George De Stefano - Editor
Editor (copy, line, developmental) of nonfiction who will work with you to make your writing project the best it can be.
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Overview
I am an editor who has worked with experienced and well-known authors (rock musicians, historians, social scientists, literary critics, constitutional law experts, media critics, and other nonfiction writers) for major trade and academic publishers, including Cambridge University Press, Hatchette, Palgrave Macmillan, The Nation Books, Monthly Review Press, and Perseus.
I also work with first-time authors who have great ideas and compelling stories to tell but need a knowledgeable and supportive editor to turn their manuscripts into publishable books.
I additionally work with media companies and nonprofit organizations. I have edited major research reports and policy documents for think tanks, including The Center for Strategic and International Studies, and NGOs, including the United Nations' World Food Program and the Vera Institute of Justice.
I offer my clients copy editing, line editing (including re-write), and developmental editing (organizing and structuring new and existing work, ensuring continuity and logical flow, and re-writing). For developmental editing, I first provide a detailed editorial assessment of your manuscript that identifies its problems (and strengths) and makes recommendations for developing it into a final product that we will be proud of.
During the editing process, I regularly check in with my authors to share edits and communicate about any issues that need attention.
My broad subject matter expertise encompasses social science, the humanities, popular culture, social and political issues, health and public health. I am not intimidated by technical material, and I am used to working with authors whose first language is not English.
Nonfiction Genres:
* Social/political issues
* Arts and popular culture
* History
* Sociology
* Memoir
*Biography
* LGBT
*Health and public health
I also work with first-time authors who have great ideas and compelling stories to tell but need a knowledgeable and supportive editor to turn their manuscripts into publishable books.
I additionally work with media companies and nonprofit organizations. I have edited major research reports and policy documents for think tanks, including The Center for Strategic and International Studies, and NGOs, including the United Nations' World Food Program and the Vera Institute of Justice.
I offer my clients copy editing, line editing (including re-write), and developmental editing (organizing and structuring new and existing work, ensuring continuity and logical flow, and re-writing). For developmental editing, I first provide a detailed editorial assessment of your manuscript that identifies its problems (and strengths) and makes recommendations for developing it into a final product that we will be proud of.
During the editing process, I regularly check in with my authors to share edits and communicate about any issues that need attention.
My broad subject matter expertise encompasses social science, the humanities, popular culture, social and political issues, health and public health. I am not intimidated by technical material, and I am used to working with authors whose first language is not English.
Nonfiction Genres:
* Social/political issues
* Arts and popular culture
* History
* Sociology
* Memoir
*Biography
* LGBT
*Health and public health
Languages
English (UK)
English (US)
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits
Entertainment
Humanities & Social Sciences
LGBTQ Non-Fiction
Music
Political Science & Current Affairs
Certifications
- Certificate in Editing, Poynter News University/American Copy Editors Society
- American Copy Editors Society
- National Association of Independent Writers and Editors
Work experience
Editor/Writer
Self-employed
September, 2013
–
Present
(almost 9 years)
Need an experienced and affordable editor for your books, book proposals, articles (academic and journalistic), web content, corporate communications, or other writing projects? I have more than 25 years of experience in media and journalism, academic publishing, corporate communications, and public and private agencies. I have edited nonfiction books for major trade and academic publishers, including Cambridge University Press, Palgrave Macmillan, and Perseus.
As a senior editor with the New York City Health Department, I edited and wrote publications for the public, health care professionals, and other audiences: scientific and progress reports, brochures, guides, fact sheets, and manuals. The publications provided vital information to literally millions, in New York and beyond.
I work with many style guides -- Chicago, MLA, AP, New York Times, as well as UK (Butcher's/Cambridge). I edit and proofread using Microsoft's "track changes" function and Adobe Acrobat's editing tools.
My expertise includes working with writers who are not native English-speakers. I will ensure that language presents no barriers to getting your book, article, or other writing projects published.
I have a Certificate in Editing from Poynter News University/American Copy Editors Society.
I also am a published nonfiction author, so I will be sensitive to your style and tone, helping you to say what you want to say as effectively as possible.
Get in touch so we can discuss your needs and how we can work together.
