Eric Bell
Developmental Editor
Eric Bell is the author of ALAN COLE IS NOT A COWARD (Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins, 2017) and ALAN COLE DOESN’T DANCE (Katherine Tegen Books/HarperCollins, 2018), two middle grade novels about a gay seventh grade boy dealing with bullies, crushes, the power of art, and coming out. The first book was nominated to the Rainbow Book List for GLBTQ Books for Children and Teens. The books have also been translated into three different languages. In 2021, Eric will be published in the short story anthology THIS IS OUR RAINBOW: 16 STORIES OF HER, HIM, THEM, AND US (Knopf). Eric has been a mentor in Pitch Wars for the past three years, helping unpublished mentees edit and strengthen their manuscripts in preparation for querying, as well as imparting writing skills to last a lifetime. Eric is a freelance copyeditor, a teacher of writing classes, a virtual workshop leader, and an employee at a library and a bookstore. He lives and writes in Pennsylvania.
AREAS OF SPECIALTY
Middle grade and young adult novels
General fiction for adults
Picture books
Chapter books & early readers
LGBTQ characters
AVAILABLE FOR
Manuscript critiques and evaluations
Developmental editing
Content editing/substantive line editing
Copyediting
Publishing consultations
Query letter & synopsis editing
Private writing coaching
“Eric provided such lovingly detailed, meticulous, and well-rounded feedback that gave me the tools to re-craft and fine tune my manuscript. He invested far more time and care into helping my book become a better story than I ever could have imagined. In the most challenging of times, Eric’s knack for understanding the ins and outs of storytelling kept me inspired and gave me the confidence to make major changes in my writing. Ultimately, working with Eric gave me a clearer vision for my book and sharpened my skills as a writer in ways I’m still uncovering. His patience, knowledge of the industry, and passion for writing made him an invaluable part of my writing education.”
- Jesse James Keitel
“Eric helped me sharpen my characters, strengthen my climax and improve my Middle Grade manuscript in more ways than I can count. Beyond his keen insight, I appreciated his encouragement, his humour, and his willingness to be a sounding board in the stressful moments. Eric was a mentor in the very best sense of the word—he didn’t just help me write a better book, he helped prepare me for everything that came next. He was a pleasure to work with.”