Bess Maher – Editor

I worked in book publishing as an acquisitions and developmental editor for over a decade, most recently at an association, where I developed books about business, medicine, and pets. I have also been a freelance writer and editor for several years. My short stories have been published in The Madison Review, Tampa Review, KYSO Flash, Sand Hill Review, and The Magnolia Review. My personal essays are published in a variety of print and digital publications, including Role Reboot and The Manifest-Station. In the late aughts, my book _Generation What? Dispatches from the Quarter-Life Crisis_ was published by Speck Press. I was the editor and a contributing writer. I have a master of fine arts degree in creative writing from Antioch University Los Angeles and a master's degree in English literature from the University of Colorado Boulder.

I love working with writers to help make their work shine whether they need a thorough developmental edit that takes a rough manuscript to its final form and stages or a light edit that focuses mainly on grammar and punctuation. I believe in honoring a writer's voice and intentions and treading lightly, but I'm also very detail oriented and comprehensive. I live in Denver, Colorado, with my family.

Testimonials:

"Bess reviewed and edited my book _Companion-Animal Dental and Surgical Instruments_ published by AAHA Press. Her edits, comments, and recommended changes took the first draft to the final product. Her feedback was accurate, thorough, and thoughtful regarding structure and flow. Bess made herself available by way of coaching and moral support. Whether a writer is experienced or new to writing, working with Bess will dramatically improve the work. My book became a best seller to its target market because of Bess. I highly recommend Bess as an editor."

–Gail E. Marshall, MBA, AHT

"I am the author of numerous books, workbooks, and scripts developed for the veterinary profession. Among them are the AAHA Be Safe video training series that won the American Business Association’s Gold Stevie Award in the Safety/Security category. Bess was the editor at AAHA that helped me update or develop that script and many of those publications. Her comments and suggestions were always useful and made the content more understandable for the reader. Bess was very patient, professional, and courteous at all times. I would wholeheartedly recommend Bess as an editor for any author or manuscript."

--Philip J. Seibert, Jr., CVT