Paul Zablocki - Editor
New York, United States
Contemporary fiction, romance, thrillers, YA, plays, & cookbooks are my specialties. My clients include Amazon and Simon & Schuster.
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Overview
I love editing. For over twenty years I have edited and proofread countless books, manuals, agreements, signs, announcements . . . you name it; I’ve tackled it and made it sing. For the past three years I have been the line editor, copy editor, and proofreader for many fascinating and riveting books, most of them fiction, and have a solid base of authors who keep asking for my services. I specialize in romantic, historical, and contemporary novels, but I also edit thrillers, memoirs, plays, and young adult books. I would be happy to discuss your editing and proofreading needs.
Services
Languages
English (US)
Non-Fiction
Cooking & Food Wine & Spirits
Fiction
Historical Fiction
Humor & Comedy
LGBTQ
Literature
Plays & Screenplays
Romance
Short Story
Thriller
Young Adult & Teen
Work experience
Proofreader
Simon & Schuster
October, 2016
–
Present
(over 1 year)
Proofread books for young adult readers.
Line Editor and Copy Editor
Editing Company
September, 2014
–
Present
(almost 4 years)
Manuscript line editor and copy editor (general fiction, romance, social science, poetry, memoir, fantasy, young adult) for a leading editing company.
“When my publishing house assigned Paul Zablocki to copyedit my debut novel, ‘The Promise Kitchen,’ my editor told me I’d won the lottery. She got that right. I write food-centric women’s fiction, and Mr. Zablocki handled my project with enthusiasm, intellect, passion, and vision. His willingness to be swept into my stories, his attention to detail, and the advice he gave me was astute and inspirational. I was thrilled when he was assigned to copyedit my second, ‘The Welcome Home Diner.’ I heartily endorse Mr. Zablocki for your copyediting needs.”
—Peggy Lampman, author of “The Promise Kitchen,” Lake Union Publishing
[C]opyeditor Paul Zablocki read the manuscript closely, attentively, and respectfully, appreciating its various charms, correcting its sundry lapses, and polishing the whole to a higher sheen.”
—Jon Jefferson, author of “The Promise Kitchen,” Thomas and Mercer
“I want to note how much I enjoyed Paul’s work on the manuscript. I felt that we were really on the same page, and I appreciated his input and his expertise (and his sense of humor!).”
—Liz Maverick, author of “The Transporter,” Montlake Romance
“I am so grateful for and really appreciate Paul’s thoroughness, explanations, and commentary (many of the comments made me smile).”
—M. R. Pritchard, author of “Nightingale Girl,” Kindle Press
Copy Editor / Contributing Editor
Diner Journal
July, 2014
–
Present
(almost 4 years)
I copyedit the complete journal, which includes food stories and recipes.
Portfolio (43 selected works)
The Welcome Home Diner: A Novel
Peggy Lampman
Betting on the city of Detroit’s eventual comeback, cousins Addie and Samantha decide to risk it all on an affordable new house and a culinary career that starts with renovating a vintage diner in a depressed area of town. There’s just one little snag in their vision.Angus, a weary, beloved local, is strongly opposed to his neighborhood’s gentrification—and his concerns reflect the suspicion o... read more
The First Word
Isley Robson
To stay sane, Andie Tilly must keep her mind on her work. Her job as a pediatric occupational therapist is the perfect distraction from the unspeakable tragedy she experienced as a child. But when she meets alternative-energy magnate Rhys Griffiths and his autistic toddler, Will, she quickly realizes her heart will never be the same. Especially when her name becomes Will’s first word.After acc... read more
Before I Knew (The Cabots)
Jamie Beck
Author Jamie Beck returns with an engrossing series about family, friendship, and starting over. In this first Cabot novel, a legacy of secrets tests old friends seeking a second chance at life and love.On the second anniversary of her husband’s suicide, Colby Cabot-Baxter is ready to let go of her grief and the mistakes made during her turbulent marriage. Her fresh start comes in the form of... read more
The Transporter (Hudson Kings)
Liz Maverick
Shane Sullivan, a.k.a. the Transporter, channels his need for speed into top-secret delivery runs for the Hudson Kings, an elite band of mercenaries. His precious cargo has never talked back—until now. He’s riding to the rescue of his fellow team member’s sister, who’s fleeing her abusive boyfriend. His job: steer clear of trouble and get her to New York City in one piece. But he didn’t count ... read more
Justice Returns (Ben Kincaid series Book 19)
William Bernhardt
Attorney Ben Kincaid is back with the most controversial case of his career. Ben’s former friend, Oscar Kirby, an Iraq war vet subjected by the CIA to "enhanced interrogation techniques," is the primary suspect when his "interrogator" is murdered. A dramatic trial unfolds in the courtroom–loaded with pitfalls, surprises, and a breathtaking betrayal. Something else, something very dangerous lur... read more
When They Come for You (Harper McDaniel)
James W. Hall
