Nancy Mandel

Nancy Mandel – Editor

Picky, helpful New Yorker, lover of Austen and Dunnett and really clear recipe directions; also of getting names and dates right.

Overview

I'm a trained critic (seriously: MA in Architecture and Design Criticism, who knew that was even a thing) who's written how-tos, reviews, and profiles and written or edited thousands of letters, reports, and other texts in a variety of professional contexts. In the last five years, I've proofread or copyedited 60+ non-fiction books, plus articles and student papers. I've also been tutoring English speakers with poor literacy; it's revelatory to see written material through my students' eyes and recognize how writers and designers can make readers' lives easier -- or much more difficult. I'm also a lifelong avid reader of fiction, especially mysteries, historical fiction, and literary fiction.

I bring all this experience to you. You'll get thoughtful consideration of structure and language where needed; gaps and ambiguities will be identified and solutions suggested. I'll show you where to prune and where to plant. On the small scale, verbs, spellings, and commas will be perfected. You'll sound like you, but sharper and clearer. How I work: Typically, I make changes directly in text for simple corrections and leave comments for authors with suggestions for less obvious ones, but I am happy to dial interventions up or down, so let me know what works best for you. I will reply to emails within half a day. I'm a fast reader and will offer short but reasonable time estimates. *Special interest in historical fiction and how-tos & recipes.*
Services
Non-Fiction
DIY & Crafts Education & Reference
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Teachers College Press

Jan, 2016 — Present

Careful proofreading or copyediting of three score book manuscripts, both monographs and edited volumes. I have watched over and fixed everything from clotted flow through unclear grammar to en dashes in page ranges; academic aspects like citation standards; and style issues like excessive (or missing) connective material or rocky idiom use by writers whose first language isn't English.

AMERICAN IMAGO Magazine

Jan, 2016 — Sep, 2018 (over 2 years)

Edited complete issues of this specialist quarterly, front matter through all essays.

RUBBERSTAMPMADNESS (magazine)

Jan, 1995 — Jan, 2010 (about 15 years)

Extensive publication in leading organ of rubberstamp hobby, Rubberstampmadness, including how-tos, reviews, and profiles.

Professionals similar to Nancy

Get a range of offers by requesting quotes from multiple professionals.

Melanie Madden

Melanie M.

Hello :) I'm a book editor with more than 12 years of experience in the NYC publishing industry. See my portfolio below.

New York, NY, USA

98% reply rate

View profile
Deborah Webb

Deborah W.

Editor/proofreader: experience in post-doc level books to EYFS and primary KS1 via academic articles, theses and commercial reports

England, United Kingdom

93% reply rate

View profile
Wesley Salazar

Wesley S.

Editor with an eye for market viability and a positive attitude. I'd be thrilled to read, edit, or help you develop your adult/kids' book!

New York, NY, USA

100% reply rate

View profile