Mary Neretlis

Mary Neretlis – Editor

30+ years of writing, copy editing, and proofreading, I am passionate about helping writers polish their memoirs and family histories.

Overview

I'm an experienced Copy Editor and Proofreader and enjoy working with a variety of writers, from independent first-timers through to award-winning published authors.

I can help make sure your work is ready to be shared with the world! I'll look at the entirety of your writing – from a broad overview of how everything interweaves and flows, down to the duplicated sentence and the misplaced comma. I'll correct spelling errors, suggest a more fitting phrase, or reorder a paragraph for more clarity. I’ll help unravel your message so your reader will be able to grasp it and understand the true essence of your meaning.

And through it all, I will respect that it’s your writing and it must be kept in your voice. I'm simply polishing your gold. :)

My ultimate goal is to raise your writing to a higher level while being faithful to your story. Let me help your words come to life, jump off the page, and land directly into your reader's heart. Tell me what you're working on and I'll tell you how I can assist.

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I take pride in the relationships I've developed with my clients. Here are a few comments I've recently received from some of them (and then see more Reedsy reviews below):

"Thank you so very much for the edits and feedback. … It is interesting – the more I write and work with you, the more I come to understand … your suggestions really do make it read better. I remember how much I enjoyed working with you on the first book, and this experience mirrored that." — Jacqualine Haller, author of Love You to the Stars and Back, and Grandpa John and Uncle Peter

"I loved working with you on Unveiled … I believe the author-editor relationship should be open and friendly and not discouraging. … Offering feedback and critique in an encouraging way, as in your case... made me love working with you and will keep on doing it for my next stories onwards." — Samreen Ahsan, author of Once Upon a [Stolen] Time

"… it’s exactly what I was needing. Thank you so much for this, and for the quick turnaround. Greatly appreciated!!!" — Jenny Ayigah, author of Create a Heart of Faith in a World of Fear

"I have just completed accepting your edits and addressing your comments. Thank you for your insights and attention to details that were missed by me. It was very helpful." — Joseph Morin, author of Villains, Victims & The Vanquished: A Memoir
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Languages
English (CAN) English (UK) English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2016 — Present

Provide Copy Editing, Proofreading, and MS Word Typesetting services on a project-by-project basis to a variety of clients, from independent writers to published authors.

LexisNexis Canada Inc.

Jul, 2012 — Dec, 2015 (over 3 years)

Liaised with 30+ authors; established deadlines for book updates; edited and proofread new and adjusted text; ensured smooth transition from receipt of raw manuscript through to on-time publication.

LexisNexis Canada Inc.

May, 2004 — Jul, 2012 (about 8 years)

Liaised with 15+ editors; proofread and applied editing corrections; formatted and typeset manuscript for print production within set timeframes.

Self-employed

Sep, 2002 — May, 2004 (over 1 year)

Provided writing, copy editing, and proofreading services related to promotional material for small to mid-size companies; developed and published quarterly newsletters incorporating local business and personal stories.

Bell Canada

Aug, 1983 — Dec, 1993 (over 10 years)

Corporate Communications
Prepared communications briefs for ad and promo campaigns; worked together with Ad agencies, proofreading and editing Ad copy for print media
Sales Planning Promotion/Customer Service
Prepared introductions, guidelines, and training instruction regarding new products and services for customer contact staff

Portfolio

Mary has 5 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

James M.

James M.

Mar, 2022

Though a little more pricey than some other editors, SHE IS WORTH EVERY DIME SPENT! You will not only be impressed by her work and style of engagement. She will immediately be on your short list of editors and proofreaders for your next book.
Mary N.
Thank you for your kind words, Pastor McCarroll. I truly enjoyed working with your well-written manuscript, and I know your readers will be inspired by your words and direction.
Nicole D.

Nicole D.

Feb, 2022

Mary is a wonderful editor! I specifically chose her because she picked up on something that no other editor picked up on when I sent out my sample piece. I just had this feeling she would be the one that would take my children's book, Tired Mommy, to the next level. After working with her, I can confidently say that she did that and more. Her edits were great and she even offered up a bunch of...
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Mary N.
Thank you, Nicole, for your kind words. I really appreciated working on this project. Not only is it a fun and funny children's story where parents can relate, but I would also call it a memoir, as...
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Ian F.

Ian F.

Oct, 2021

Really appreciated Mary’s eagle eye on my writing. She picked up loads of orthographical and referencing errors. She even checked the accuracy of sources. Mary provided hugely helpful marginal suggestions from a reader’s perspective and provided a clear rationale for her suggestions. Mary responded promptly to all my queries.
Mary N.
Thank you, Ian, for entrusting me with reviewing and editing your memoir. It was a great read, and I'm glad I could help polish it up. Good luck with next steps!
samantha S.

samantha S.

Aug, 2021

Working with Mary was an absolute pleasure! Her dedication to the writers that she works with is really appreciated. She was flexible and willing to help make my dreams of becoming an author come to life. Her response time is very quick and she is willing to help in anyway that she can. I highly recommend Mary as an editor for anyone who is looking!
Mary N.
Thank you, Samantha! I very much enjoyed working with you as well. Your story is very important and I feel honoured that I could contribute to your book by refining what was already a clear and con...
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Desiree B.

Desiree B.

Aug, 2021

I was looking for a proofreader for my manuscript, and Mary was the perfect fit. She was able to identify minor grammatical errors and provided feedback around the organization to ensure a better flow of text. I am happy with her suggestions, and it was exactly the help was I was looking for. I would love to work with her again!
Mary N.
Thanks Desiree, It was a joy working on your book, and I would love to work with you again too! Looking forward to seeing your book illustrated and published! Best of luck with all!

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