Mikola De Roo – Editor

I’m a seasoned editor looking for projects that can benefit from my big-picture content development skills, sharp editorial eye, and project management expertise to create narratives that attract and engage audiences. My top priority is helping writers shape their words and ideas so their unique voices and storytelling shine through. I have extensive experience in adult and YA trade fiction and nonfiction across genres (literary fiction, biography, food, activism, social justice, media, journalism, health, science), as well as in academia (best-selling high school and college textbooks in the humanities and social sciences).

I can help you make your voice and stories the best they can be on the page or onscreen. (See below for testimonials.)

I believe in the serial comma, and I am a fan of the em dash.

I also have experience as a reader and editor for a literary magazine, a teacher, a writer and editor of my own nonfiction websites, a ghostwriter for newspaper op-eds, and a writer for national nonprofits like Community of Literary Magazines and Presses, StoryCorps, Housing Works, and Amida Care. My writing has appeared in numerous outlets, including Jam Tarts Magazine, Business Record, New York Daily News, City & State, Gay City News, The Body, POZ, and more.

Titles I've developed and edited during my 20 years in educational publishing at Bedford, Pearson, and McGraw-Hill include Patterns for College Writing 9e, The Film Experience 1e, Living Literature 1e, Writing for Life 1e, A World of Ideas 6e, The Art of Public Speaking 11e, The Bedford Introduction to Drama 6e, The Longman Anthology of British Literature 3e, Masters of British Literature 1e, Public Speaking Matters 1e, and Latino Boom 1e. Trade titles I’ve worked on over the years include Mastering Comics, Jessica Abel; Growing Gills: How To Find Creative Focus When You’re Drowning in Your Daily Life, Jessica Abel; 20 Years of Censored News, Carl Jensen; No More, Marguerite Duras; Borrowed Hearts, Rick DeMarinis; Night, Again, Linh Dinh; and Zagat NYC Restaurants (2006–2013).

TESTIMONIALS:
“Mika is an excellent editor. She is bright, talented, motivated, and—above all—a genuinely nice person. I could always count on her for sound advice and creative solutions to problems that may have popped up. She worked tirelessly to ensure that our collaboration was both enjoyable and successful. I recommend her without reservation.”—author Stephen Mandell

“Mikola helped edit eight volumes of the annual Project Censored book series for 7 Stories Press. She is an excellent editor.”—author and editor Peter Phillips

“Mikola was my editor at Bedford St. Martin's, and I have every confidence in her editorial and personal abilities. I praised her gifts for editing in two very important book projects of mine,”—author Lee Jacobus

“Mika was a colleague at both Bedford/St. Martin's and McGraw-Hill. Her editorial skills are superb, and she is especially good at handling large, challenging projects.”—freelance writer and editor Carla Samodulski

“Mika helped to develop and launch the Writing for Life series in 2006/2007. She was instrumental in getting the most out of our partnership with Dorling-Kindersley and in fostering a long standing relationship with author DJ Henry. Mika is simply fantastic!”—executive editorial manager (and former Pearson colleague) Matt Wright