Overview
As a freelance editor I most frequently work with prescriptive nonfiction: common areas are food reference, health and nutrition, fitness, and self help.
I am also an essayist and storyteller in my own writing, and I would love to work on more essays and memoir.
Let me help you tell your story, as clearly and engagingly as possible.
Services
Non-Fiction
Fiction
Languages
Work experience
Self-Employed
I guide independent authors through every stage of manuscript development, from the first draft to publication. My strengths are in finding the "big idea" in even the roughest rough draft, large-scale structural alteration and re-organization of prescriptive nonfiction, and line editing while maintaining the author's unique voice. I also help authors with book proposals and query letters.
The Monacelli Press
- Copy edited first drafts of incoming manuscripts
- Proofread final drafts of all titles and input text changes in InDesign
- Wrote official press releases for all titles and designed all of these press releases in InDesign
- Wrote jacket copy for all titles, mostly in the areas of Interior Design, Architecture, and Art
- Wrote sales copy for seasonal catalogs; attended sales and marketing meetings at Random House
Little, Brown & Company
- Evaluated book proposals by writing reader’s reports and compiling Bookscan sales of comparative titles
- Fact-checked and line-edited food reference titles The Food Lover’s Guide to Wine and See Mix Drink
- Proofread both original manuscript pages and layout pages
- Acted as liaison between author, designer, and copyeditor on multiple bought-bound titles
- Consulted on hiring of freelance designers and reviewed all phases of layouts from first pages to blues
- Organized image deliveries from authors and photographers and transmit final images to Production
- Participated in weekly editorial meetings as well as production status meetings with representatives from Production, Art, Managing Editorial, and Editorial departments
Perigee Books-Penguin Group USA
- Evaluated both solicited and unsolicited proposals for all members of the imprint and wrote reader's reports
- Completed an archival photo research project for a Mad Men-inspired title
- Wrote readers' guides and jacket copy for multiple titles
The Iowa Review
- Wrote reports evaluating all creative non-fiction submissions and attended editorial meetings
- Initiated and updated a Filemaker Pro database of all prize-winning pieces published by the magazine
Sententiae-Harvard Undergraduate Journal of Medieval Studies
- Worked directly with authors to edit their academic articles
- Selected pieces for publication with the editorial board
- Led meetings regarding distribution method and publicity for the Medieval Studies journal
Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study
- Transposed the hand-written letters of Ebe Hawthorne, Nathaniel’s sister
- Made note of interesting subject matter in the letters
- Prepared checklists and attended one-on-one meetings with the author to review her project’s progress
Portfolio
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Melissa has 9 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
Value
Responsiveness
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Maria L.
Feb, 2018
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Nick B.
Dec, 2017
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Edna L. Negron M.
Dec, 2017
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Tim D.
Nov, 2017
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Amelio N.
Aug, 2017
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