Mariel Bard

Mariel Bard – Editor

I've been an editor for 10+ years, working at a publishing house (touching 65+ titles during my tenure), then at an ad agency.

Overview

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.

Services
Fiction
Historical Fiction Romance Women's Fiction Young Adult
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Crowley Webb and Associates

Jul, 2015 — Dec, 2021 (over 6 years)

I edited and proofread all outgoing work from the advertising agency and adhered to Chicago Manual of Style or AP style, as dictated by the client. I worked with clients in numerous industries and sectors, including pharmaceuticals, banking, welding and cutting, health insurance, nonprofit/fundraising, industrial hand tools, healthcare, culturals, and higher education. I worked with writers, graphic designers, video editors, and web developers to create user-friendly pieces including printed brochures, billboards, websites, blog posts, packaging, annual reports, and television commercials.

Self-employed

Jun, 2012 — Present

As a freelance writer/editor/proofreader, I have worked with a number of clients and companies to develop books, websites, and various collateral. This experience includes writing and/or editing more than 15 educational children's books. I also wrote and edited the website copy and edited all collateral for a local restaurant, and this project won a Gold ADDY for brand campaign at the 2019 AAF Buffalo American Advertising Awards.

Prometheus Books

May, 2011 — Oct, 2014 (over 3 years)

In this position, I edited or proofread over 50 nonfiction titles and over 15 fiction titles. I communicated directly with authors to work through all stages of the editing and publishing process, from raw manuscript to printed book. I became very familiar with Chicago Manual of Style, and I created a unique style guide for every project.

Mariel has 2 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Mollie T.

Mollie T.

Dec, 2022

Mariel provided excellent service for my project. She was professional and answered all questions, and her work was exceptional. I also appreciated her willingness to extend the time frame at my request. Again, she provides excellent service, and I will not hesitate to use her service in the future.
Kristie P.

Kristie P.

Oct, 2022

Since this was my first time collaborating with an editor, Mariel made the whole process seamless and enjoyable. Mariel explained the entire process and always made sure I felt comfortable with how she worked and communicated. She offered great ideas and really helped make my story flow and come alive. I highly recommend Mariel and will definitely work with her again, if she’s available!!!

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