Your home for nonfiction/fiction book editing, developmental input, proofing, memoir interviewing, script editing, diverse voices, research
Overview
Joseph is a book editor/author/screenwriter/journalist whose stories appear in the Los Angeles Times, Washington Post, NY Daily News, Chicago Tribune, USA Today and internationally.Simon & Schuster, McGraw Hill, HarperCollins, Prentice Hall and St. Martin’s Press are just a few of the publishers who trust my editorial talents. So have National Public Radio, PBS, ESPN, Warner Brothers, Madison Square Garden TV — where my writing team won 2 Emmys — and the Polk Journalism Awards. During my extensive literary career, I've edited, authored and/or ghostwritten dozens of successful books, and was managing editor of a Manhattan publisher specializing in upscale coffee-table books. A New York native, I now reside in Santa Barbara, California and Block Island, Rhode Island.If you need editing for topics such as the arts, personal biography, humor, Progressive social/political issues, sports, investigative journalism or media analysis, you've come to the right place. If your literary project focuses on mathematics, computer software or why billionaires deserve a tax break, I'm a square peg. Having served as a university writing professor — as well as an assistant to Elaine Steinbeck, widow of iconic novelist John Steinbeck — you can rest assured my work is top caliber.
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Entertainment
Humanities & Social Sciences
Sports & Outdoors
Travel
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction
Mystery & Crime
Plays & Screenplays
Languages
English (US)
Awards
"Best Dramatic Feature Film Screenplay," 2022 Lonely Seal International Film Festival
"Best Overall Feature Screenplay," 2022 Lonely Seal International Film Festival
Work experience
Self-employed
Jan, 2019 —
Present
Organizations who have utilized my editorial services include:
• National Public Radio
• Clear Channel Entertainment (now Live Nation)
• Simon and Schuster
• McGraw Hill
• HarperCollins
• Prentice Hall
• St. Martin’s Press
• PBS
• ESPN
• Warner Brothers
• Madison Square Garden Television
• Polk Journalism Awards
• Wineries
• Businesses
• Universities
Newsday
Jan, 2000 —
Jan, 2018
(about 18 years)
• Managed Weekend Features section, covering music, film, books, theater, fine art, pop culture, comic books, comedy, streaming services and concerts.
• Edited stories for all journalistic departments, including business, world affairs, sports, education, real estate, politics, environment and youth-oriented adult entertainment.
• Won awards for headline writing and graphic design.
I enjoyed working with Joe. Having a second pair of eyes on my manuscript was very important. It is obvious to me that he put in a lot of time for the amount of money that I was charged. He is great.
Tim's novel, "Blue and Gold," is a terrific piece of writing, so I'm grateful he trusted my editorial input. Working with Tim was a treat. Like most superb clients, he was amenable to feedback on ...
JOSEPH WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND WITH MY BOOK. I CANT RE4COMMEND HIM ENOUGH.
HE IS INCREDIBLY DILIGENT AND DETAIL ORIENTED AND TOOK PERSONAL INTEREST IN THE PROJECT.
THE END RESULY IS FANTASTIC AND I WILL USE HIM AGAIN IN THE FUTURE.
EXCELLENT WORK JOSEPH!
Theo’s book has great potential, and I’m glad I had the opportunity to work with him. Like many authors penning their biography, he had plenty of compelling content that required organization, pri...
I considered hiring a few experienced Reedsy editors, but my instincts felt Joe was the right choice. After working with him over the past few months, my gut was correct. I could not have been more pleased with his efficiency, editing ability, attitude, knowledge of book writing/publishing and pr...
Bob was terrific to work with. He was super receptive to all editorial feedback, and never flinched at even the most challenging revisions. I attribute that to his background in television journal...
Collaborating with Joe was the best thing I ever did for my manuscript. I had requested offers for a developmental editor, mentioning that I would be looking for a copy editor at a later date. After reading my submitted chapter, Joe made an offer for both assignments. I could tell by his reply th...
Bill was a terrific client, for myriad reasons. It’s a fine line between an author knowing his/her vision for their project, and being receptive to an editor’s recommendations. Bill straddled tha...
Joe D. was much more than a wonderful collaborator. His in put, in so many areas, put inspiring ideas into play. He completely committed himself to editing the manuscript and became personally immersed in its salability. His advice has convinced me that one, important, showy character, needs to b...
What advice do you have for first-time memoir writers?
Can you ID one facet of your life that reflects a broader societal issue? If so, utilize that to transform your personal tale -- which might only interest a narrow demographic -- into a book with wider marketing appeal. (My fellow journalists call it a "news peg.") I handled Developmental Editing...