Portfolio (22 selected works)
Heavy Duty: Days and Nights in Judas Priest
K.K. Downing
Memoir by the cofounder and former lead guitarist of heavy metal giants Judas PriestJudas Priest formed in the industrial city of Birmingham, England, in 1969. With its distinctive twin-guitar sound, studs-and-leather image, and international sales of over 50 million records, Judas Priest became the archetypal heavy metal band in the 1980s. Iconic tracks like "Breaking the Law," "Living after ... read more
This Is Not Propaganda: Adventures in the War Against Reality
Peter Pomerantsev
An award-winning author takes us on a journey to the center of the information war, where unseen armies and authoritarians seek to define and reshape the truth.Perhaps the most important global trend of the last few years has been the rise--and transformation--of information warfare. In the digital age, real military engagement matters less than how it is broadcast. The result is a constant de... read more
If you thought the only way for you to return home safe was to embody the vilest evil, would you do it? We've always viewed veterans as patriots who defended our nation and destroyed worldwide threats. As such, we would never imagine them as perpetrators of institutionalized evil. In times of war, they're called upon to be their bravest selves. When times get desperate, they are forced to be t... read more
Ralph F. Turner, a Criminal Forensic Scientist Pioneer
Frederick L. Honhart
The book discusses the pioneering contributions of Ralph Turner to the field of forensic science. He was a founder of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences, the leading professional organization in the field. His work in developing standards for driving and alcohol was also the basis for drunk driving laws in the United States. Turner established the Crime Laboratory at the Kansas City Pol... read more
The Modern History of Iraq
Phebe Marr
The Modern History of Iraq is a remarkably readable account of contemporary Iraq, placing in historical perspective the crises and upheavals that continue to afflict the country. This text weaves together several important themes, including the search for a national identity, the struggle to achieve social and economic development, the changes in political dynamics, and the impact of foreign i... read more
In Days to Come: A New Hope for Israel
Avraham Burg
"The first childhood memory I have of my father is linked to the destruction of empires--the collapse of a world order that had once seemed eternal."So begins Avraham Burg's authoritative and deeply personal inquiry into the ambitions and failures of Israel and Judaism worldwide.Born in 1955, Burg witnessed firsthand many of the most dramatic and critical moments in Israeli history. Here, he c... read more
Inequality, Class, and Economics
Schutz, Eric
Can We All Get Along Racial and Ethnic Minorities in American Politics
Latin American Politics and Development
Harvey F. Kline, Christine J. Wade, Howard J. Wiarda
For over thirty years, Latin American Politics and Development has kept instructors and students abreast of current affairs and changes in Latin America. Now in its ninth edition, this definitive text has been updated throughout and features contributions from experts in the field, including twenty new and revised chapters on Mexico, Central America,the Caribbean, and South America.
American Constitutional Law, Volume I provides a comprehensive account of the nation's defining document, examining how its provisions were originally understood by those who drafted and ratified it, and how they have since been interpreted by the Supreme Court, Congress, the President, lower federal courts, and state judiciaries. Clear and accessible chapter introductions and a careful balanc... read more
The study of the Constitution and constitutional law is of fundamental importance to understanding the principles, prospects, and problems of America. American Constitutional Law, Volume II provides a comprehensive account of the nation's defining document, comparing how its provisions were originally understood by those who drafted and ratified it with contemporary constructions. The authors ... read more
The U.S. Supreme Court seeks to withhold information about its deliberations, while the press's job is to report and disseminate this information. These two objectives conflict and create tension between the justices and the reporters who cover them; add to that the increasing demands for transparency in the digital age and the result is an interesting dynamic between an institution that seeks... read more
European Bank Restructuring During the Global Financial Crisis (Palgrave Macmillan Studies in Banking and Financial Institutions)
Jakub Kerlin, Elżbieta Malinowska-Misiąg, Pawel Smaga, Bartosz Witkowski, Agnieszka K. Nowak, Anna Kozlowska, Piotr Wiśniewski
This book explores the diversity of restructuring instruments applied to financial institutions in EU countries during the Global Financial Crisis.
Reading William Blake (Reading Writers and their Work)
Saree Makdisi
William Blake (1757‒1827) is one of the most original and influential figures of the Romantic Age, known for his work as an artist, poet and printmaker. Grounding his ideas both in close reading and in the latest scholarship, Saree Makdisi offers an exciting and imaginative approach to reading Blake. By exploring some of the most important themes in Blake's work and connecting them to particul... read more
Disasters can strike often and with unexpected fury, resulting in devastating consequences for local populations that are insufficiently prepared and largely dependent upon foreign aid in the wake of such catastrophes. International law can play a significant role in the recovery after inevitable natural disasters; however, without clear legal frameworks, aid may be stopped, delayed, or even h... read more
Philosophy of Microbiology
O'Malley, Maureen
Global Environmental Constitutionalism
May, James R., Daly, Erin
Fatherhood and the British Working Class, 1865–1914
Strange, Julie-Marie
Ferdinand II, Counter-Reformation Emperor, 1578–1637
Bireley, Robert
Navigational Enterprises in Europe and its Empires, 1730–1850 (Cambridge Imperial and Post-Colonial Studies)
Higgitt, Rebekah, Dunn, Richard, Jones, Peter
Work Work Work: Labor, Alienation, and Class Struggle (MRP S22)
Yates, Michael D.
George has 4 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
George is quite knowledgable, and provided solid line edits. There were several that were missed, and just a few edits I didn't agree with, since the context supported my original choice. But, in general he was helpful and added more efficiency to the writing.
Mark Birmingham, May 2022
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Reply from George De Stefano
Since this was my first book, and since all of my prior writing experience was either as an academic or an attorney, I was pretty unfamiliar the process. George was able to nurse me through it. In the beginning, I was unsure how much I could trust George's judgment. But as the process went on, I learned that I could trust George and rely on him and even disagree with him. It was a very good, co...
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Michael Reimer, August 2020
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Reply from George De Stefano
George provided excellent insights on the overall project which I would not have found on my own. He also provided suggestions that were very useful. He communicated very well and met the deadlines we set for the work. He respected my desires in terms of tone and retention of original intent. The finished edit is exponentially better suited now for publishing to a wider market than the orig...
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John Tsukayama, July 2019
George is a thorough professional. I had him do an editorial assessment and some sample editing. His work came back on time and the value he provided far exceeded the monetary cost. He helped me to see the potential for the manuscript. I will certainly look to him again for his talents in future projects.
John Tsukayama, May 2018
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