An Amazon Charts bestseller.After her journalist husband and infant son are brutally executed in a fire in their Florida home, photographer Harper McDaniel has nothing left to live for—except settling the score. When the local police fail to take the arson seriously, Harper takes the reins and discovers her husband was investigating some mysterious deaths at a cacao plantation on the Ivory Coa... read more
Days of Night
Jonathan Stone
When retired police detective Joe Heller is called in to investigate what might be Antarctica’s first murder, he quickly discovers that winter at McMurdo Station comes with a unique set of challenges: darkness, isolation, and the eccentric behavior of the research facility’s 157 inhabitants. But a difficult investigation turns much tougher when all communication with the outside world is sudde... read more
Seeing Double (A Heartbreaker Novel)
Tamra Baumann
Dani Botelli has vowed to step out of her demanding movie star mother’s shadow, and is determined to start a new chapter in her life. But two men vying for her attention are making for double the trouble. There’s Jake, her police detective almost-ex who wasn’t so hot as a husband but still has the hots for Dani. And as usual, he needs her intuition and visions to help him solve a crime. Then t... read more
The Financier (Hudson Kings Book 2)
Liz Maverick
A job to die for. Women to kill for. Dangerous times call for dangerous men like the Hudson Kings—and making it out alive is only half the fun.Nick Dawes just had to go and prove something to himself. The brilliant moneyman of the Hudson Kings is in deeeep trouble after losing $20 million during a “freelance” heist, and now a Russian crime boss wants the money and Nick’s head. Nick needs to ma... read more
Wave of Terror
Jon Jefferson
An unthinkable terrorist plot: The earth is shaking. The clock is ticking.Astronomer Megan O’Malley sees things on a cosmic scale—hidden planets, colliding galaxies, imploding stars deep in the universe. But this time, she’s sensing something much closer to home. And she can feel it underfoot, too: explosive seismic shifts along a geologic fault line that could unleash an apocalyptic disaster.... read more
It Ends With Her
Brianna Labuskes
He started the game. She’ll end it.FBI special agent Clarke Sinclair doesn’t give up easily. She’s spent years tracking serial killer Simon Cross, forced to follow his twisted clues and photographs across the country. Clarke knows that Cross selects only redheaded women and that he doesn’t target another victim until Clarke discovers the previous one.He’s never broken pattern…until now.A girl ... read more
All We Knew (The Cabots)
Jamie Beck
For Hunter and Sara, getting married was easy. It’s staying together that’s the true test of love…Hunter Cabot deeply loves two things: the international tea company he’s helped his father build, and his wife, Sara. From the moment he first saw her wide smile on their college campus years ago, Hunter fell hard. Yet now, with other family members pushing to sell the thriving business and Sara g... read more
The Muse of Fire
Carol M. Cram
Abandoned at birth, the grandly christened Edward Plantagenet rises from London’s Foundling Hospital to take charge back stage at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden, only to be blind-sided when he rescues Grace—a young woman escaping an abusive father.Grace finds an outlet for her passions as a Shakespearean actress, becoming ensnared by intrigues and setbacks that mar the pathway to stardom she... read more
The History and Mystery of the World Explained—with Socks.Steven Ph. Berryman was born a misfit, grew up a misfit and disappeared a misfit. Into a dryer, looking for his sock. And discovers a parallel dimension.There he finds all the socks that have disappeared from dryers all over the world.That’s a lot of socks.Coincidentally (or maybe not), Steven is followed into the dryer by Rose Hamilton... read more
The Promise Kitchen: A Novel
Peggy Lampman
Food, friendship, family, and a fresh start.Shelby Preston, a young single mother, is at a crossroads. She feels suffocated by her hardscrabble life in rural Georgia and dreams of becoming a professional chef. Lord knows her family could use a pot of something good.In Atlanta, Mallory Lakes is reeling from a bad breakup. The newspaper food columnist is also bracing for major changes at work th... read more
Nightingale Girl (Sparrow Man) (Volume 2)
M R Pritchard
Things aren’t so wonderful within the Seven Kingdoms of Heaven. Meg promised on Sparrow’s life not to leave, but Sparrow’s starting to act a little… strange. Again. The daughter of an Archangel and the Devil’s own spawn should know better than to expect two tickets to paradise without complications. But sometimes falling in love can change a world-weary country girl. Sometimes following your h... read more
Wild Whistling Blackbirds
Allen Kent
In the tumultuous 1860s, David Whitlock enlists in the hellish Civil War, leaving his wife, Suzanna, to manage the family lumber mill. With a son keeping a Pony Express station in Paiute Indian country and a daughter campaigning for women's rights in mid-century Chicago, Suzanna finds herself a lone woman in a man's world. When reports of her husband’s death place the future of the mill at ris... read more
