Testimonials

“Marcy Dermansky is brilliant and has a keen sense of what works. She is really a master and I can’t recommend her enough. We really worked on every detail of my book.  My novel, The Almond Tree has received international acclaim and reached the top of the charts in Jewish and political fiction on amazon US, Canada and the UK. I couldn’t have done it without Marcy.” —Michelle Cohen Corasanti, The Almond Tree


“As a small press publisher and editor myself, I constantly preach the importance of having a good editor. So when it came to having my own manuscript edited, I turned to Jurgen Fauth. And I am so glad I did. You know all those little places that niggle at you in the back of your brain, those places you love but somewhere deep inside know don’t work? He found them and explained why they didn’t work. But not only that, he explored ways to transform those passages into something even better. From POV to dialogue to scene setting, and, well, everything, his editorial insights prove that every writer truly does need an editor. I highly recommend him.”  —Kristina Blank Makansi, Blank Slate Press

 

“Marcy has a gentle touch as an editor, but her feedback is insightful and consistent—almost always rooted in characterization through concrete detail. She has a great sense of pacing, of where your typical reader might tune out. She is reliable, responsible, and even-keeled—just the person I needed to see me through the final stages of a manuscript I’d been working on for years.” —Brooke Shaffner

 

“Jurgen’s detailed reading of the first draft of my novel was incredibly insightful. He was able to see themes I was unaware of and most importantly, to point out the gaps and holes that pulled readers away. Jurgen delivered a very kind and very detailed editorial letter and provided very cogent suggestions about how to pull the narrative threads more tightly, how I could take what I already had and cut and shape to move the story forward. I would absolutely recommend his work as an editor.” —Melissa Johnson

 

“Marcy is a hip writer who also happens to know what she’s doing. When you take your work seriously, she’ll broaden your perspective. When you write a chapter-long narrative, she’ll convince you to put in a scene. When your humor is flat, she’ll breathe some air into it. And when you’re in the grips of a writer’s blockade, she’ll provide the moral support to unblock. She’s the light hand so many of us need.” —Emily Meehan

 

“I’ve gotten feedback from Jurgen Fauth for nearly twenty years and he’s someone who really knows what he’s doing. He has a good instinct for what works in a story, how to condense the disparate parts, and how to get the most out of plot and character. On the sentence level I defer to him, and I’ve always trusted his good judgment.” —John Minichillo, The Snow Whale

 

“I’m through with the revisions. I have to say, the book is 1,000 times better. Marcy helped me with practical problems that, after multiple drafts, I had lost the perspective to see. She also offered invaluable insight and encouragement about broader thematic issues.” —Andrew Clarke

 

“If it weren’t for Marcy Dermansky my memoir would still lie in the bottom-most drawer of my desk. Working with her has given me fresh perspective and renewed vitality for the work which I was ready to abandon.   She knows how to provide feedback and direction without giving false praise.  Marcy helped me to identify passages that needed expansion or clarification.  And, most importantly, she encouraged me to trust my own voice and to speak my truth.”  —Jeanette Miller

 

“Marcy came highly recommended from a trusted adviser, and she did not disappoint. From chapters I thought beyond reproach, to dull patches I didn’t know what to do with, Marcy’s sharp eye and gentle red pen didn’t miss a thing. She’s a straight-shooter, and hit the mark every time.”  —Michael Siemsen, A Warm Body To Call Home