Oksana Marafioti

Oksana Marafioti – Editor

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

Overview

I can’t say enough about how much 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
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
Experience the “Real Las Vegas” Through Writings About ReinventionIn a wide-ranging anthology that moves from the ancient artists of southern Nevada who carved petroglyphs into rock walls to c... read more
Copy Editing
The Perpetual Engine of Hope, a collection of short stories inspired by vintage Las Vegas photographs, takes you on an epic journey from the heyday of the mob era to a dystopian future of dash... read more
Copy Editing
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
When a team of ghost hunters goes rogue, Olivia Stone, rookie federal agent, is dispatched to investigate. What starts off as a simple assignment quickly turns into a job from hell. Literally.... read more
Developmental Editing Copy Editing Proofreading

Oksana has 34 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

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. Some of it should be relatively simple to execute, while other lessons will probably take me a couple...
Read more
Oksana M.
It was such a pleasure reading your story, Steve. Can't wait to see it in print!
Sheron B.

Sheron B.

Feb, 2024

Pinned
My overall experience with Oksana was excellent. I hired her for editorial guidance on the dark romance series I am developing. She explained her process: All edits are received upon completion of the manuscript, not by chapter. Handing over my work for editing was the most challenging part of the process. As she edited the manuscript, I began outlining the next story in my dark romance series....
Read more
Ryan D.

Ryan D.

Feb, 2025

Excellent job proofreading my novel. Professional, timely delivery, and supportive. Would highly recommend.
Oksana M.
Thank you, Ryan! I really appreciate your kind words. It was a pleasure working on your novel, and I’m so glad I could help. Wishing you all the best as you move forward with your book!
Halle A.

Halle A.

Jan, 2025

Oksana was delightful to work with. She was professional, timely, and accommodating during the process of taking on my project. She then provided detailed notes, excellent insights, accurate critiques, warmth, and encouragement in her feedback on my manuscript. She is the best editor I have ever worked with!
Oksana M.
Thank you so much for your kind words, Halle. It was truly a pleasure working with you, and I’m so glad my feedback was helpful. Your project was a joy to dive into, and I appreciate your trust in ...
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Elaine H.

Elaine H.

Dec, 2024

Oksana was a wonderful partner as we collaborated to complete my memoir. She guided and encouraged me every step of the way. She is a highly skilled editor and proofreader, enhancing my efforts and identifying my blindspots. I am so very grateful that she agreed to work with me! My book is better because of her.
Oksana M.
I really appreciate your kind words, Elaine. You have a wonderful story worth sharing! ❤️

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