Client Testimonials
"Sara Bixler was recommended to me by another editor. I was told she was good, but I had no idea just how good. As soon as I read her editorial comments, I knew she was absolutely right. Her insights into my novel were dead on; her suggestions for change, brilliant. She was both accessible and delightful to talk to on the phone when we discussed her editorial notes and suggestions and my concerns. I could not have been happier with her work. Sara Bixler is the real deal."
• Janice Deaner, author of the novels The Body Spoken (Dutton, 1999), Notes on Extinction (Dutton/Plume, 2001) and Where Blue Begins (Dutton, 1993).
"Writing a memoir has challenges I did not anticipate when I plunged in. I wrote almost daily for about a year and then hit a brick wall. I could not get past it, and stopped writing for several months. Sara Bixler came along when I needed her most. She found a book in the pages and pages I had produced. Her suggestions, small and large, consistently sharpened the writing and strengthened the arc. She helped me write a coherent book that had previously teetered uncomfortably between personal narrative about my life as a disabled woman and an essay about my observations about disability in 20th Century America.
From the moment we started working together, I enjoyed her commitment, wisdom, and deep understanding of my work."
• Simi Linton, author of Claiming Disability: Knowledge and Identity (NYU Press, 1998) and the memoir My Body Politic (University of Michigan Press, 2005)
"Sara Bixler represents all a writer could hope for in an editor. She combines a discerning eye with a genuine desire to help you find your voice as a writer and the story’s inner necessity, the compelling reason the narrative needs to be told in the way it needs to be told.
Sara’s been a delight to work with in large part because her observations and suggestions are well thought out. She does a wonderful job of explaining her point of view and the prospective reader’s point of view, something all writers run the risk of losing sight of in their zeal to tell the story.
Her ability to substantiate her edits with solid criteria never interferes with her open-mindedness. If you come to her with legitimate reasons (rather than rationalizations) for keeping the status quo in a passage, Sara is more than willing to hear you out and support you when your argument has merit. It’s truly been a blessing to collaborate with someone who loves the written word as much as writers do."
• Julio Varela, author of the novel Alma Mutters (Darkwater Syndicate, 2019)
"Sara dove into the editing of my manuscript for The Kind Self-Healing Book with both respect and affection. Her hands got deep into the guts of my book, yet somehow never in its way. I believed that Sara wanted the best for my book every step of the way and felt that no comma escaped her regard. Her approach is personal; she was wholly absorbed in my book, it infected her, and yet she was able to stay objective and suggest changes focused on revealing the book's mission more and more clearly while showing me how to sharpen my voice as its author."
• Amy Eden Jollymore, author of The Kind Self-Healing Book: Raise Yourself Up with Curiosity and Compassion (Last House Press, 2015)
"Sara Bixler is a careful and inspired copy and line editor. Her eagle eye is keenly focused on each line and she has been instrumental in helping us with dozens of important public and in-house writing projects. I could not recommend her more highly for editing work. Her cheerful disposition adds a great deal to the hard work at hand."
• Steven Barclay, director of the Steven Barclay Agency
"The attention and care with which Sara Bixler offered feedback on my manuscript was exceptional. I originally asked Sara for a general content edit of my piece. Upon reading it she discovered that it was in greater need of structural support and so tailored her feedback accordingly. Her comments were both detailed and broad reaching—she used specific examples from my writing to illustrate the techniques she suggested to improve the piece overall. As a result I learned craft that I now use throughout my writing.
Sara’s approach to offering feedback is both respectful and professional. She is well aware of the sensitive nature of personal writing and is encouraging yet honest. When faced with a disagreement about specific suggestions, Sara seeks to clarify rather than assert. In this Sara does not get caught up in niceties—her guidepost is the greater good of the piece and the experience of the reader.
I would recommend Sara to anyone looking for honest feedback that is rooted in wisdom, experience, and respect."
• Shannon Bryant, author of Zen Love (under submission)