All the Lies We Tell (Quarry Street)
Megan Hart
This sexy romantic drama from New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Megan Hart explores the tangled lives—and loves—of childhood friends.Everyone knew Alicia Harrison’s marriage to Ilya Stern wouldn’t last. They’d grown up on a remote stretch of Quarry Street, where there were two houses, two sets of siblings, and eventually, a tangled mess of betrayal, longing, and loss. Tragedy cat... read more
All the Secrets We Keep (Quarry Street)
Megan Hart
In the riveting conclusion to Megan Hart’s passionate new family drama, the secrets they keep are no match for the truths their hearts will never let go.Still stuck in his small Central Pennsylvania hometown, Ilya Stern is used to feeling like a disappointment. After his high school girlfriend, Jennilynn, drowned, he married her sister, Alicia, only to divorce a decade later. The business they... read more
Dawn of Wolves (The Kingdom of Mercia) (Volume 3)
Jayne Castel
A pious princess determined to take the veil, and a warlord who will have her as his bride. Ermenilda, a Kentish princess, is devastated when her father promises her to the exiled Mercian Prince, Wulfhere of Mercia. All Wulfhere has to do is renounce his pagan ways, convert to Christianity, and take back his territory from the Northumbrians. Initially, Ermenilda is sure Wulfhere will not succe... read more
Love Painted in Red
Cristiane Serruya
Tavish MacCraig, 33 year-old Highlander, forsook his medical and military career, after being a POW for 6 months in Afghanistan, to run his family’s internationally renowned art gallery in London, The Blue Dot. Despite being surrounded by wealth and beauty, Tavish’s days are bleak, his nights, living nightmares, and his heart, an empty shell. But when he meets Irish painter Laetitia Galen, a p... read more
The Secret Rose
Laura Landon
The events of one horrible night left Lady Abigail Langdon prisoner to a secret. A secret that would change the rest of her life. Something so important that protecting it would prevent her from loving a man she wasn't sure she could live without. Ethan Cambridge, second son of the late Earl of Burnhaven, left his Caribbean hideout-the home of his heart-to try and salvage the mess his brother ... read more
The Misses Bronte's Establishment
Amy Wolf
What if. . . Branwell Bronte had not died before Emily? What if. . .Charlotte was able to marry her “Mr. Rochester”? What if. . .the Misses Bronte's Establishment actually found a pupil: one who is taught by three geniuses? Meet Maria Shelby, spoiled – and rich – daughter of a knight in mid-Victorian England. Maria has a habit of getting in trouble: at eighteen, she’s already been sacked from ... read more
Let Her Go
M. R. Pritchard
A second chance at love is a fight to the very end. Guys like Alex Sullivan don’t come around every day, but when they do, they aren’t looking for girls like Morgan. She is the unexpected one, the unplanned daughter of parents who don’t want her; she has always stood in the shadow of her beautiful-but-dead twin sister. So when Morgan lands a marriage proposal from the handsome businessman, she... read more
Tash Hearts Tolstoy
Kathryn Ormsbee
After a shout-out from one of the Internet's superstar vloggers, Natasha "Tash" Zelenka suddenly finds herself and her obscure, amateur web series, Unhappy Families, thrust in the limelight: She's gone viral.Her show is a modern adaption of Anna Karenina--written by Tash's literary love Count Lev Nikolayevich "Leo" Tolstoy. Tash is a fan of the 40,000 new subscribers, their gushing tweets, and... read more
Saints and Misfits
S. K. Ali
Saints and Misfits is an unforgettable debut novel that feels like a modern day My So-Called Life…starring a Muslim teen.There are three kinds of people in my world: 1. Saints, those special people moving the world forward. Sometimes you glaze over them. Or, at least, I do. They’re in your face so much, you can’t see them, like how you can’t see your nose. 2. Misfits, people who don’t belong. ... read more
The Gauntlet
Karuna Riazi
A trio of friends from New York City find themselves trapped inside a mechanical board game that they must dismantle in order to save themselves and generations of other children in this action-packed debut that’s a steampunk Jumanji with a Middle Eastern flair.Nothing can prepare you for The Gauntlet… It didn’t look dangerous, exactly. When twelve-year-old Farah first laid eyes on the old-fas... read more
Diner Journal, No.32: Dear Island
Diner Journal
Diner Journal, No.32: Dear Island
Calculus and Crack: The Daiquan Johnson Story
Keith Daniel Person
The location is South Central Los Angeles, 1985, and every kid on the block is getting paid in full selling crack cocaine, but not DAIQUAN JOHNSON. He’s a slow to learn but good with his hands kind of kid whose dream is to become an engineer one day. DAIQUAN is hard working and doesn’t give in easily, but all the determination in the world may not prove enough for a passing grade in a major th... read more
Kaleidoscope Song
Fox Benwell
Fox Benwell delivers a harrowing and beautifully written novel that explores the relationship between two girls obsessed with music, the practice of corrective rape, and the risks and power of using your voice.Neo loves music, and all she ever wanted was a life sharing this passion, on the radio. When she meets Tale, the lead singer in a local South African band, their shared love of music gro... read more
