Elisabeth Chretien

Elisabeth Chretien – Editor

Award-winning and New York Times bestselling editor of nonfiction and memoir.

Overview

I'm an award-winning and New York Times bestselling editor with over twenty years of experience working on memoirs and general nonfiction. I am skilled at doing extensive developmental editing, editorial assessments, and copyediting. I am committed to working with authors to make their voice and their ideas shine through. I look forward to working with you to make your manuscript the very best it can be.

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Entertainment History Nature Religion & Spirituality Sex & Relationships Sports & Outdoors Travel
Languages
English (US)
Certifications
  • Copyediting Certificate - University of California-San Diego Extension, April 2017, 4.0

Work experience

Self-employed

Apr, 2016 — Present

University of Iowa Press

Mar, 2012 — May, 2016 (about 4 years)

University of Nebraska Press

May, 2006 — Feb, 2012 (almost 6 years)

Portfolio

A Wrestling Life 2: More Inspiring Stories of Dan Gable

Dan Gable

When most people think of the celebrated greatness that is Coach Dan Gable, they think of an almost mythic intensity toward wrestling. Gable breathes and bleeds the sport, and faithfully applies lessons learned from both on and off the mat. Expanding upon Gabl... read more
A Wrestling Life: The Inspiring Stories of Dan Gable

Dan Gable

What does it take to be an Olympic gold medalist and to coach a collegiate team to fifteen NCAA titles? In A Wrestling Life: The Inspiring Stories of Dan Gable, famed wrestler and wrestling coach Dan Gable tells engaging and inspiring stories of his childhood ... read more
How to Say "F— Your Mother" in Chinese: A Teacher's Guide

Orkin, Jenna

You're the Only One I've Told: The Stories Behind Abortion

Shah, Meera

Pandora's Lockbox: An Award-winning Real Estate Agent’s Memoir of Love, Sex, Murders, and An Alligator

Griffith, Nico

Spirit of a Hummingbird: Memories from a Childhood on the Run

Heath, Felicia Thai

Love, Life, and Lucille: Lessons Learned from a Centenarian

Gaman, Judy

Tales from an Uncertain World: What Other Assorted Disasters Can Teach Us About Climate Change

L. S. Gardiner

So far, humanity hasn’t done very well in addressing the ongoing climate catastrophe. Veteran science educator L. S. Gardiner believes we can learn to do better by understanding how we’ve dealt with other types of environmental risks in the past and why we are... read more
And the Monkey Learned Nothing: Dispatches from a Life in Transit (Sightline Books)

Tom Lutz

Tom Lutz is on a mission to visit every country on earth. And the Monkey Learned Nothing contains reports from fifty of them, most describing personal encounters in rarely visited spots, anecdotes from way off the beaten path. Traveling without an itinerary an... read more
Down from the Mountaintop: From Belief to Belonging

Joshua Dolezal

A lyrical coming-of-age memoir, Down from the Mountaintop chronicles a quest for belonging. Raised in northwestern Montana by Pentecostal homesteaders whose twenty-year experiment in subsistence living was closely tied to their faith, Joshua Doležal experience... read more
Mythical River: Chasing the Mirage of New Water in the American Southwest

Melissa L. Sevigny

In a lyrical mix of natural science, history, and memoir, Melissa L. Sevigny ponders what it means to make a home in the American Southwest at a time when its most essential resource, water, is overexploited and undervalued. Mythical River takes the reader on ... read more
The Rainy Season: Three Lives in the New South Africa

Maggie Messitt

Just across the northern border of a former apartheid-era homeland sits a rural community in the midst of change, caught between a traditional past and a western future, a racially charged history and a pseudo-democratic present. The Rainy Season, a work of en... read more
Campaign Inc.: How Leadership and Organization Propelled Barack Obama to the White House

Henry F. De Sio. Jr.

It takes more than an excellent candidate to win elections; it takes an outstanding campaign organization, too. Campaign Inc. is the story of how leadership and organization propelled Barack Obama to the White House. As the chief operating officer of Obama’s 2... read more
Up in Here: Jailing Kids on Chicago's Other Side

Mark Dostert

Raised in a comfortable Dallas suburb, Mark Dostert crossed cultural and socioeconomic boundaries as a college student by volunteering as a counselor at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center, Chicago’s infamous 500-cell juvenile jail, known local... read more
On the Origin of Superheroes: From the Big Bang to Action Comics No. 1

Chris Gavaler

Most readers think that superheroes began with Superman’s appearance in Action Comics No. 1, but that Kryptonian rocket didn’t just drop out of the sky. By the time Superman’s creators were born, the superhero’s most defining elements—secret identities, aliase... read more
Running to the Fire: An American Missionary Comes of Age in Revolutionary Ethiopia (Sightline Books)

Tim Bascom

In the streets of Addis Ababa in 1977, shop-front posters illustrate Uncle Sam being strangled by an Ethiopian revolutionary, parliamentary leaders are executed, student protesters are gunned down, and Christian mission converts are targeted as imperialistic s... read more

Elisabeth has 57 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Paul G.

Paul G.

Dec, 2024

Pinned
Working with Elisabeth was a dream. From the start when she offered to do a sample edit of my work, when I saw what she did, I was sold. Her comments on just the 1000 words or so that she edited showed me that she got what I was trying to do. She made my words better without changing my voice. I ...
Read more
Kait M.

Kait M.

Mar, 2024

Pinned
Elisabeth is a fantastic editor. She really helped me bring my book to life and make it the best piece of work possible. Her feedback was very helpful and brought my manuscript to the next level. She was always prompt in getting back to me and provided ongoing support from start to finish. I alre...
Read more
jan K.

jan K.

Jan, 2024

Pinned
I got so much more than I imagined from Elisabeth with my request for an assessment of my manuscript. It was so thorough and professional. She dug deep. She responded to all my questions and was very thoughtful in her responses. She is also very sensitive to the nuanced messages I wanted to conve...
Read more
Tyler K.

Tyler K.

May, 2026

I’m so grateful I found her. She’s taken me from a chunky unreadable first draft to days away from submission of my first query letter and book proposal. I can not say enough about her instincts and teaching ability!
Richard W.

Richard W.

May, 2026

Elisabeth is an excellent editor. In addition to grammatical corrections, she provided great feedback and suggestions on the manuscript. She makes herself available and responds quickly to emails.

Sign up to read more reviews

Create a free Reedsy account to connect with Elisabeth and thousands of other publishing professionals on Reedsy.

Professionals similar to Elisabeth

Get a range of offers by requesting quotes from multiple professionals.

Staci K.

Your story matters. Literary editor with 10+ years in memoir, essays & poetry. I help writers bring honesty and craft to the page.

Raleigh, NC, USA

100% reply rate

View profile

Natalie O.

A former university press editor, I specialize in crossover and academic nonfiction.

Lexington, KY, USA

100% reply rate

View profile

Christy C.

A cerebral yet down-to-earth editor since 2014, I do each project right the first time—on time—for traditional publishers and indie authors.

Frankston, Texas, USA

100% reply rate

View profile