Mona Moraru - Editor
Passionate and meticulous copyeditor specializing in experimental literature and global perspectives. Ten years of lit mag experience.
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Overview
I have worked on varied projects at small presses, newspapers, literary journals, and companies throughout the United States and abroad. This has allowed me to edit fiction, nonfiction, poetry, book proposals, and technical documents, all on tight deadlines and in coordination with production teams.
I approach every project with enthusiasm and commitment. I am meticulous, friendly, and flexible. The most important goal for me is to help your voice and purpose come clearly through your writing. My background in literature, journalism, criticism, and academia gives me the adaptability to approach any project. I would love to discuss your work and help you meet your goals!
I'm passionate about stories, both true and fictional, and understanding as many different perspectives as I can. I was lucky to grow up on the central coast of California, the youngest of two daughters of Jewish Romanian refugees, in a family of artists, engineers, linguists, teachers, and scientists. The cultural and linguistic diversity that I grew up with kept me interested in learning about other people and their traditions, my own heritage, and the complexities that both set us all apart and unify us across the globe. I carried this curiosity and interest to Oberlin College, where I earned a degree with honors in English-language literature with a minor in Latin language and literature. I pursued and received a professional certificate in editing from the University of California, Berkeley, and I have more than a decade of varied editing and writing experience. My work with literary magazines has given me the opportunity to work with a range of writers, from those just about to be discovered to those who have already become household names. I engage fully and enthusiastically with every project, and I believe we benefit as readers and as a society from a breadth of perspectives and voices.
Please don't hesitate to get in touch to see if I would be a good fit to support you and your project.
I approach every project with enthusiasm and commitment. I am meticulous, friendly, and flexible. The most important goal for me is to help your voice and purpose come clearly through your writing. My background in literature, journalism, criticism, and academia gives me the adaptability to approach any project. I would love to discuss your work and help you meet your goals!
I'm passionate about stories, both true and fictional, and understanding as many different perspectives as I can. I was lucky to grow up on the central coast of California, the youngest of two daughters of Jewish Romanian refugees, in a family of artists, engineers, linguists, teachers, and scientists. The cultural and linguistic diversity that I grew up with kept me interested in learning about other people and their traditions, my own heritage, and the complexities that both set us all apart and unify us across the globe. I carried this curiosity and interest to Oberlin College, where I earned a degree with honors in English-language literature with a minor in Latin language and literature. I pursued and received a professional certificate in editing from the University of California, Berkeley, and I have more than a decade of varied editing and writing experience. My work with literary magazines has given me the opportunity to work with a range of writers, from those just about to be discovered to those who have already become household names. I engage fully and enthusiastically with every project, and I believe we benefit as readers and as a society from a breadth of perspectives and voices.
Please don't hesitate to get in touch to see if I would be a good fit to support you and your project.
Services
Languages
English (US)
Fiction
Anthologies
Cultural & Ethnic
Literary Fiction
Poetry
Short Story
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Travel
Certifications
- Professional Certificate in Editing, University of California, Berkeley
- Bachelor's Degree with Honors in English and a Minor in Latin Language and Literature, Oberlin College
Work experience
Associate Editor
Chicago Quarterly Review
April, 2014
–
Present
(about 7 years)
I go through fiction and nonfiction submissions (including experimental fiction, memoirs, creative nonfiction, and travel writing), looking for stories and essays that would be a good fit for publication in the magazine. I also copyedit each issue.
*Chicago Quarterly Review is a nonprofit, independent literary journal publishing short stories, poems, translations and essays by both emerging and established writers since 1994. We’re proud to have had work from our pages chosen for Best American Short Stories, Best American Essays, the O. Henry Prize Stories, and the Pushcart Prize Anthology as we continue our mission to stimulate, entertain, and inspire.*
Copyeditor
Catamaran Literary Reader
October, 2015
–
Present
(over 5 years)
I copyedit and proofread each issue, including fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translations, bios, and interviews. I also copyedit each book of poetry that is awarded the annual Catamaran Poetry Prize, including Broken Kingdom, by Michelle Bitting (2018) and Just Living, by Susan Browne (forthcoming).
*Catamaran Literary Reader is a quarterly literary and visual arts journal. Catamaran features fiction, poetry, creative nonfiction, and fine art in a full size, full color magazine. The Catamaran nonprofit is based in the Tannery Arts and Digital Media Center, in Santa Cruz, California, and our nonprofit mission is to capture the vibrant and creative West Coast spirit in writing and art from around the world. Among the themes we address are nature and the environment, personal freedom, and the artistic spirit. We seek to present diverse voices in a creative, sophisticated format by publishing the best literary writing and fine art we can find.