Claiming Alexis (Ace Security)
Susan Stoker
Nothing is more important to Blake Anderson than the work he does with his brothers at Ace Security. At least that’s what he thinks until he meets the fiercely independent Alexis Grant. The security firm’s new intern pushes all his buttons—and makes his temperature rise. But giving in to temptation might be risky business.Alexis can tell that Blake has his doubts about her ability to commit. B... read more
A Small Bouquet of Jasmine
Ray Lester
Luther’s destiny takes him from rural Texas to the French Riviera to exotic Tunisia before returning him home a victim of the Arab Spring, in this hilarious literary novel exploring the conflict between tradition and modernity and confrontation with change. Luther sifts through his memories trying to make sense of the way his life has become entwined in the geopolitical events that are current... read more
Go See The Eclipse: And Take a Kid with You
Chap Percival
Total solar eclipses are rare occurrences at any given location. The last one visible from anywhere in the continental United States was in 1979, in the Pacific Northwest. That's why the August 21, 2017, eclipse is a very big deal. It will offer an estimated sixty-five million people the chance to participate in this celestial phenomenon. Astronomy educator Chap Percival is passionate about th... read more
Lieblings
Nadia Espley
Welcome to Buntington! The best place to live in the world, ever. Everybody says so. Well, at least the Lieblings do…and with the Lieblings, either you’re in or you’re out. In her debut novel, Nadia Espley paints a frightening picture of Middle Class suburbia. Beyond the tweeness and cupcakes of Buntington’s influential women, lies a darker side where friendships are not just hierarchical, pol... read more
Kit Marlowe - Acting Edition
David Grimm
My Shot: Balancing It All and Standing Tall
Elena Delle Donne
Elena Delle Donne, 2015 WNBA MVP and 2016 Olympic gold medalist, shares her inspirational story of being a young basketball prodigy who gave up an impressive basketball scholarship for family and self-discovery.Elena Delle Donne has always forged her own path. During her first year of college, she walked away from a scholarship and chance to play for Geno Aurriema at UConn—the most prestigious... read more
Scythe (Arc of a Scythe)
Neal Shusterman
Two teens must learn the “art of killing” in this Printz Honor–winning book, the first in a chilling new series from Neal Shusterman, author of the New York Times bestselling Unwind dystology.A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: humanity has conquered all those things, and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life—and they are commanded to do so... read more
Curveball (Jeter Publishing)
Derek Jeter
In the fifth book in the New York Times bestselling middle grade series inspired by the life of iconic New York Yankee Derek Jeter, Derek spends the summer with his grandparents in Pequannock Township, New Jersey.
Ada Lace, Take Me to Your Leader (An Ada Lace Adventure)
Emily Calandrelli
From Emily Calandrelli—host of Xploration Outer Space, correspondent on Bill Nye Saves the World, and graduate of MIT—comes the third novel in a fun illustrated chapter book series about an eight-year-old girl with a knack for science, math, and solving mysteries with technology.Third grader and inventor extraordinaire Ada Lace likes nothing more than to tinker with mechanics like her robot, G... read more
Save the Date
Morgan Matson
All first editions will be signed by the author—available while supplies last! Father of the Bride meets Sixteen Candles in the latest novel from New York Times bestselling author Morgan Matson.Charlie Grant’s older sister is getting married this weekend at their family home, and Charlie can’t wait—for the first time in years, all four of her older siblings will be under one roof. Charlie is d... read more
The Testament of Loki
Joanne M. Harris
In the sequel to The Gospel of Loki, Loki’s adventures continue when he finds a way out of the end of the world and plans to restart the power of the Norse gods.The end of the world—also known as Ragnarok to the Norse gods—has occurred, and Loki has been trapped in a seemingly endless purgatory, in torture, until he finds a way to escape. It seems that he still exists in the minds of humanity ... read more
Paul has 1 review
Professionalism
Quality
Value
Communication
Paul did a great job copy-editing my novel. From the very first communication, I knew I was in good hands, and that he would do his best improve my work. And so he did. In working on my manuscript, Paul proved equally skilled and insightful on the overall plot & character development as he was on punctuation and consistency of style. He was communicative and responsive throughout the proces...
Read moreSigur-Björn ., February 2018
Thank you, Sigur-Björn. You are the perfect client. I thoroughly enjoyed working with you on your manuscript, and would love to again. Cheers!
Reply from Paul Zablocki
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