David Keefe

David Keefe – Editor

Give me your dangling participles, your absent oxford commas, your run-on sentences yearning to be written correctly.

Overview

Without books, we would have no libraries; and without libraries, we would have no civilization. There is no greater responsibility than passing civilization from one generation to the next. There are some who say that civilization is only created by occupations such as doctors, lawyers, businessmen, soldiers, and civil engineers. These are indeed noble professions and necessary to sustain life; but writing, reading, imagination, creativity, knowledge, ideas, passion, discovery, celebration . . . these are why we stay alive!

I have spent years developing my craft in order to create a job I can enjoy—one that is fraught with meaning, full of purpose, and overall essential. Books have been a passion for me ever since I was a child. Now that I have children of my own, I understand their value and worth even more. I seek to pass civilization on to my children through the literature, science, and history in our possession.

We members of the human race are by nature story-based creatures. We learn how to think, how to feel, and how to act based on what writers share with us. We learn that while there is fear and doubt in the world, there is also hope and trust. There is ignorance and hate but also acceptance and love. There will always be darkness lurking, but one may light a candle to help keep the darkness at bay.

Let us collaborate, dear writers, and seek to increase the amount of light in the universe one book at a time.
Services
Fiction
Action & Adventure Classics Fantasy Horror Literary Fiction Mystery & Crime Plays & Screenplays Science Fiction Thriller & Suspense
Languages
English (US)
Awards
  • Best Short Story, Modesto Junior College, CA Celebration of Arts and Humanities, 1994
Certifications
  • Professional Clear Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, 2008
  • Bachelor of Arts, San Francisco State University, 1998

Work experience

Penguin Group, USA; Random House, LLC

May, 2012 — Present

I correct OCR (optical character recognition) errors in books digitally scanned and formatted for the Kindle ebook reader.

Pegasus Books and Publishing House

Sep, 2011 — Present

Proofread new edition of Mrs. God by Peter Straub

Words That Stay, LLC

Jun, 2008 — Jun, 2013 (about 5 years)

Portfolio

Gutter Mouse

Ceranich, Alexander

Alexander Ceranich

Copy Editing Proofreading
Finding Home: A Novel

Charles, E.B.

Epiphany Press

Copy Editing Proofreading
Proofreading
Insidious Squalor

Westfall, Damian

Independently published

Proofreading
Finnegan Begin Again

Westfall, Damian

Independently published

Proofreading
A Letter to a Hindu: The New 2021 Translation

Tolstoy, Leo

Independently published

Proofreading
I Can't Stay Silent: Leo Tolstoy in Protest

Tolstoy, Leo

Independently published

Proofreading
The Price

Schorr, Chip

Copy Editing Proofreading
Copy Editing Proofreading
Generation X cult classics Our Noise and Geniuses of Crack chronicled a group of friends just out of college who lived in a small town, cared more about their record collections than their car... read more
Copy Editing Proofreading
For fans of Harry Potter, Ranger's Apprentice and Percy Jackson! Summary:Three friends fight for survival in the world aboveground. Elfin fear the light; but to survive in it they must not hid... read more
Copy Editing Proofreading
Gwen might be the cutest little girl on the planet. She’s also a witch. That means horrible things constantly hunt her, looking to feast on her power. Luckily, she’s got her own pet faerie kni... read more
Proofreading
Captain Adam Hill barely survives when his spaceship is dragged far off course by a mysterious force and crash-lands on a remote desert planet. Injured and infected by an alien parasite native... read more
Proofreading
Betrayed by a Scot

Anthony J Harrison

Scotland Yard Inspectors, Conor McDermott and Andrew Fletcher, have uncovered a drug cartel involving a French-Algerian supplier to a mysterious Irishman known only as ‘Mr. Higgins’. Follow th... read more
Copy Editing Proofreading
Lexi inherits the family hotel in Coral Gables, Florida. She knows nothing about running a hotel but is determined to prosper even if it means depending on others to guide her.Only someone doe... read more
Copy Editing Proofreading
With one sacrifice remaining, the Rogue Demon is close to resurrecting history's most dangerous king. His sights are now set on the Intel Kingdom, a world power in the eyes of most.This makes ... read more
Copy Editing Proofreading
New Science Fiction Space Opera/Military/ThrillerWhat if the Earth Had No Moon?How could the Earth lose its moon? The world’s first permanent moon base has been established by MoonX Ltd., a jo... read more
Copy Editing Proofreading
The Uprising (Erafeen)

David F. Farris

With the Jestivan divided, their enemies only grow stronger.As the school of Phesaw closes its doors indefinitely, the Jestivan scatter across the realm. From traveling the Archaic Mountains w... read more
Copy Editing Proofreading
Former Naval Special Warfare Development Group orthopedic trauma surgeon Mark Thurman and preeminent scientist Claire Hodgson have discovered how to create human bones and heal fractures in da... read more
Copy Editing Proofreading
Skeleton Crew

Stephen King

Features “The Mist” now a TV series event on Spike The #1 New York Times bestseller and winner of the 1986 Locus Award for Best Collection, Skeleton Crew is “Stephen King at his best” (The Den... read more
Proofreading
Since his first appearance in Beeton’s Christmas Annual in 1887, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes has been one of the most beloved fictional characters ever created. Now, in one eBook,... read more
Proofreading
Night Shift

