Oksana Marafioti

Oksana Marafioti – Editor

I'm a bestselling and award-winning author, teacher, and editor. I love books and writers!

Overview

I love working with writers! Editing never feels like just a job to me—it’s a true passion. I feel incredibly lucky to do work that brings me so much joy and fulfillment.

While I write full-time, my true calling is teaching. Over the years, I've helped hundreds of writers improve their craft, reach their goals, and fall in love with their narratives, making me the perfect editing partner. I embrace the editing process and find joy in bringing stories to life. My mission is to help other writers reach their potential.

I have extensive experience in the writing and editing industry, specializing in developmental editing, copyediting, and proofreading. Fluent in three languages, I’m comfortable working with non-native English speakers and can ghostwrite. My punctuality and ability to meet deadlines are influenced by my experience homeschooling my kids, one of whom started college at sixteen.

I work hard for my writers because I believe that if you've come this far in your writing journey, you have something important to say. Your voice deserves to be heard.

As a college English/Literature professor, I also teach creative writing courses and host professional writer talks at a writing studio I founded in 2016.

Here’s a brief overview of the three types of editing services I offer:

Developmental Editing focuses on the overall structure and content of a manuscript, addressing plot, character development, theme, pacing, and narrative flow. It involves analyzing the story's structure, coherence, and impact and offering suggestions for reorganization, expansion, or reduction of content. The goal is to refine and enhance the core elements of the story to create a strong, cohesive, and engaging narrative.

Copy/Line Editing is a meticulous process that focuses on grammar, punctuation, spelling, syntax, and language consistency. It improves sentence structure, clarity, and readability, addressing issues like redundancy, awkward phrasing, and tone inconsistencies. The aim is to polish the manuscript to a high standard of readability and linguistic precision. If you're happy with your story, plot, and characters and just need an overall polish of the prose, Copy Editing is for you.

Proofreading is the final editing stage. It focuses on identifying and correcting surface-level errors, including typos, misspellings, punctuation mistakes, and formatting inconsistencies. It ensures the manuscript is error-free and professionally presented, providing a final check before publication or submission.

I mostly work on memoirs, literary fiction, fantasy, and sci-fi, although I'm open to other genres! The books in my portfolio don't include works (mostly urban/fantasy) I've edited that are still in various stages of being published.

*If budget constraints pose a challenge, I am open to collaborating to make our partnership more financially feasible.

Drop me a line, and let's talk!

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Fiction
Cultural & Ethnic Literary Fiction Romance Urban Fantasy Young Adult
Languages
English (US)
Awards
  • Library of Congress Kluge Center Research Fellowship
  • Picador Professorship Award for Distinguished Writing
  • Nevada Arts Council Grant
  • National Endowment for the Arts
Certifications
  • MFA in Creative Writing

Work experience

Netflix

Jan, 2022 — Present

University of Leipzig, Germany

Aug, 2020 — May, 2021 (9 months)
Guest Professorship for Literature Award.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Aug, 2015 — May, 2017 (over 1 year)

Central European University, Critical Romani Studies Journal

May, 2015 — Present
My task as a co-editor of the special issue of the Critical Romani Studies Journal is to compile a list of short stories written by authors (many of them also academics) from all over the world. To ensure the highest quality of writing, I'm personally involved in all levels of the editing process, from developmental edits to proofreading. A large number of authors aren't native English speakers. My multilingual and editorial backgrounds allow me to efficiently work on grammar, syntax, semantics, and content assessment with this group of highly accomplished professionals.

University of Nevada, Las Vegas

May, 2013 — Present

Library of Congress

Aug, 2012 — May, 2013 (9 months)
A Kluge Fellowship award recipient.

Farrar, Straus, & Giroux

Apr, 2009 — Present

Portfolio

Developmental Editing Copy Editing
My Stroke in the Fast Lane: A Journey to Recovery (A Memoir)

Brodnick, Bonni

August Willis Books & Co.

Copy Editing Proofreading
Proofreading
Editorial Assessment
Proofreading
Maria reveals her powerful and extraordinary story. Without realizing what she was doing, Rice created hell on earth before finding the strength and power to overturn all the negatives in her ... read more
Developmental Editing Copy Editing Proofreading
Editorial Assessment
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Jesus, the Egypt years is about how the holy family survived in Egypt when they're there. They're in Egypt for three and half years and during these times baby Jesus is growing up. In the stor... read more
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Editorial Assessment Proofreading
Imago Dei

Thomas, Paul

Developmental Editing Editorial Assessment Proofreading
Copy Editing Proofreading
Devil Overlords

Murdock, Cara

Proofreading
Proofreading Book Coaching
A compelling collection of essays providing a comprehensive vision of immigration to the United States in the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries—the indispensable companion to Immigrant Voices.Filled with moving narratives by authors from around the wor... read more
When we speak of grey as a location, placing a thing into a grey area, the color represents territory where the definite becomes lost. Grey lets us know that the truth is not always clear; eve... read more
Proofreading

Oksana has 44 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Samantha G.

Samantha G.

Mar, 2025

Pinned
I haven’t let anyone read my writing for well over a decade, so I was nervous about this process, and I expressed those concerns openly with Oksana. She was the exact person I needed to cross paths with to improve on something I love. She did a developmental edit for my first ever novel and poi...
Read more
Oksana M.
Thank you so much for this incredibly kind review, Sam! It truly means the world to me, and I’m so grateful I got to be part of your writing journey. Keep going—you’ve got something special! 😊
tommy's A.

tommy's A.

Feb, 2025

Pinned
Oksana Marafiote is a true professional! Her edits and suggestions are outstanding. This was my first book "Arcane Knowledge Of The Sasquatch" My book is story telling and Oksana set me up for success! She gave me crucial suggestions that'll no doubt help draw readers into my stories. She deliver...
Read more
Oksana M.
Thank you for this, Tommy. I can't wait to read your next book!
Steve M.

Steve M.

Aug, 2024

Pinned
Oksana was flexible and dropped the price and shortened the dates when I decided to go with a shorter version of my book than what I’d originally requested the bid for. I’m still digesting her input/feedback, and that is a positive thing. She provided helpful next steps for my writing growth. S...
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Oksana M.
It was such a pleasure reading your story, Steve. Can't wait to see it in print!
Shannon K.

Shannon K.

Jun, 2025

Oksana has been wonderful to work with. She met every request I had, met my timeline and made this experience 100% worth it. She managed the project with a skillful hand and helped finesse my book. I've never done this before and am so thankful I went with her as my professional. It ended up be...
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Oksana M.
I’m so glad the process felt smooth and worthwhile! It means the world to hear that. You’ve got something truly special, Shannon, and I’m cheering you on every step of the way!
Danielle S.

Danielle S.

Jun, 2025

It was wonderful to work with Oksana! She responded to messages quickly, and was incredibly kind in all of our correspondence. She provided an extremely quick turnaround at a fair price, and showed great care for my book. I would highly recommend her!
Oksana M.
Thank you so much for the kind words, Dani! It was truly a pleasure working with you. Such a fascinating read, and I felt honored to be part of its journey. Wishing you all the best as you bring yo...
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