Book editor and writing coach: Cultural anthropology and speculative fiction
Hi, I'm Dr. Andrew Hodges
I help cultural anthropologists and speculative fiction authors improve their book manuscripts.​
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You write speculative fiction or cultural anthropology: I'm a book editor and publishing consultant who specializes in these areas.​
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I'll focus on revising your manuscript for big picture issues and style, so that you can publish with confidence.
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Book a
Manuscript Critique
Manuscript critiques are my most popular service. I read your manuscript and give you feedback on what works and what doesn't. I can deliver the feedback on a coaching call, in an editorial letter, or both.
Whether you are looking for developmental editing or line/copyediting, a manuscript critique is a solid, affordable first step. It may be the only step you need, or it could be an opportunity to test out our collaboration before doing more in-depth work together.
Fiction and cultural anthropology are powerful tools for understanding the perspectives of others
As a developmental editor, coach/consultant, and educator, I can help you with:
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Figuring out your genre and audience
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Creatively imagining future visions for your book
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Navigating academia and publishing as a member of a marginalized group
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Linking your book organically to your life
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Improving your relationship with writing
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Making your writing an act of collective care
My work is grounded in the following principles:
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Publishing can be awesome, but parts of it are elitist and capitalist, and that sucks
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Anyone can learn to write well – creative writing is not a “natural gift”
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Writing is at heart a social, human activity, and stories matter
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Strong plotting is essential for genre fiction
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Interesting wordcraft is no substitute for weak plotting
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Words and tropes can cause harm, so we should choose them carefully
Leandra Bias, Feminist Political Scientist
“Andrew's detailed review crucially supported me in making decisions about how much and which work I was ready to do on the proposal and what publishers would be suitable. Within two weeks of revising the proposal based on his feedback I got two major UK university presses interested in reviewing my manuscript!”
Sam Keir, LGBTQ+ Fiction Author
"Supportive, precise, and constructive feedback for manuscripts in need of a boost. I wasn't sure where to head next with my novel, but Andrew had plenty of options for me to consider. Andrew's work helped me revise Tea, No Sugar nicely, and a year later I received a contract with an indie press."
Blog
The Narrative Craft: Andrew Hodges, PhD
Hi! I'm Andy, the director of the Narrative Craft.
I really appreciate you being here.
​I created the Narrative Craft to cross-pollinate anthropological and speculative fiction ecosystems, throwing in a dash of queer magic for good measure.
I support cultural anthropologists and fiction authors, invigorating, improving, and polishing their writing. I'm passionate about speculative fiction, and my interests range from YA to literary, and from novels with horror elements to fantasy romance. Novels with creative worldbuilding, intriguing characters, and social justice themes excite me.
I've worked with New York Times bestselling authors and Hugo finalists, and I’ve edited translations of novels by Nobel Prize for Literature nominees too. As an anthropology developmental editor, I’ve edited ethnographies published with top university presses, including Stanford University Press, Indiana University Press, and University of Minnesota Press.
Ethnography gives me the opportunity to combine my academic and fiction developmental editing knowledge and skills, and I run workshops on these topics at universities and writers conferences across Europe, and online in the USA.
I’ve published ethnographies myself with Routledge and University of Toronto Press, so I know firsthand how difficult a large writing project can be!
Some manuscripts I’ve recently enjoyed working on include: The Notorious Virtues (Alwyn Hamilton), Thorn Season (Kiera Azar), Queen of Faces (Petra Lord), Listen Closely (Leon Egan), Under the Neon Lights (Arriel Vinson), and Croatian Tales of Long Ago (Ivana Brlic-Mazuranic).
If you’re interested in working with me, get in touch. I offer a half-hour consultation to anyone interested in hiring me, where we can discuss your project in detail. I’m also happy to read a short extract and offer some brief initial feedback or edits if I feel we’re a good fit. Please take a look at my website for more details.
Selected Credentials:
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MA (Cantab) from University of Cambridge (Clare College) in Natural Sciences, specializing in History & Philosophy of Science, Technology, and Medicine
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PhD from University of Manchester in Social Anthropology
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Advanced Professional Member of the CIEP
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CIEP Copyediting Suite (Merit)
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Club Ed Developmental of Editing of Fiction Certificate
University of Chicago Graham School: Certificate in Editing (Developmental Editing Pathway) (in progress) -
C2 Certificate in Croatian-English translation and Goethe C2 German certificate
I'm an advanced professional member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, and a member of the Editorial Freelancers Association, the Society of Authors, the LGBTQ+ Editors' Association, and the British Fantasy Society.
