Neha loves playing around with words to weave engaging sentences that tell meaningful tales. As an editor, she insists on using Oxford commas but will allow sentences to end with prepositions. But hey, it’s all about helping writers tell their incredible stories to readers.
Two of her favorite genres are nonfiction and high fantasy, even though they’re literally on the opposite ends of the literary spectrum, but she loves having the best of both worlds. However, both worlds should respect characters and themes inspired from different cultures, which is why sensitivity/authenticity reading is important to her. Neha loves helping writers deepen their understanding of the Indian experience, which can then be relayed to readers.
As an Indian American, Hindu woman who’s lived in the Deep South for over a decade, she understands that being different is beautiful but sometimes isolating. As such, stories that address the immigrant experience, women’s issues, and othering appeal to her.
That said, she’s just as happy to edit books about bioplastics or dragons hoarding treasure. She just loves stories told by her fellow humans.
Neha has a Master of Technical and Professional Communication from Auburn University and works as a Medical Editor. She has a ton of experience editing for subject matter experts (e.g., doctors, engineers, nurses, academics, and chemists) on an array of nonfiction work ranging from travel memoirs to white papers on 3D printing.
When Neha’s not reading or editing, she’s writing articles for Book Riot, bookstagramming at @bookishdesi, and posting aesthetic bookish videos on TikTok.
Her favorite genres are nonfiction (i.e., essay collections, narrative nonfiction, history, science, memoir, biography, and politics), fiction (i.e., literary fiction, historical fiction, YA contemporary, women’s fiction, and dystopia), mystery, thriller, fantasy (i.e., high fantasy, low fantasy, magical realism, YA fantasy, and historical fantasy), and science fiction.
Style guides: AMA, AP, APA, MLA, and Chicago Manual of Style
Sensitivity / Expert
- Indian culture
- Hinduism
- Immigrant experience of the Indian diaspora
- Intergenerational trauma, casteism
- Racism (including internalized racism, institutional racism, microaggressions, othering, colonialism, and colorism)
- Living in the American South as a minority, being liberal in conservative environments, and experiencing culture shock
- Women’s issues and feminism
- Interests: literature, political discourse/current events, comedy, traveling and/or road tripping as a woman of color, history of the Western world, and Indian cooking
- Locations: Southern California, the Deep South (Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama), Missouri, and Texas
Preferred Genres
Nonfiction Fiction Mystery Magical realism Thriller Science Fiction Fantasy Anything
Avoided Genres