Hi there! I’m Anita Mumm: developmental editor, ghostwriter, and publishing consultant.

A decade of experience in the publishing industry and a lifelong passion for books brought me to this work I love. Prior to starting Mumm’s the Word, I worked in submissions and foreign rights at Nelson Literary Agency and taught writing workshops around the country. Before that, I taught English as a Second Language at college and nonprofit programs in the U.S. and abroad. Blending my skills as an editor and teacher, I combine honest feedback with a deep desire to help writers bring forth their best work.

My clients’ books have held top spots on the New York Times and other bestseller lists, earned starred reviews from Publishers Weekly and Kirkus, and achieved international acclaim. But you don’t have to be there yet. I’m here to help wherever you are in your writing journey, whether that means polishing your manuscript for submission to agents, publishing a quality book on your own, or simply getting that first draft on the page. I’m also a writer-for-hire; if you have a great story but struggle with how to get it “out there,” you can enlist me as your ghostwriter or co-writer.

A little backstory:

I grew up miles from a paved road in western Kansas, surrounded by unbroken stretches of wheat, pastureland, and blue sky. That’s a lot of space for the imagination, but I also value how those roots kept me grounded as I roamed the creeks and limestone bluffs around our family farm. Nowadays, my home base is in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, but I still love to roam. When possible, I channel this energy toward causes I’m passionate about; recent projects include a month at the refugee camp as The Jungle in Calais, France and a semester teaching at Kunpan School for Tibetan Refugees in Dharamsala, India. I’m drawn to the idea of “home” and what that means in our era of globalization and migration (whether voluntary or forced). Some of my other interests include: Nature, languages and linguistics, spirituality, human relationships, love, history, food, and pretty much any -ology (paleontology is my favorite).

Thank you for your interest in my work, and I hope we’ll have a chance to work together!