We've published PROSE works by TC Boyle, Ana Maria Shua, Jonathan Franzen, Susan Vreeland, Douglas Brinkley, Ursula Le Guin, Molly Gloss, Wendell Berry, Scott Hutchins, Alan Cheuse, Beatriz Vignoli; POETRY from Gary Snyder, Billy Collins, Patricia Smith, Galway Kinnell, Robert Bly, Paul Muldoon, Aleida Rodriguez, Linda Pastan, Bill Zavatsky,Ellen Bass, Wendell Berry, Nathaniel Mackey; and we’ve featured work from such ARTISTS as Wayne Theibaud, Ran Ortner, Warren Chang, Tabitha Soren, Zaria Forman, Ruo Li, Andrea Johnson, Belle Yang, Louise Le Bourdonnec, Charles Prentiss, Howard Ikemoto, Tim Craighead, Bonnie Sklarski, Pamela Carroll, Ivan De Mon Brison.*
Proofreader
CareerPro Global, Inc.
April, 2015
–
Present
(about 6 years)
This company provides resume-writing services, primarily for military service members transitioning out of the military and into the private sector or federal government. Clients also include professionals in all areas looking to start or advance their career in government agencies, from scientists to engineers to managers to translators to IT experts and beyond. I proofread a range of products, including standard two-page professional resumes as well as longer federal applications and essays. This has exposed me to a breadth of topics and perspectives and has allowed me to meaningfully engage with subjects I have no formal background in.
*At CareerPro Global, we are committed to producing premier resume and career services products, providing excellent service, and remaining abreast of global employment and hiring trends. We are also committed to continual improvement of our quality management system. CareerPro Global combines three decades of writing experience with the most advanced technology and resources in the industry, empowering us to produce job-winning resume presentations for our clients. We also pride ourselves in producing results and outstanding customer service. And it shows—48% of clients are referral/repeat customers , with a 99.6% customer satisfaction ratio. These statistics are backed up by our monthly customer-service survey and our ongoing commitment to delivering quality products and services.*
Staff Editor
Chicago Quarterly Review
September, 2013
–
April, 2014
(7 months)
I went through submissions and suggested those that might be a good fit for the magazine. I also assisted with copyediting and preparing manuscripts for publication.
*Chicago Quarterly Review is a nonprofit, independent literary journal publishing short stories, poems, translations and essays by both emerging and established writers since 1994. We’re proud to have had work from our pages chosen for Best American Short Stories, Best American Essays, the O. Henry Prize Stories, and the Pushcart Prize Anthology as we continue our mission to stimulate, entertain, and inspire.*
Book Reviewer
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
September, 2012
–
October, 2015
(about 3 years)
I reviewed fiction and nonfiction books, with an emphasis on works by African writers.
*The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is Western Pennsylvania's largest newspaper and post-gazette.com is the region's most visited news website, together reaching nearly 1 million people each week.*
Intern
Literary Arts/Tin House Books
April, 2012
–
August, 2012
(4 months)
I helped describe and catalog archived audio from decades of talks given by prominent writers as part of the Portland Arts and Lectures series.
*Literary Arts is a community-based nonprofit with a mission to engage readers, support writers, and inspire the next generation with great literature.*
Editorial Intern
Tin House Books
September, 2011
–
May, 2012
(8 months)
I read, assessed, and recommended whether or not book proposals and manuscripts should be reviewed by the editors for possible publication. I also attended weekly meetings with the editorial staff.
*Tin House Books publishes roughly a dozen titles a year, and its authors have garnered attention from The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, and O, the Oprah magazine.*
Reader and Assistant Copyeditor
Chicago Quarterly Review
May, 2011
–
December, 2012
(over 1 year)
I read submissions, casting a vote as to whether they would be a good fit for the magazine. I also learned how to prepare documents for layout and assisted with copyediting as needed.
*Chicago Quarterly Review is a nonprofit, independent literary journal publishing short stories, poems, translations and essays by both emerging and established writers since 1994. We’re proud to have had work from our pages chosen for Best American Short Stories, Best American Essays, the O. Henry Prize Stories, and the Pushcart Prize Anthology as we continue our mission to stimulate, entertain, and inspire.*
Editorial Intern
Today Newspaper
September, 2009
–
December, 2009
(3 months)
Assisted news desk editors in preparing stories for publication.
*Today newspaper provides a vibrant blend of news, events, opinions, lifestyle, business, sports, arts and entertainment with correspondents in every region of Ghana. We focus on bringing our readers exclusive human and public interest stories while adhering strictly to our motto “Truth and Enlightenment”.*
Editorial Intern
Hummingbird Press
January, 2009
–
February, 2009
(about 1 month)
Assisted in copyediting chapbooks for publication.
*Hummingbird Press publishes diverse, inspiring poetry by poets residing near the shores of Monterey Bay, California. The Press is a small collective whose members are committed to bringing their varied skills to bear on the tasks essential to publishing a full-length collection and to encourage each other to create outstanding books of poetry. Our esthetic is disparate, but we are all serious (not sober) about poetry.*
News Desk Intern
Santa Cruz Sentinel
January, 2008
–
February, 2008
(about 1 month)
Contributed to stories on the news desk.
*Santa Cruz Sentinel is a daily newspaper covering Santa Cruz County, California.*
Portfolio (11 selected works)
My Postwar Life: New Writings from Japan and Okinawa
Elizabeth McKenzie
This selection of new work by some of Japan's most eminent observers and artists offers a richly nuanced perspective on the complex relationship between Japan and the U.S. in the long aftermath of war.
