Hometown Hillsdale: Bess Cozby McAllister, ’10: Freelance Editor
Written by Doug Goodnough
Bess Cozby McAllister, ’10, proves you can go home again.
McAllister left Hillsdale College soon after graduation to pursue a career in editing and publishing in New York City. She spent nine years in the Big Apple working for Tor Books, a science fiction fantasy publisher.
“It was really awesome,” she said. “I didn’t ever love New York the city, but the publishing industry is there, and you really have to be there to work in publishing. There’s a ton of other writers there. I met a lot of other writer and author friends.”
Leveraging nearly a decade of experience—and contacts—in the industry, McAllister left full-time publishing and New York City just before the pandemic after marrying her husband, Blake, a philosophy professor at Hillsdale. The couple now resides in Hillsdale, and Bess said she couldn’t be happier with the move.
“It’s been wonderful. It’s been a great transition,” she said. “Hillsdale also has grown a lot. There’s a lot more restaurants and coffee shops compared to when I was here 10 years ago. There’s just a lot of young families and it’s a great place to start our family.”
In fact, the couple had their first child, a daughter, in February of 2021, and a second is on the way. Being a mom and a homemaker is McAllister’s primary focus; however, she is also working as a freelance editor for her former employer and other clients.
“Day-to-day it varies,” McAllister said of her freelance schedule, “but generally what I do is edit on a timeline. I do a mix.”
She is currently editing the second book in a trilogy, as well as other pieces from other clients she met along the way.
“Networking has really helped because it’s writers that I worked with or that pitched me when I was an editor,” McAllister said.
Writing is still a passion for her. In fact, she is working on an adult historical fantasy novel.
“The book I’m working on right now is set in an alternative renaissance,” McAllister said. “People tend to like to read fantasy that is somewhat familiar, so having it set in a historical time period allows you kind of an entry point. The hope is to be published one day, but we’re not quite there yet.”
A former editor of the Tower Light while a student at Hillsdale, the English/philosophy major said, “immersing yourself in books and reading is one of the best things you can possibly do as an editor and a writer.”
She also said making connections, learning the craft inside and out, and developing an effective editing process are keys to success in her field.
Being in close proximity to the College—and having a professor as a husband—have made the move back to Hillsdale a pleasant one.
“His colleagues are a lot of my professors when I was here,” McAllister said of Blake. “It’s fun, because I get to see them again in a different light. And there’s so many alumni that live here now, so it’s nice to be able to see old friends again.”
Doug Goodnough, ’90, is Hillsdale’s new director of Alumni Marketing. He’s looking forward to connecting with fellow alumni in new and wonderful ways.
Published in August 2022