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H. L. Bell
Award-winning writer and editor H. L. BELL is committed to helping other writers make their work the best it can possibly be. Intimately familiar with the thrills and insecurities of the writing process, she empathizes and works especially well with other writers. Clients have praised her as an editor with an engaging manner, a meticulous attention to detail, and a consummate skill with language.
She has edited a broad range of acclaimed fiction and nonfiction titles, including Bonnie Jo Campbell’s American Salvage, finalist for the 2009 National Book Award in fiction. Her own fiction and book reviews have appeared in Jane, Salon,The Women’s Review of Books, and the Chicago Reader.
Nonfiction: biography, education, film and television, gender studies, memoir, parenting, psychology, self-help, true crime
Fiction Sourcebooks
Nicolas Kublicki, The Diamond Conspiracy (2002)
Michael Malone, Time’s Witness (2002)
Sterling Watson, Sweet Dream Baby (2002)
Michael Raleigh, The Blue Moon Circus (2003)
iUniverse
Jane Wagoner, The Bells of May (2006)
Preetham Grandhi, A Circle of Souls (2007)
Elle Newmark, Bones of the Dead (2007)
WayneStateUniversity Press
Bonnie Jo Campbell, American Salvage (2009). Nominated for the 2009 National Book Award.
Laura Kasischke, Eden Springs (2010)
Nonfiction Sourcebooks
Gene Nora Jessen, The Powder Puff Derby of 1929: The True Story of the First Women’s Cross-Country Air Race (2002)
Michael Lee Lanning, The Battle 100: A Ranking of the Most Influential Battles of All Time (2003)
John Rosengren, Blades of Glory: The True Story of Championship Dreams and a Young Team Bred to Win (2003)
Jill Long, Permission to Play: Taking Time to Renew Your Smile (2003)
iUniverse
Barb Kirpluk, Caw of the Wild (2005)
WayneStateUniversity Press
Patrick Brode, The Slasher Killings: A Canadian Sex-Crime Panic, 1945–1946 (2009)
Christopher Beach, The Films of Hal Ashby (2009)
Gail Griffin, "The Events of October": Murder-Suicide on a Small Campus (2009)
Publications - Fiction
"Paradise is a Place with Plenty of Music," The Good Men Project (January 28, 2012
"Peg's Cat," Unlikely 2.0 (October 31, 2011
“Stopping By,” The Chicago Reader (December 19, 2007)
“Catalog,” Jane (August 2004)
“Signs of the Imminent Apocalypse: A-Z,” The Seattle Review (Vol. XXVI, No. 2, 2004)
“A Scuba Lesson,” The Southeast Review (Spring 2003)
Book Reviews
“Rock, Scissors, Paper: Andy Mozina’s The Women Were Leaving the Men, Diagram 9.1
“Living with autism,” The Women’s Review of Books (July 2003)
“Survival skills,” The Women’s Review of Books (April 2003)
“Mad in America: Bad Science, Bad Medicine, and the Enduring Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill by Robert Whitaker,” Third Coast (Spring 2003)
“The Boys of My Youth by Jo Ann Beard,” Prairie Schooner (Summer 2001)
“How to Read Film,” Girlfriends (April 2001)
“Cruddy by Lynda Barry,” Salon.com (13 January 2000)
Honors and Awards
2007: “Stopping By,” Chicago Reader Annual Fiction Issue
2006: Illinois Arts Council Fiction Fellowship
2005: Bentley Prize for Fiction, The Seattle Review
2004: Winner, Jane Fiction Contest
2002: Finalist, World’s Best Short Short Story Contest
2000: Winner, 1999 Acura/Salon Book Review Contest
Feedback
I found the network easy to work with and helpful. I like the amount of information and background provided for each editor. Ms Bell did an amazing job of editing my manuscript, considering the size (174,000 words). Not only was I impressed with the quality of her editing, but the scope. When I received my manuscript back with all of her edits and comments, I recognized my work, yet it was like reading it for the first time. Her recommendations for character and plot development were right on the mark. Her input will influence my writing beyond this manuscript. John DeBon, nonprofit management
She's simply marvelous! The
whole editing experience was smooth,
interesting - highly enjoyable,
actually.” Agnes Pokol-Hayhurst
When H. L. Bell took over to
copyedit the manuscript, I got an
advanced course in what every writer
needs to know about the limits of
her own vision and the powers of
a really accomplished professional
editor. Having taught writing for
over thirty years, I became a quietly
humbled student, and I am deeply
grateful. Gail Griffin,
author of The Events of October:
Murder-Suicide on a Small Campus
H. L. Bell is a thoughtful critic and consultant for work at every stage of development, and her skills as a line editor are unparalleled. I’ve worked with editors at New York houses and at university presses, and no one is as thorough, careful, and smart as she is. She edited my most recent book, American Salvage, 2009 National Book Award finalist, and I credit her with a good portion of the success the book has enjoyed. Bonnie Jo Campbell, author of Women and Other Animals, Q Road, and American Salvage, 2009 National Book Award Finalist
The only time readers notice a copy editor is when the book or article they're reading is filled with errors. I'm happy to say, then, that nobody notices H. L. Bell--except appreciative authors like myself, who have benefited from her thoroughness, accuracy, and professionalism. She's the best. Richard Bak, author of Boneyards: Detroit Under Ground
H. L. Bell's editing assistance with my novella was invaluable. She has
a keen eye for detail and a pitch-perfect
ear for language. She caught not
only errors and inconsistencies
but places where fine-tuning supplied
far greater grace and nuance. I
am so grateful to have had her as
an editor and know that my work
has gone out into the world much
stronger for it. Laura Kasischke, author of Eden Springs
Ms. Bell assisted me with editorial content on my most recent book for Wayne State University Press, and I was most impressed by both her ability to capture nuances in wording as well as her attention to detail in the factual content of the work. She made suggestions that added to the overall feel of the period I was trying to capture. As well, she was diligent enough to keep an eye for discrepancies or outright errors, and thanks to her, they have been kept to a minimum. This was the sixth book I have published, and Ms. Bell's editorial work was among the most competent I have experienced. Patrick Brode, author of The Slasher Killings: A Canadian Sex-Crime Panic, 1945–1946
Having H. L. Bell edit your
manuscript means having a real pro
at your side (and on the page) for
every word. She didn't merely assist
with line edits but asked the truly
significant questions that are essential
for a writer to move to more resonant
levels-her probing led me to critical
revisions at key points. From the
beginning she envisioned the best
possible version of the book.
Anne-Marie Oomen, author of An American Map
I first want to thank you for your exhaustive copyedit…. Many of your changes either caught significant errors or brought genuine improvement, particularly to the introductions to the various parts of the program. Cynthia Barnhart, author of Let’s Read: A Linguistic Approach, Second Edition
I know the book will be better thanks to your discerning input. Christopher Beach, author of The Films of Hal Ashby
H. L. Bell is a tremendously accurate and efficient copyeditor and proofreader. Highly recommended. Todd Stocke, Editorial Director, Sourcebooks, Inc.
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