WRITING COACH AND DEVELOPMENTAL EDITOR

“I can't say enough wonderful things about Heather as a teacher and editor. She is the perfect blend of supportive and challenging--a cheerleader who asked the necessary questions to push my writing further. I owe Heather a huge debt of gratitude for helping me not only shape my book, but also for giving me belief in myself as a writer.” 

— Molly Roden Winter, author of the NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER, More, Doubleday

“In search of an editor to help me through the next draft of my novel, I made a wish for a Mary Poppins/Dom! It was a tongue-in-cheek dream, but Heather delivered everything I needed. Not only was she insistent upon finding the very best in my work, but she held me accountable to deadlines. She brought curiosity and insights, asking all the right questions for me to discover more about my characters and what I came to say. The time I spent with Heather taught me the importance of digging further, of listening to my own voice, and persevering. Heather is incredibly generous and she guided me to a much stronger draft which I could not have reached on my own. I am so grateful!”

— Natalie Serber, author of Community Chest and Shout Her Lovely Name

“Heather’s extraordinary warmth, insight, and generosity led me not only to a much stronger draft, that I could not possibly have come to on my own, in the time I spent in her class, she also equipped me with the confidence and necessary knowledge to move through the years of drafts and books to come.” 

— Lynn Steger Strong, author of Hold Still, W.W. Norton’s Liveright

“Without the careful, directed feedback from Heather, I would have never gotten my first novel in good enough shape to land an agent and eventually to sell. When I got the marked up MS back, I was sure she must have discovered some time-warp phenomenon, because the amount of care poured into each page seemed too much of an accomplishment for the two short weeks she had to read. She told me what worked, and didn’t hold any punches about what didn’t. What was best about the experience was that she somehow framed the critique in such a way that I walked away energized to get right back to work, firm in my belief that I had spot-on insight into the steps needed to make my book the best it could be.” 

— Timothy Lane, author of Rules of Becoming a Legend, Viking

“Working with Heather allowed me to produce over 200 pages over the span of 20 weeks, more than I have ever produced before in such a short timeframe. In her manuscript generative workshop, every other week, I turned in 20 pages that Heather critiqued with enthusiasm and care, and I looked forward to reading her thoughtful and illuminating feedback on my work. Heather was generous with her time and made sure that each student was given individual attention. I’ve taken several workshops since Heather’s and none have been quite as instructive, generative, and community-focused.  I still remain in touch with several of the fellow writers who took the workshop, a testament to Heather’s ability to create a true writing community and be a champion of emerging writers’ work.” 

— Stephanie Jimenez, author of  THEY COULD HAVE NAMED HER ANYTHING, Little A

“Heather changed me as a writer. She planted clarity in the content that we worked on, my first novel, and she provided macro input that armored me. She has an eye for important details, facts, distill writing – she is a poet. I crave that in the narrative. I hope I get to work with her again.” 

— Ioannis Pappos, Hotel Living, Harper Collins

"Heather not only contributed her professional expertise to the writing process, but she also provided invaluable insights. Her unwavering dedication to our shared vision cultivated a deep sense of trust, which, in turn, allowed her to draw out even greater depth and vulnerability from us—qualities essential to creating an outstanding book!"

— Cynthia L. Bentzen-Mercer, PhD, MBA, BCC and Kimberly Rath, MBA, authors of Now, Near, Next: A Practical Guide for Mid-Career Women to Move from Professional Serendipity to Intentional Advancement, Amplify 

“Heather was a thoughtful, careful, and astute reader of my manuscript. She provided invaluable advice in helping me significantly cut the manuscript. She is a pleasure to work with and a true professional.” 

— Mary K. Trigg, director of Leadership Program and Research at the Institute for Women’s Leadership, Associate Professor in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at Rutgers University, and author of Feminism as Life’s Work: Four Modern American Women, 1910 to 1940, Rutgers University Press

“Thinking of signing up for a class or consultation with Heather O'Neill? Do it! I first met Heather as a student in her Novel Generator course at Sackett Street Writers. Her feedback on my project was invaluable. Heather has a way of engaging seriously with the material while offering a light editorial touch. Her critiques are sharp yet gentle, always opening up questions and possibilities about a work while guiding the writer in a way that feels authentic to that writer's vision. I took Heather's workshop three times, then hired her privately as an independent consultant. Nearly every story of mine she consulted on has been accepted for publication. She is one of the most encouraging, warm-hearted and tough (in a good way!) readers I've encountered. I recommend her wholeheartedly.”

— Becky Tuch of Lit Mag News

“Heather is smart, insightful, tenacious, encouraging, generous, cheerful and brilliant. She pushed me with one goal in mind – to do my best work and to be real and true to the characters. She helped the story shine. I wish she could be perched on my shoulder every day while I’m writing.”  

— Susan Batten, author of Showing Roots, film produced by Michael Mailer and starring Maggie Grace, Uzo Aruba, Adam Brody and Cicely Tyson.

“[Heather’s] intensive novel class not only lifted me out of a personal creative funk, it enabled me to write almost an entire novel that (five years, many revisions, a second baby, and a global pandemic later) has been bought for publication by a dream imprint. It was a joy to be part of, and I am convinced that being workshopped around Heather's table of writers, who were both serious about craft and jovial company, undoubtedly put lucky fairy dust into my manuscript.”

— Sarah Seltzer, The Singer Sisters, Macmillan 

“Heather is a master of seeing your book kaleidoscopically. She takes the care to break it down, from character and theme to sentence and word. She sees possibility - what works, what's getting there, what your work reminds her of. But perhaps most importantly she excels at how to make it better, which she does with an abiding warmth and sense of collaboration; in a way that makes you want to return to the page that night to address - a plot inconsistency, a character discrepancy, a vocal mal-tuning - in a way that makes you believe in the book.”  

— Jack Houghteling, GOODMAN, Adelaide Books, longlisted for the Dzanc Books Prize for Fiction

“Heather is fantastic. Her insight, intuition, and careful study of my early writing cut right to heart of its intention. She is clear and concise and her margin notes have stayed with me, reshaping my writing years later. Whether discussing editorial changes or querying agents, Heather's advice cut a clear path through the murky publishing process.” 

— Kristin Fields, A Lily in the Light, Lake Union 

“Heather is amazingly gifted at getting writers to transform a bunch of chapters and ideas into a beautifully complete narrative. Her editing was phenomenal, both for big picture stuff like plot, momentum, character arcs and motivation, but also down to the littlest details of language and line editing. She was instrumental in helping me finish both my novels. I don’t think my books would have made it to publication without her incredible wisdom, insight and support. Smart, generous, intuitive, she is who you want on your team.  I cannot recommend her highly enough.” 

— Iris Martin Cohen, The Little Clan, HarperCollins