Stacey Donovan

Former literary agent and advertising copywriter, published author, editor and ghostwriter of several bestsellers, Stacey Donovan helps guide her clients’ books to successful publication, whether traditional, niche, or independent.

Stacey Donovan has edited or ghostwritten dozens of published books for her clients, many of which have received critical acclaim and awards. Among them: New York Times Bestsellers (Mystery); International Thrillers Awards (Thriller); Florida Book Awards (Thriller); Independent Publisher Book Awards (IPPY) Silver Medal Award (Memoir); Foreword Reviews INDIES Book of the Year (Memoir); Stories of Mighty Women Top Biographies (Memoir); Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA) Ben Franklin Award, Bill Fisher Best First Book (Fiction); Chanticleer International Book Awards (Thriller).

As a professional editor and ghostwriter, Donovan is experienced in many genres: Contemporary Fiction and Nonfiction; Mystery; Crime; Suspense; Psychological Thriller; Literary Fiction; Women’s Fiction; Young Adult; Erotic Romance; Erotica; LGBTQ; Memoir.

Donovan is also a published author of both fiction and non-fiction. Dive, her first, critically acclaimed novel was published in 1995 (Penguin) and reissued in 2015 (Open Road Media). The Art of Loneliness, a sexy novella, is available on Kindle. Co-authored by Donovan, the four-book series based on Zalman King’s Red Shoe Diaries is also available.

Developmental Editing & Manuscript Critique

I’m an editor who likes to get my hands dirty, i.e. really dig into words, plot, structure, and any story’s other big picture elements—whether fiction or nonfiction. This I might do to my heart’s content in a developmental edit where I make corrections, offer suggestions, and add additional comments on the manuscript page.

Ghostwriting Services

Of the dozens of published books by my clients, perhaps half of these I’ve ghostwritten. As a result, I neither mention the book title, promote book covers, or share my client’s press. I’m often asked how ghostwriting works. The short answer: ghostwriters may receive higher compensation than a co-author would, and agree to zero visibility. The reader will never know I was there—I’m a ghost.

Let's talk about your book

Stacey Donovan is a consultant for Book Editing Associates,
a small, carefully vetted group of elite editors.