Mariel Bard – Editor

I love collaborating with authors to help them make their work the best it can be. Beyond editing for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and other (very important!) minutiae, I also like to take a holistic approach. I'm not afraid to try reworking the text to ensure the best outcome. As I read, I'll ask questions like: Is the author's voice consistent? Would these paragraphs flow better in a different order? Does this reveal too much of the plot?

Tracking details throughout a book is like a game to me, and I keep exhaustive style guides for every project. If a character's eye color suddenly and unintentionally changes, I'll let you know. If I think a word or phrase is becoming repetitive or overused, I'll suggest ways to vary the language. My goal is to keep the reader fully absorbed in the book, and my passion is polishing and elevating the author's words to ensure their voice comes through and tells a great story.

I was an editor (3.5 years) at a nonfiction publishing house that also had sci-fi/fantasy and mystery/thriller imprints, and my job entailed ushering pieces through the entire editing process, from raw manuscript to printed book. I have experience as a freelance writer/editor/proofreader (5 years) working on educational children's books covering topics including history, biology, engineering, physics, and psychology. I also worked as an editor/proofreader at an advertising agency (6.5 years), where I looked over all outgoing documents, from proposals and reports to advertisements and social media posts. I have worked extensively using Chicago Manual of Style and Merriam-Webster's Unabridged Dictionary, and I am familiar with AP style.