Ellen Tarlin

Ellen Tarlin – Editor

CAREER COPY EDITOR/PROOFREADER, 20+ YEARS’ EXPERIENCE. Fiction, nonfiction, screenplays. Worked for Kirkus/CreateSpace, Scholastic + more.

Overview


SUMMARY: I am a career copy editor and proofreader of fiction, nonfiction, and screenplays with 24 years of experience. I have worked for Kirkus/CreateSpace self-publishing and Scholastic. I clean up copy! I have also taught copyediting and college English.

EDUCATION: I love stories! I have a bachelor's degree from New York University in dramatic writing (plays and screenplays) and a master's degree in creative writing (fiction and nonfiction) from Emerson College. I have been studying story in school and out for over 20 years.

EXPERIENCE: After teaching college English, I became a freelance copy editor for magazines in 1998. I have worked in both print and online, in journalism and books, since then. I worked as a copy editor at Martha Stewart Omnimedia for four years, as a copy editor and copy chief at Slate magazine for eight years, and at numerous other publications as a freelancer. I copyedited, proofread, and line-edited hundreds of fiction, nonfiction, and screenplay manuscripts for Kirkus/CreateSpace, Super Copy Editors, and Scholastic.

HOW CAN I HELP?
1. I can PROOFREAD your manuscript if you just want a final cleanup for submission.
2. I can COPYEDIT or line edit your manuscript for a deeper/first cleanup.
3. I can give you an EDITORIAL ASSESSMENT/critique if you'd like to do a deeper rewrite.

I've worked on hundreds of manuscripts and can help get yours into the shape you want.

I like to underpromise and overdeliver. I always meet or beat my deadlines!
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Self-Help & Self-Improvement
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Plays & Screenplays Romance Young Adult
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Super Copy Editors

Aug, 2015 — Apr, 2018 (over 2 years)

Copyedited and critiqued books, screenplays, and teleplays, as well as brochures and other marketing materials for copyediting company.

Kirkus/CreateSpace

Sep, 2014 — Mar, 2018 (over 3 years)

Copyedited, line-edited, and critiqued hundreds of fiction and nonfiction books, screenplays, plays, and teleplays including a full critique and grammar report to the author.

Slate.com

Mar, 2005 — Jul, 2013 (over 8 years)

Managed desk of 6 copy editors, created daily schedules, set style policy/revamped style guide, hired/trained 5 new copy editors, underwent extensive social media training, shepherded a lot of copy through editorial, art, production, publication; wrote daily 6-week food blog, Clean Plate, garnering more than 1 million page views (voted Best Opinion piece by The Week; administered Poems department; wrote pieces and contributed to DoubleX (women’s) and Brow Beat (culture) blogs; managed Magnum Photos partnership.

Self-employed

Aug, 2004 — Present

Clients include Agora Publishing (newsletters); American Express Publishing; American Homestyle and Gardening; Aperture magazine/Aperture Foundation; Bob Vila; Bonner and Partners; ARPA Journal; Avery Review; Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation (books); Condé Nast; CreateSpace (books); Futures; Glamour; Hachette Filippachi Media; HBO (marketing/advertising); Hearst Magazines; Kirkus Media; National Geographic Adventure; Martha Stewart Omnimedia; McKinsey and Co.; Meredith; mindbodygreen; New York University School of Business (books); Redbook; Roman Filanovsky graphic artists (books, ebooks); Scholastic (books for teachers and students); Super Copy Editors (screenplays, books, brochures); Swing; ThinkAdvisor; Travel + Leisure; TV Guide; Us; Vogue; We; The Week; Winthrop Group (books); Woman’s Day Special Interest Publications; Woman’s Day; YM; and private clients

Portfolio

The Two Weddings of Zhao Ping

Williams, Patricia Ann

Copy Editing
Proofreading
Made with Reedsy
First Burning Bright

Bondurant, Kelly

Proofreading
Made with Reedsy
For the Forces of Good: The Superpower of Everyday Negotiation

Kanter St. Amour, S. Lucia

Proofreading
Made with Reedsy
Good Decent People: A Short Story Collection

Tewogbade, Portia

Proofreading
Proofreading
Made with Reedsy
Despot

Louison, Garvey

Copy Editing Proofreading
Made with Reedsy
Good Town

Wells, Mary Louise

Proofreading
Made with Reedsy
Mushroom Cloud: Book I of the First Strike Series

Yeggy, Thomas J.

Proofreading
Made with Reedsy
Suffer!

Sloan, A.C.

Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
The World Is Ours

Chihandae, Lucie

Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
The Prince and the Witch

L. A. Thompson

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
WASP Sting

Sweetapple, Lee A.

The Trespasser

Lynn, Penelope

The Infinite War

Ndiaye, Abe

The Christmas Delivery

Hannawell, Jessica

Journey

Mongilutz, Mark Joseph

Elite

Ahmed, Maryam

Death of a Movie Star

Patrick, Timothy

Conservation

James Flynn

Casino Blues: A Novel

Stiffin, PhD, Rose Mary

Blood Horse

Thomas, Mr Christopher

A New Land: Book 1

Davis, Areulia

A Devil's Ladder

Eliot, Anne G.

Interview Season

Chin, Torrey H.

It's In His Kiss

Lester, Vickie

Copy Editing
Elastic Girl

Rana, Olivia

Ellen has 45 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Randie B.

Randie B.

Mar, 2024

Ellen is absolutely wonderful. She exceeded my expectations on every front. Her proofreading skills are excellent, she is amazingly responsive, and she completed the project right on time (even though I had given her extra tasks, which she willingly took on). I would highly recommend her. We had a true collaboration, and I look forward to using her again for my next project.
Ellen T.
Thank you, Randie. You are very sweet, and it was a pleasure working with you on your project. We did have fun! We must be distantly related...
Marina C.

Marina C.

Mar, 2024

Ellen did a great job! Thanks to her, my book looks better and is ready to be published. I am starting to write another book; it should take me about a year to finish, and I hope Ellen will be available to work with her again.
Ellen T.
Thanks, Marina! Best of luck on your next steps.
Donny A.

Donny A.

Mar, 2024

Ellen is amazing! Highly recommend!
Ellen T.
Thank you, Donny. It was my pleasure!
Moli W.

Moli W.

Feb, 2024

I really enjoyed working with Ellen. She was very helpful and insightful. She was also professional yet friendly, so you didnt really feel as though it was JUST a job or transaction. Would gladly work with her again.
Ellen T.
Thank you, Moli. It was my pleasure!
Stephanie Nina P.

Stephanie Nina P.

Feb, 2024

as always, Ellen is quick, thorough, detailed, and she provides context for edits that may elicit questions. She is also available for any lingering questions. I do learn much in this process, retain a little bit, and know she'll be there for the majority of mistakes I repeat the next time. Go copy editors!

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