Mark Hall

Mark Hall – Editor

Editor and copywriter, formerly with Prometheus Books (20+ years), with eclectic interests in the humanities and social sciences.

Overview

I'm an experienced editor and copywriter who is skilled at helping authors turn complex subject matter into succinct, readable prose. Now a freelancer, I have served as a developmental editor, copywriter, and copy editor for individual clients as well as a proofreader for Dover Publications. I worked for more than twenty years at Prometheus Books, where my responsibilities included editing (copy editing and substantive editing), proofreading, and writing descriptive copy for book covers, websites, and other marketing materials . My work spanned a broad range of nonfiction subjects, from history, philosophy, psychology, and popular science to memoirs and true crime.
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs History Humanities & Social Sciences Philosophy Political Science & Current Affairs Religion & Spirituality
Languages
English (US)
Awards
  • Mellon Fellowship
  • DAAD Fellowship (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst)
  • CASA Fellowship (Center for Arabic Study Abroad, alternate)
  • NDFL Fellowship (National Defense Fellowship, Title VI) for study of Arabic
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Graduated summa cum laude
  • New York State Regents Scholarship
Certifications
  • German language competency (Goethe Institute)

Work experience

Self-employed

May, 2019 — Present

Veteran editor and copywriter in the publishing industry with more than twenty-five years of experience interested in new opportunities.

Prometheus Books

Nov, 2011 — May, 2019 (over 7 years)

Wrote and edited marketing copy for approximately sixty to ninety new books per year. Kept book data (metadata) current on company websites by editing or adding content. Assisted the editorial department with proofreading and copyediting.

Prometheus Books

Jan, 2009 — Oct, 2011 (over 2 years)

Interacted with agents and prospective authors to acquire high-quality nonfiction book manuscripts for publication. Responsibilities also included substantive editing and copywriting.

Prometheus Books

Mar, 1999 — Oct, 2008 (over 9 years)

Wrote and edited copy and supervised production process for six book catalogues a year. Created ad copy and supervised production and placement of ads in various print, media, and online outlets. Administered company websites by uploading copy for newly published books, making updates, and implementing design changes. Assisted Marketing Director with trade shows and promotion campaigns.

Portfolio

The first book to explore the natural history of political orientations, now with a foreword by Sebastian JungerBy blending serious research with relevant contemporary examples, Our Political Nature casts important light on the ideological clashes that so dang... read more
Spanning murder cases from the beginning of the twentieth century to today, this is a must-read for fans of true crime and will also be compelling to mystery and thriller readers. The contributors include Harold Schechter, Katherine Ramsland, Carol Anne Davis,... read more
This book is must reading for Americans trying to understand the complexities of Iranian politics and the nature of the current regime, many of whose leaders were involved in the systematic execution of political prisoners in the 1980s. According to Amnesty In... read more
Foreword by Paul Farmer, MD, PhD, Maude and Lillian Presley Professor of Social Medicine and Chair, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, and Cofounder of Partners In HealthOn the rainy night of August 11, 1979, a mud-splatte... read more
After more than sixty years, the nightmarish sufferings of so many victims of Germany’s Nazi regime have been documented extensively. Rarely, however, does one hear about the experiences of German children during World War II. Coming of age amidst the chaos, b... read more
In this positive yet realistic appraisal of the human condition, social psychologist Ronald G. Havelock examines "the forward function," a cluster of six forces that has driven human progress from the Stone Age to the present. The author explains that the key ... read more
We live in a world of risk. It waits for us in our refrigerator and surrounds us on the freeway. It's lurking in our arteries and sitting in our 401(k) accounts. Given that we deal with risk on a constant basis, we should be good at it; as it turns out, though... read more
This inspiring and compelling narrative weaves together stories of sixty successful women from all walks of life and throughout the world. The author spent several years in eight countries interviewing dynamic female role models: businesswomen, CEOs, a Congres... read more
Was Jesus of Nazareth a real historical person or a fictional character in a religious legend? What do the Dead Sea Scrolls reveal about the origins of Christianity? Has there been a conspiracy to suppress information in the Scrolls that contradicts traditiona... read more
What do the great books of your youth have to say about your life now? Remember reading Catcher in the Rye and The Great Gatsby in high school? How about Slaughterhouse-Five and Pride and Prejudice? Would you read them again now that no one's grading you, just... read more
Peter L. Berger is arguably the best-known American sociologist living today. Since the 1960s he has been publishing books on many facets of the American social scene, and several are now considered classics. So it may be hard to believe Professor Berger’s des... read more
The SIMPOL Solution, spearheaded by the Simultaneous Policy (SIMPOL) Organization, gives voters around the world a new way to pressure their leaders to address global problems ranging from climate change to mass immigration and gross income disparities.Blendin... read more
God's Brain

Lionel Tiger

In the fractious debate on the existence of God and the nature of religion, two distinguished authors radically alter the discussion. Taking a perspective rooted in evolutionary biology with a focus on brain science, the authors elucidate the perennial questio... read more
In the publicity surrounding global warming, climate scientists are usually the experts consulted by the media. We rarely hear from geologists, who for almost two hundred years have been studying the history of Earth's dramatic and repeated climate revolutions... read more

Mark has 4 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Anders E.

Anders E.

Jun, 2020

Mark is very professional, helpful, and knowledgable. He provided valuable help not only in an editing sense but also gave good leads to sources for more research, which added to the solid factual basis for the assertions made in my manuscript.
Alex B.

Alex B.

Feb, 2020

Mark was exacactly the right person to edit my ms. He was able to see the larger arc of my argument through the numerous small errors, and, in some places, the major blunders. I am confident that after his efforts my work is now ready to reach a broader readership. In all of his comments he was friendly and professional. Thankyou Mark.
Mark H.
Thank you, Alex. It was a pleasure working with you on your fine manuscript, which I found intellectually stimulating and of great interest. I wish you much success in publishing your work.
Anders E.

Anders E.

Dec, 2019

Mark turned out to be knowledgeable and in tune with the main thrust of my manuscript - perhaps too much in agreement to serve as a critical editor. He proved very competent at the technical level, (punctuation, spelling/typos, formatting, et cetera) but he did not much criticize or question the intentionally provocative ideas in the book. It might have been constructive to point out where my a...
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Mark H.
I enjoyed working on Mr. Eklof's manuscript and interacting with him on various subjects related to his work. I think his perspective on American racism is important and that Americans need to come...
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chester S.

chester S.

Sep, 2019

My connection with Mark Hall has given new life to a book project I've been pursuing over the last decade. His insight and guidance, and his research and writing, I might add, have been invaluable. He is a seasoned professional and I greatly value his work.

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