My name is Marguerite. I am a writer and an independent book editor.
Wait until you read my first collection. Get it here.
Ready to write your big story? Get in touch.
This is me, looking pretty collected. But in real life, I’m likely sweatier, swinging one of my babies upside down, while the other tugs at my dress for his turn, laptop still strapped to my back after work. I live in Sri Lanka with my husband, two sons, and the kindest mother-in-law on the planet.
After getting degrees in literature and translation in California, I worked in France and Chile, and then spent five years in magazine publishing in New York. I began a freelance career in 2013, and soon after found my happy place in book publishing, and my happily ever after with a Sri Lankan.
WRITING
My writing has been published in various travel and trade publications. I am studying personal essay writing independently, and working on a memoir about motherhood, power, and forgiveness. I write poetry quietly when the muse appears. Ghostwriting is a service I also provide.
EDITING
I work with authors from all over the world, with a focus on memoir. I focus on developmental editing, dealing with the tough questions the genre demands, developing a compelling story, and helping people feel empowered by their own storytelling. I love forging long-term relationships with writers, as we learn and grow together.
MARKETING
Publishing my first book with a literary agent and big-five house (Penguin SEA) taught me the traditional publishing route. Keeping an eye on the rapidly evolving book industry, I am studying independent publishing to complete my understanding of best practices and processes for bringing books to market.
These are my boys. We live an unusual life not far from the equator, hotly pursuing our wildest dreams. I am happy.
This is my book. It’s a collection of 41 short memoirs by writers from 41 countries. It’s a first-class ticket around the world to make friends with 41 real-life strangers. Each story reveals a depth of human experience in a way that you can’t help but recognize your own.
1st ed. Penguin SEA, 2019 & 2nd ed. Leave It Better Books, 2024
I recently launched the second edition of my book The Ordinary Chaos of Being Human, and I'm now doing all the marketing that follows. I am also editing the works of four writers at different stages of their book development, while I pluck away as often as possible on my own big story.
Get my letters.
I’ll be in touch once a month about writing, editing and life in the tropics.