Home - Maria Gagliano

Maria Gagliano

Project Director | Book Editor | Ghostwriter

About Me

If we were to hop on a call, you’d quickly discover I love to geek out about book publishing. I’ve specialized in nonfiction since I began my career at Random House in 2004, and in that time, I’ve worked as a project director, acquisitions & developmental editor, bestselling ghostwriter, and book publishing consultant.

Each of those roles has helped me develop a holistic understanding of the book publishing process—from pitching and acquiring, to idea and manuscript development, writing and editing, design and packaging, and printing. There’s just so much to talk about, whether you’re at the early stage of developing your book idea, you’re weighing the pros and cons of traditional vs. self-publishing, or you’re somewhere else on your publishing journey.

My Work as a Project Director

I regularly work with publishers and corporate clients as a project director for illustrated books. That means wearing many hats for a single project, and managing several moving parts, including: content development; editorial direction; hiring and leading writing teams; assembling and managing book production teams; curating and organizing art; collaborating with art directors to hire photographers; creating and maintaining production schedules; managing budgets; and liaising between everyone who has a stake in the project’s creation. As a project director, I’ve partnered with companies such as Penguin Random House, Atlas Obscura, the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board, Nissan, the Colorado Tourism Office, You Need a Budget (YNAB), Osano, and other private and corporate clients.

My Work as an Editor & Ghostwriter

As an entrepreneur at heart, I especially love writing and editing business books with a focus on small business/entrepreneurship, careers, personal finance, investing, self-improvement, leadership, and communication. I spent eleven years as an editor at Random House and Penguin, where I helped launch the careers of several first-time nonfiction authors. My time as an in-house editor helped me understand exactly what publishers look for in a book and I help my clients develop their project with that unique perspective in mind.

Some of my bestselling titles as an editor include #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso, Do Over by Jon Acuff, and Leaders Eat Last by Simon Sinek. My recent ghostwriting projects include titles for Penguin Random House, Simon & Schuster, and HarperCollins. Visit my Select Titles page for a snapshot of my work.

My Nonprofit Work

In 2007, I co-founded SLICE Literary with fellow editor Celia Johnson. SLICE was a nonprofit organization that published 27 issues of SLICE literary magazine and, for nine years, brought together a community of 400+ writers, editors, literary agents, and book publishing professionals for the annual SLICE Literary Writers’ Conference in Brooklyn.

These days, in addition to my independent work, I’m a co-founder of The Pub Pros, a book services firm that connects writers and publishers with the book industry’s top freelance editors.

I’m based in New Jersey, where my husband, our three boys, and I love throwing footballs on the beach, going to rock shows, and touring the state to find the best pizza and ice cream west of New York City.

How I Work

How I Work with Authors

I offer the full spectrum of editorial support, from helping you level-up a manuscript you’ve already drafted to ghostwriting the whole book for you. When working with publishers and corporate clients as a project director, my role usually involves wrangling a million moving parts to create an outstanding book we’re all proud to hold in our hands.

Here’s a breakdown of what my collaborations typically look like.

Project Directing

Project directing can look wildly different from one book to the next depending on a book’s needs. Typically, I manage all logistics behind a book’s creation, including: content development; editorial direction; hiring and directing writing teams; assembling and managing book production teams; curating and organizing art; collaborating with art directors to hire photographers; creating and maintaining production schedules; managing budgets; and liaising between everyone who has a stake in the project’s creation.

Developmental Editing

My approach to developmental editing is the same whether I’m working on a manuscript that will be released by a major publisher or one that will be published independently by the author.

I review your manuscript with a critical (but kind) eye, looking for opportunities to help strengthen the organization, structure, tone/voice, content, and any other logistics. Edits include big-picture guidance in an editorial memo as well as sentence-level feedback using Microsoft Word tracked changes and page-by-page comments. My feedback challenges you to dig deeper into certain ideas; offers suggestions for streamlining ideas; guides you on what may need to be cut; and helps you weave together a rich, forward-moving narrative.

I have two key goals when working on a developmental edit: To help you get your manuscripts to its fullest potential; and to make sure the book resonates with readers.

Once you receive my feedback, you’ll have a detailed roadmap for revising your manuscript to get it to the next level.

Book Doctoring

I step into this role when an author has taken their manuscript draft as far as they can and knows it still needs more, and they need help writing the more. The process looks like a hybrid of developmental editing and ghostwriting. I start by offering editorial feedback just as I would during a developmental edit. In that scenario, as the author, you would revise the book based on my feedback. With book doctoring, you would review my feedback, we’d discuss it to make sure we’re on the same page, and then I would take the manuscript back and make the revisions on your behalf. We’d work closely through every step of the revision process to make sure I’m preserving your tone and vision for the book.

Ghostwriting

Most of my ghostwriting clients are thought leaders, CEOs, and entrepreneurs who are experts in their field, but don’t have the time or bandwidth to craft their ideas into book form. We’ll kick off the collaboration with a deep-dive conversation to help me understand your vision for the book and what you hope it will offer to readers. From there, we’ll develop the book’s ideas and outline, and we’ll create an editorial calendar for getting the book written. I will draft your chapters based on regular, scheduled conversations and share drafts with you along the way.

Those are the basics of what a ghostwriting collaboration looks like, but each one is unique. Let’s schedule an initial consultation if you’re interested in ghostwriting to discuss your vision and goals for your book.

Self-Publishing Support

I help authors who want to self-publish produce a publisher-quality book. I take on the role of project director and build a book team of professionals who also work for the industry’s top publishers. Your team will consist of a copyeditor, proofreader, cold reader, and cover & interior layout designer. From there, we’ll work together to create a publication schedule so that you know what to expect during each step of book production.

I also guide you through the process of setting up your publishing imprint and getting your book distributed through online retailers. You will own all publishing rights for your book and have complete creative control over the publishing process, although I’ll offer guidance along the way. I’ll also offer my professional insight on book packaging elements such as the title, cover, and descriptive copy to help you create a top-quality book.

The process, from final manuscript to finished book, takes about four months.

Select Titles

Contact

Looking for support on your book? Send me an email at mvgagliano(a)gmail.com or contact me through the form below. Tell me a little about your project and the kind of help you think you may need. I’ll be in touch within 48 hours.