‘Cause spiritual book editors are the “wing-humans” behind all the great spiritual authors!
At some point I’m going to do a blog on the different formats of spiritual books I’ve been reading (and there are LOTS of styles!), but I thought the next best thing I could do is find out who the great spiritual book editors are behind the stories we’ve read or at least have heard about.
“Spirituality” might mean different things to different people, but for me, it means a belief in a divine force outside of humans. It doesn’t mean religious (although most religious people are spiritual), but it could include acknowledgement of a Universal Creator, belief in life after death and spirits that live on after death (e.g. ghosts), and spiritual forces that are among us (e.g. angels).
I originally had a few other books on this list to explore, but it’s tricky to find out who the editors are. Websites of publishers don’t always reveal who’s on staff, and not everyone acknowledges their editor on their copyright page (which is visible on an Amazon Kindle preview). And I swear, I don’t mean to bump up only women, but just like my blog on vegan book editors, women seem to dominate the publishing industry and are easy to find online!
1. Janet Mills
So Janet Mills is not just an editor, but a publisher and author. She’s the founder and president of Amber-Allen Publishing, and the co-author (with don Miguel Ruiz) of the international bestselling “Toltec Wisdom Series,” including The Four Agreements (1997), The Four Agreements Companion Book, The Mastery of Love, The Voice of Knowledge, The Circle of Fire, and The Fifth Agreement (with don Miguel Ruiz and don Jose Ruiz).
Janet is also the editor and publisher of Deepak Chopra’s classic international bestselling title, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success (1994) and eleven world-renowned “Seth Books” by Jane Roberts. She credits the books she publishes for inspiring her belief system and transforming her life. Her personal mission is to share universal wisdom with others, and to help inspire others to live the life of their dreams.
So she’s someone who really knows her stuff when it comes to publishing and editing spiritual books!
2. Joanna Pyle
There’s not much on the internet about Joanna Pyle (she did have a website, but it’s no longer live), but from what Google tells me, she’s long edited for spiritual publishing powerhouse, Hay House, including the late author Dr. Wayne Dyer‘s bestseller, The Shift (2010).
Other books by Dr. Dyer and Hay House she’s edited include:
- Ten Secrets for Success and Inner Peace (2001)
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Getting in the Gap: Making Conscious Contact with God Through Meditation (2003)
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The Power of Intention: Learning to Co-create Your World Your Way (2004)
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Excuses Begone!: How to Change Lifelong, Self-Defeating Thinking Habits (2009)
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Wishes Fulfilled: Mastering the Art of Manifesting (2012)
- I Can See Clearly Now (2014)
Wayne Dyer published over two dozen books over the course of his career (21 of them NYT bestsellers), and I’d guess Joanna Pyle edited most, if not all of them. When authors find the right spiritual book editor to work with, the relationship can cross over many projects, and that’s the type of relationship I want to build with the right spiritual authors!
3. Katie Karas
Katie Karas (formerly Karlson) has a website, and I’m so thankful for that! It’s great to be able to get a feel for the personality of an editor, who’s often behind the scenes and in the shadow of the bestselling spiritual authors they work with.
Based in Pittsburgh, PA, Karas has edited at least five of bestselling author and spiritual teacher Gabrielle Bernstein‘s books, including Spirit Junkie (Random House, 2011), May Cause Miracles (Harmony Books, 2014), The Universe Has Your Back (Hay House, 2016), Judgment Detox (Simon & Schuster, 2018), and Super Attractor (Hay House, 2019).
She’s also worked with one of my clients, Dr. Sukhi Muker, on his book, Beyond Body Beyond Mind, (CreateSpace, 2012).
Are there any spiritual authors or books you love whose editors I should also track down, or any spiritual editors or publishers you know? Drop them in the comments.
Do you need a spiritual book editor to help you publish your spiritual memoir and get your story out there? Contact me!