Stephen King

More than twenty-five stories of horror and nightmarish fantasy transform everyday situations into experiences of compelling terror in the worlds of the living, the dying, and the nonliving.
Proofreading
In the third volume of the Millennium series, Lisbeth Salander lies in critical condition in a Swedish hospital, a bullet in her head.But she's fighting for her life in more ways than one: if ... read more
Proofreading
Part blistering espionage thriller, part riveting police procedural, and part piercing exposé on social injustice, this second book in the Millennium series is a masterful, endlessly satisfyin... read more
Proofreading
Murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue combine into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel, the first in Stieg Larsson's thrilling Millenium ser... read more
Proofreading
In one complete volume, here are the five classic novels from Douglas Adams’s beloved Hitchhiker series. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy Seconds before the Earth is demolished for a galac... read more
Proofreading
It’s easy to get disheartened when your planet has been blown up, the woman you love has vanished due to a misunderstanding about space/time, the spaceship you are on crashes on a remote and B... read more
Proofreading
Back on Earth with nothing more to show for his long, strange trip through time and space than a ratty towel and a plastic shopping bag, Arthur Dent is ready to believe that the past eight yea... read more
Proofreading
"HYSTERICAL!"--The Philadelphia InquirerThe unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky above their heads--so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now... read more
Proofreading
"DOUGLAS ADAMS IS A TERRIFIC SATIRIST."--The Washington Post Book WorldFacing annihilation at the hands of the warlike Vogons is a curious time to have a craving for tea. It could only happen ... read more
Proofreading
“Extremely funny . . . inspired lunacy . . . [and] over much too soon.”—The Washington Post Book WorldSeconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is ... read more
Proofreading
God Emperor of Dune

Frank Herbert

Book Four in the Magnificent Dune Chronicles—the Bestselling Science Fiction Adventure of All TimeMillennia have passed on Arrakis, and the once-desert planet is green with life. Leto Atreides... read more
Proofreading
Children of Dune

Frank Herbert

Book Three in the Magnificent Dune Chronicles—the Bestselling Science Fiction Adventure of All TimeNine years ago Emperor Paul Muad'Dib disappeared into the desert wastelands of Arrakis. Now, ... read more
Proofreading
Dune Messiah

Frank Herbert

Book Two in the Magnificent Dune Chronicles—the Bestselling Science Fiction Adventure of All TimeDune Messiah continues the story of Paul Atreides, better known—and feared—as the man christene... read more
Proofreading
Dune

Frank Herbert

Frank Herbert’s epic masterpiece—a triumph of the imagination and the bestselling science fiction novel of all time.Set on the desert planet Arrakis, Dune is the story of the boy Paul Atreides... read more
Proofreading
Mrs. God: A Novel

Peter Straub

A tale of an inspired literary sojourn that turns into something far more sinister.Esswood House. Home and estate of the Seneschal family, aristocratic patrons of the literary arts for well ov... read more
Proofreading
Is your game on?No denying dating is a game filled with winners and losers. How you finish equates to your own performance.Dating sites may provide introductions and first time statistics of a... read more
Proofreading
The Tourist

Jennifer Ott

A modern fantasy satire of a corporate controlled world: In a time where everything has a price – families corporate sponsored and dreams bought and sold like currency, Wisconsin business scho... read more
Proofreading

David has 22 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Alex C.

Alex C.

Apr, 2024

This is the second time I've hired David and I can't recommend him highly enough. He took my stubborn sentences that I couldn't seem to get right and made them sing. He precisely recognized what I was going for in my writing, and he helped me polish the rough edges to say it clearly. In brief, David is an extremely talented editor and word smith, and anyone's writing will benefit from his hel...
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David K.
Thank you, Alex! I am honored and touched by your sentiments. I hope I can assist you in the future. I appreciate your candor and look forward to other writers benefiting from my services thanks to...
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Alex C.

Alex C.

Apr, 2024

David did an absolutely incredible job. I had gone over my own manuscript more times than I could count, and I thought I had found everything, but boy was I wrong. David has some very sharp eyes, and a serious talent for grammar. He cleaned up my manuscript to perfection. Very happy with the final product. Thanks so much David!
David K.
Thank you, Alex. I am genuinely glad you enjoyed the result of our collaboration, and I sincerely appreciate your kind sentiments regarding my work!
Brian F.

Brian F.

Nov, 2023

David has been the consummate professional from the beginning to the end of this project! At the top of the list for me as a first-time author, was his regular, helpful communication. Not only did I receive weekly updates about his progress with the proofreading, but David took the time to describe some of the things he was finding and the rationale for the corrections/edits he was recommendin...
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Damian W.

Damian W.

May, 2023

This was the fourth book David has edited for me and I couldn't be happier with his work. He is a true professional and a very gifted editor. I am lucky to have found him.
David K.
Thank you for the glowing review. I am both grateful and humbled by it. It's been a positive experience working with Damian on these past few projects. He is a very well-read author and student of ...
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Damian W.

Damian W.

Feb, 2023

Excellent as always.
David K.
I imagine it's every editor's dream to work with an author as unique and prolific as Damian Westfall. The difference between other editors and myself is that I was able to and hopefully will again!

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