once again she served as full collaborator and in the spirit—and with the level of effort—of a coauthor.”

“Acknowledgements should be called 'midwives.' ... Evelyn Duffy kept me going on schedule, with invaluable advice to keep my head down on the page.”

“You’ve been the best editor I’ve ever had, and I would not want a single word of my manuscript to go out without a final look from you.”

"A singular talent. ... a deft editor and researcher ... a magician when creating order out of the chaos of huge book projects.”

"I don’t know of anyone who understands how to write a narrative nonfiction book better than you."

"Your early suggestions helped this daily journalist get his head around writing a 100,000-word book, your organizational ability kept me sane, and your answers to my many moral questions helped guide this work"

"Your feedback is so detailed and thoughtful. Thank you for investing so much time into our book."

“[Open Boat Editing’s] developmental edit of my book was crisp, knowledgeable, and insightful. [They] took a project stuck on the rocks, and returned it to me with a clear navigational path towards publication.”

“The editorial find of a lifetime.”

“Editors are angels draped in the fabric of grammar and words. Thank you to Evelyn Duffy, Ben Gambuzza, and Anna Fiorino at Open Boat Editing for your expert advice and guidance.”

“This is PERFECT! I have not a single change. Extraordinary how you are able to capture my voice. Thank you.”

"I just want to conclude by letting you know how incredibly supportive you have been, from our first conversation, through the research and then proposal process--and now with agents. I feel so gratified, indeed lucky, to work with you."

“I don’t know of anyone who understands how to write a narrative nonfiction book better than you.”

“I am so fortunate to have Open Boat Editing as my advisors and friends. Whatever will be completed will be better, much better, because of your involvement.”

“Wow. Wow! WOW!! This is so awesome. This is exactly the kind of honest appraisal and insight I’ve been hoping to receive. I would love to work with you again.”

“As a queer author, I wanted an editor within the LGBT+ community. Someone who could relate and who I would feel comfortable working with to help craft my story. … I honestly cannot wait to work with Open Boat Editing again.”

“This is amazing! So many insightful comments--and a lot of work for me too. I stayed up most of the night reading everything over from you. Thank you so much for your insightful, meticulous and generous work! Though not for my lack of sleep! An extraordinary job of editing.”

"[Open Boat Editing provided] feedback with great care, not so much in any way to spare my novice feelings but, seemingly, to nurture the work itself with expert tenderness.”

"You did such a thorough edit! ... [You] have such an eye for revision. ... Right on target. ... Your notes helped me immensely.”

Evelyn

Sam

Ally

Tyler

Ben

Adrian

Qres

Ellen

Anna

Madelyn

Cynthia

Jen

Open Boat Editing