Hi, I am Margaret Langstaff of Margaret Langstaff Editorial, a full service editing and writing consultancy. I provide a complete range of editing and writing services individually tailored to your needs and budget.

For my many and varied clients, I write and edit books, stories, white papers, speeches and business communiques, preparing them for immediate publication, completely polished, effective, and persuasive.

I am a seasoned and respected book industry veteran with over 25 years writing and editing experience with publishers and all kinds of authors and executives, and I can proudly say, after all these years, my services are top of the line and unparalleled. And very affordable too!

My goal is to create perfect text for your project, whatever it may be, a final product that exceeds your expectations and helps you achieve your ambitions.

My clients are brand names in the publishing world as well as well-known individual authors and novice writers intent on self-publication.

With over twenty-five years’ experience in the publishing industry, I bring to the writing and editing tasks a wealth of hands-on skills and expertise that guarantees your project will receive the best attention and execution of your goals.

Not coincidentally, I am an author myself of over twenty books, many of them ghostwritten for celebrities and household names, some of which were bestsellers and a few of which books were made into films.

I was educated at the University of Florida, M.A. English, Phi Beta Kappa, and began my career in publishing at Doubleday & Co. in New York and from there served as an executive at a variety of trade houses as well as at Ingram Book Company, the largest distributor of trade books in the world to the retail trade and libraries. Subsequently I served for eleven years as a Contributing Editor to Publishers Weekly magazine and contributed book reviews to the L.A. Times, BookPage and the Baltimore Sun, among other nationally prominent periodicals.

Simultaneously, for twenty-eight years I served as editor and book doctor for Literary Management Group, LLC and wrote or co-wrote a number of bestselling titles the firm packaged for general trade publishers.

I launched Margaret Langstaff Editorial, of which I am the principal and sole proprietor, five years ago to serve my growing base of clients worldwide seeking editorial guidance and counsel.

A Selection of Testimonials from Satisfied Editorial Clients

“Margaret has served the publishing community in a variety of roles. She has a keen eye for great editorial content and knows how to turn a good idea into a great idea.”

— MARK GILROY, Publisher, Author

“Her brain is a galaxy of intelligence. Nobody smarter or quicker with words. Sees the large picture and could do anything in the world she wanted. We are lucky she chooses to write.”

— SUDYE CAUTHEN, Director, North Florida Center for Documentary Studies

“I highly recommend Margaret Jean Langstaff as a veteran writer, author, and editorial marketing consultant. For years Margaret’s writings graced the pages of Publisher’s Weekly, the book industry’s prime trade journal. As an author, her biography of Emily Dickinson breathes new life into this long forgotten literary heroine. Margaret would be a great asset to have on your team.”

— LAWRENCE JORDAN, Owner, Morning Star Communications

“Margaret knows the publishing world in every detail. She is one of the most savvy, efficient and talented writers in the business. Add to this a cheerful disposition and an ability to meet deadlines.”

— SYBIL STEINBERG, former Exec. Editor, Publishers Weekly

“Margaret is an excellent writer, which I learned through my work as senior religion editor at Publishers Weekly. She was one of our go-to freelancers, not only because of her writing, but also because of her expertise in the publishing industry.”

— LYNN GARRET, Senior Religion Editor at Publishers Weekly

“Thank you, Margaret Langstaff, for stepping in and smoothing out the rough edges. Her ability to tweak the text in just the right places contributed significantly to the quality of this work.”

— ZIG ZIGLAR, Zig! The Autobiography of Zig Ziglar (legendary motivational speaker and best-selling author)

“I’ve worked with a countless number of writers and editors in the course of my thirty years in the publishing field. Without hesitation, I would put Margaret Langstaff at the very top of my recommendation list to anyone seeking editorial/writing services. On our most recent editorial project together, she completed her work weeks ahead of schedule–turning an otherwise average book into a fun read that was ready for typesetting.”

–BOB BUBNIS, Author & Founder, BookSetters

A client from Mumbai, India—

“I approached Margaret Langstaff, whom I respectfully address as Ma’am, to edit the revised editions of my first three books: S.O.S. Animals And Other Stories, CLASSICS: Why we should encourage children to read them, and Treasury of Bizarre Christmas Stories. I was surprised when I received an immediate and affirmative reply. I was overwhelmed when first two books were edited and sent to me in a week’s time to enable me to upload them before the new year. The third book received the same care and promptness. I am pleased to affirm that the editing was excellent and prompt and carefully polished my language. I wholeheartedly recommend Ma’am’s professional editing services.”

FIZA PATHAN, Author

“Margaret has a unique perspective on what readers are looking for and writers need to provide. Her eight years as an independent bookstore owner, six years as an executive with the largest book wholesaler in the world, twenty-five years as an editor and consultant for publishers and, perhaps most important for authors, as a published author of eight books herself under her own name, combine to offer the help they need to make their manuscripts the very best they can be.

“I highly recommend Margaret’s services and am confident in saying her help will be worth more than any fees she might receive.”

— BRUCE BARBOUR, Founder, Literary Management Group, LLC

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I would be delighted to have the opportunity to polish YOUR manuscript to perfection. A complete list of my services and fees is available on my website:

Margaret Langstaff Editorial

My most popular services are copyediting and proofing and they are economically priced at $3.00 and $2.00, respectively, per 300-word page! I work in close consultation with every author and you always have the option of rejecting any edit or suggesting an alternative correction.

I ask that all manuscripts be submitted in Word as I edit with Word Mark Up, which shows you exactly what I’ve done and the edits I propose.

I look forward to hearing from you and seeing the manuscript you’ve worked so hard on to determine the best editing strategy that will truly make it sing! You can contact me directly at margaret@margaretlangstaffeditorial.com and can be sure to receive a reply to your e-mail within 24-hours!

Best wishes and happy writing!

Margaret

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