Oksana Marafioti

Oksana Marafioti – Editor

Bestselling author & editor helping writers craft compelling, publishable books across literary and genre fiction.

Overview

If you’ve come this far in your writing journey, you have something important to say and your voice deserves to be heard. I’ll work hard to help that voice shine!

I’m a bestselling, award-winning author published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux, and a creative writing professor. I’ve spent over a decade helping writers transform early drafts into compelling, publishable manuscripts, whether for agents, traditional publishing, or independent release.

I specialize in memoir, literary fiction, and character-driven genre work, including fantasy, sci-fi, and speculative fiction.

My approach is both rigorous and deeply collaborative:

I strengthen structure, pacing, and narrative drive, deepen emotional impact and thematic clarity, and refine your voice without flattening it. I will never change your style or the heart of your storytelling purpose.

Clients often come to me with a draft that “almost works.” My job is to help you turn that into something that feels inevitable, a story that holds together and resonates with readers.

Because I’m also a writer, I understand how vulnerable this process can be. You’ll get honest, thoughtful feedback, but always with the goal of helping you grow, not overwhelm you.

I’m especially drawn to projects with a strong voice, emotional depth, and a clear sense of purpose, whether grounded in reality or built from an imagined world.

I’m best suited for writers who are serious about their work and open to revision. If you’re looking for a true editorial partner, we’ll work well together.

If that sounds like what you need, I’d love to hear about your project!

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Cultural & Ethnic Fantasy Literary Fiction
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
Contribute to writing and story development for film/television projects.

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
Teach college-level writing, literature, and creative writing, with a focus on narrative craft, revision, and critical thinking.

Library of Congress

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

Farrar, Straus, & Giroux

Apr, 2009 — Present
Author of American Gypsy, published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

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
Copy Editing Proofreading
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 52 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Peter John K.

Peter John K.

Dec, 2025

Pinned
I discovered Oksana when I watched the live Reedsy’s “Anatomy of a Great Scene” presentation on April 9, 2025. It was amazing and I highly recommend anyone interested in developmental editing for their project to check out the recording! When I first saw her, I immediately knew she was someone ...
Read more
Oksana M.
Thank you so much for this incredibly thoughtful and generous review, Peter. I loved working on your project, and I’m truly grateful you trusted me with your story and your process!
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...
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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! 😊
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!
Julie A.

Julie A.

Mar, 2026

Excellent. Professional. Insightful. I am very appreciative of edit recommendations.
Oksana M.
Thank you, Julie!
Shrina S.

Shrina S.

Nov, 2025

Oksana is very responsive and easy to talk to. She’s flexible and always easy to reach. I’m very thankful to have found her. I still need to go through all of her edits and incorporate them, but based on my initial review, her feedback looks excellent! I can’t wait to read through her comments an...
Read more
Oksana M.
Thank you, Shrina. You've written a wonderful story, and I'm looking forward to seeing what you do next!

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