Michelle Shelfer – Editor

I know how scary it can be to entrust your manuscript to an editor. Be assured that as your editor, I will work hard for you. I will honor your voice as author, even as I honor your readers' need for clarity.

I bring a holistic approach to editing. That is, I dig in and do whatever needs to be done. If I see developmental issues, I bring them to your attention. If I see copy issues, I fix them. We will work closely together to clean up your writing and crystallize your meanings so you and your message shine through.

It's hard to know all the crazy rules of writing, particularly the specialized treatment of theological issues. I edit books dealing with Biblical topics, including Hebrew and Greek treatment. I use CMS, SBL, and Cambridge, conforming to American standards. I work in Word. I handle foot/endnote formatting and double-check all citations and Scripture and Biblical references for accuracy. I believe God's Word needs to be handled with nothing less than excellence.

You will submit a Word document to me, and I will read it three times, using "Track Changes" in the Review tab. We will discuss areas that need work. Once we've settled all issues, you'll receive a final Word document by our deadline, ready for proofing and typesetting.

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"I truly enjoyed this journey, and I’m grateful for the care and expertise you brought to each step of the process. You are such a consummate professional, and your skill in your craft is matched by your warmth and thoughtful guidance. Your wonderful personality shone through in your comments and suggestions, and I couldn’t have asked for a better editor." —Reedsy Author

"Michelle is hands down the greatest relationship that I have formed to help me self publish my books. She has helped me on 3 projects now in various capacities and I don't know how I would have gotten across the finish line without her. She cares about the final product just as much as I do. She truly is part of my team and I couldn't imagine writing a book without having her part of it." —Reedsy Author

"Sometimes you represent my thoughts better than I do—the sign of a great editor." —Ronald Kirk, Theological Editor

"Michelle, I can’t even qualify the greatness of your work. I was most honored to work with you, because you are the fastest and most detail-oriented editor I have ever seen." —Nikola Dimitrov, author

"Michelle carefully edited our manuscript, cleaning up the verbiage while preserving the voice and intent of the work. I HIGHLY recommend her to you." —Myles and Katharine Weiss, authors

"Michelle is an invaluable asset to authors and publishers. She has a keen intelligence coupled with deep sensibility that enables her to quickly assess the intent and audience of a written work and to clean up, tighten, redirect, and generally edit for better readability and authority." —Kent and Katie Philpott, Earthen Vessel Publishing