Elise Vaz

Elise Vaz – Editor

Meticulous (but friendly!) editor with two decades of experience, specializing in self-published, lifestyle, and academic works.

Overview

Editing is not just a profession for me—it’s my passion, one that I have worked at for almost 20 years. In that time, I have edited hundreds of books. For 10 years I specialized in works by self-published authors. I also have extensive experience with religious texts (devotionals, scholarly works) and lifestyle titles (self-help, cookbooks, etc.). For the last six years, I have edited academic works for a number of university presses, covering topics ranging from queer representation in horror movies to the history of Jewish refugees in Hungary.


As an editor, I am meticulous yet flexible, with a deep respect for the author's own voice. I want to help make your project what you want it to be, not what I think it should be. When working with me, you can expect honest, constructive feedback and a spirit of collaboration--we are working together, after all, to make your writing the best it can be.

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Cooking, Food, Wine, & Spirits Health & Wellbeing Humanities & Social Sciences
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Callisto Media

Apr, 2018 — Sep, 2022 (over 4 years)

• Copyedited and proofread nonfiction books including self-help, mental health, New Age, diets, educational, cookbooks, workbooks, and much more.
• Evaluated manuscripts for style issues, consistency, grammatical and punctuation errors, as well as pagination; widows/orphans; stacked wording; and layouts of charts, graphs, photos, and illustrations.

Amnet

Feb, 2014 — Present

• Copyediting and developmental editing of fiction and nonfiction books.
• Currently focused on developmental academic editing for multiple university presses.

CreateSpace

Sep, 2011 — Feb, 2015 (over 3 years)

• Line and developmental editing for self-published authors.
• Evaluated manuscripts based on Chicago Manual of Style for plot, style, consistency, and overall publication readiness.
• Prepared written manuscript evaluations for clients highlighting their writing's strengths and areas for improvement.

Arbor Books

Oct, 2005 — Jan, 2015 (over 9 years)

• Edited fiction and nonfiction books including copyediting, developmental editing, and proofreading.
• Ghostwrote ~50 books, from romance and Western novels to business books, self-help titles, and memoirs.
• Wrote, edited, and proofread press kits, ads, cover copy, and websites.

Portfolio

Queer Slashers (Icons of Horror)

Marra, Peter

Indiana University Press

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Succulent Obsession

Shelf, Ken

Rockridge Press

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
The Price of Leadership

Lerner, Ellyn

School Realty, LP

Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Developmental Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Paths Made by Walking: The Work of Howzevi Women in Iran

Tawasil, Amina

Indiana University Press

Copy Editing

Elise has 4 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Yvonne J.

Yvonne J.

Nov, 2024

It was wonderful to work with Elise. Elise, is professional and took pride in her work. She is easy to work with and she was very helpful to me in this process as a first time author. I look forward to working with Elise again on my second book! Thank you
Matthew J. C.

Matthew J. C.

Oct, 2024

Five stars all around! Elise was the epitome of professionalism, promptness and thoroughness. She proofread my book and didn't miss a thing.. Highly recommend!
Susan C.

Susan C.

Sep, 2024

Proofreading requires a particular mindset, and Elise has it. I thought my writing was clean, and it was, but now it is polished. So many details! Elise is a joy to work with, very responsive, flexible and efficient. I had many questions, and she answered them graciously and fully. She has made me a better writer, but I'll still need her services again. I recommend her without reservation.
Elise V.
Thank you, Susan. I greatly appreciate your responsiveness throughout this project as well as how open you are to constructive criticism and to learning about the craft of writing and editing. Proo...
Read more
Claudia M.

Claudia M.

Sep, 2024

I will work with her again. She’s Timely and well.

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