Chicago Quarterly Review Vol. 30: The Australian Issue
Review, Chicago Quarterly, Williams, Paul, Davidow, Shelley
Chicago Quarterly Review Vol. 24: The South Asian American Issue
Chicago Quarterly Review
“There was a time when the South Asian writer treaded the linguistic register rather carefully. Rushdie’s Midnight’s Children shook things up and made many of us his children. Not anymore! The new South Asian American writer is a wild beast.” –from the Introduction by guest editor Moazzam Sheikh Featuring Vidhu Aggarwal * Kazim Ali * Meher Ali * Neelanjana Banerjee * Nadia Chaney * Sayantani D... read more
Chicago Quarterly Review Vol. 28
Chicago Quarterly Review
Featuring work by: Farah Ali * Mir Anis * Samuel Rafael Barber * Andrew Beckner * Ryan Bloom * David Booth * Brett Busang * Hamida Banu Chopra * Kim Farrar * Bill Gaythwaite * Renny Golden * Deborah Gorlin * Emily Greenberg * Rumi Hara * Harry Hutson * Muhammad Iqbal * Peter Joseph Koch * Michael Lavers * Trudy Lewis * Louise Marburg * Jen Michalski * Jonathan Andrew Perez, Esq. * Andrew Porte... read more
Chicago Quarterly Review Vol. 27
Chicago Quarterly Review
Featuring work by: D.M. Aderibigbe * Bryce Berkowitz * Christopher Yohmei Blasdel * Beverly Burch * Steve Carrelli * Wayne Conti * Heather Cousins * Corey Davidson * Doug Dibbern * Fred Dings * Noah Dobin-Bernstein * Andrew Fague * Shawn Fawson * Joan Frank * Pamela Morneault Gemme * Toni Graham * Benjamin Harnett * David Harrell * Laura Heffington * Florence Homolka * Richard Huffman * Guille... read more
Chicago Quarterly Review Vol. 26
Chicago Quarterly Review
Featuring work by: Kathleen de Azevedo * Michael Blades * Christopher Buckley * Danny Calegari * Tyler Corbridge * Jennifer Dorner * Ken Drexler * Julie Esther Fisher * Randy Fowler * Jared Garland * Michael Griffith * Aliete Guerrero * Stephen D. Gutierrez * Colin Hamilton * Alison Harris * Richard Hedderman * Catherine Abbey Hodges * Carlie Hoffman *Charles Hood * Nathan Isaksson * Sharon Ke... read more
Chicago Quarterly Review Vol. 25
Chicago Quarterly Review
Featuring work by: Leslie Marie Aguilar * Ronald Alexander * Saskia Anderson * Renée Branum * Jackson Onose Braun * John Chandler * Kevin Clark * Mark Crimmins * Thomas Dodson * Christina Drill * Donka Farkas * Robert Fay * (Corinne) Renny Golden * Eva Sage Gordon * John S. Green * Rumi Hara * John Harn * Karl Harshbarger * James Kelly * Stephen Kessler * Chris Gordon Owen * John Stanford Owen... read more
Chicago Quarterly Review Vol. 23
Chicago Quarterly Review
Contributors include: Robin Barber Andrew W.M. Beierle J. A. Bernstein Lisa Bloomfield J. Scott Brownlee Claudia Buckholts Lucas Carpenter Dounia Choukri Emily Culliton Patricia Engel Robin Estrin Katharine Haake Stanley Horowitz Michael Hutchison Greg Jenkins Charles Johnson Laura Jok David Kear Robert Kerwin Jen Knox Chuck Kramer Shane Lake Dorianne Laux Thomas Lee Joan Li Margit Liesche Jos... read more
Mona has 6 reviews
Professionalism
Professionalism
Quality
Quality
Value
Value
Communication & Punctuality
Communication & Punctuality
Mona did a thorough copy edit, raised the right questions, didn't overstep, and made good suggestions for changed words and phrases, also possible cuts. She also did excellent fact checking and engaged in a valuable give and take around a sticky question of geography--whether to use the real place name or make one up. Over all I highly recommend her services.
Victoria Costello, February 2021
Give her your money. She's worth every penny and more. Mona is talented, honest, trustworthy, fastidious, kind, an excellent communicator, and is fun to work with. She made the daunting process of book editing feel easy and doable for me - a complete newbie. She took time before we started our process to explain to me how things would work. She took time to give me a sample edit. She was extrem...
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Rachel Sarah Thomas, February 2021
Mona was excellent! Very throrough, on time and flexible. She worked with me through all my problem areas and was very patient with my delays. The end result were beautiful files that easily uploaded to the publisher and got my book online, eBook and print on demand versions.
Curtis Putnam, February 2021
I am very pleased with Mona's work. She edited the entire manuscript of one of our YA titles. Will definitely hire her again!
Mary Claire Branton, August 2020
Working with Mona has been a pleasure. She is precise, detail-oriented, up to date with the standard practices in book publishing. She provided valuable insight and helped make my book writing process easier. I would work with her again.
Chipampe Mpondela, March 2020
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