Senica Maltese

Senica Maltese – Editor

Canadian editor with 10+ years' experience collaborating on literary fiction, short fiction, creative/critical nonfiction + children's lit.

Overview

Hi, I’m Senica! I am a Canadian editor of fiction and creative and critical nonfiction with over a decade of experience writing, editing, and workshopping prose across mediums and genres. As a freelancer, I have collaborated with everyone from first-time novelists and respected academics to established publishing houses. Manuscripts in my care have been published, or are forthcoming, with House of Anansi, TouchWood Editions, Strangers Press, the UEA Publishing Project, Cambridge University Press, and Rutgers University Press. As a contracted editor with Indie Publishing Group and Author Services Australia, I specialize in self-published children's literature, ranging from picture books to middle-grade chapter books.


WHAT I CAN DO FOR YOU


✅ Full and Partial Manuscript Evaluations

✅ Stylistic Editing (also known as line editing)

✅ Copy Editing

✅ Proofreading


WHAT TO EXPECT FROM WORKING WITH ME


✅ Thorough, compassionate edits that prioritize your goals and distinct authorial voice.

✅ Clear, open communication. I take a collaborative approach, especially for stylistic edits and edits that consider the developmental side of storytelling.

✅ Precise, detail-oriented editing, returned by our agreed-upon deadlines.


I love working with first-time authors and experienced writers alike. Let's talk about your project!


TESTIMONIALS


“Senica is a diligent, versatile and compassionate professional. With the help of her masterful editing, I was able to secure interest in my first novel from the world’s top literary agents. I would highly recommend her services and look forward to working with her on my future literary endeavours.”

— Rachael Moorthy, debut author of RIVER MEETS THE SEA (forthcoming, House of Anansi)


“Senica is an incredibly thoughtful, experienced, and talented editor who was a pleasure to work with at every stage ... In addition to very detailed proofreading and line editing, she offered insightful developmental suggestions. Her instincts about how to polish and improve my manuscript were spot-on ... I highly recommend working with [her].”

—Raena Zupan, emerging memoir writer

Services
Non-Fiction
Humanities & Social Sciences
Fiction
Literary Fiction Picture Books Short Story
Languages
English (CAN) English (UK) English (US)
Awards
  • UEA North American Bursary Scholarship (2016)
  • Alberta Magazine Publishers Award, Fiction finalist (2021, 2022)
Certifications
  • MFA Creative Writing from the University of East Anglia (2016–2018)
  • BA Creative Writing and English Literature from the University of Victoria (2011–2016)

Work experience

Self-publishing

Oct, 2020 — Present

As a contracted editor, I specialize in self-published children's literature.

Strangers Press

Mar, 2019 — Jan, 2021 (almost 2 years)

As an editorial assistant with Strangers Press, I provided stylistic edits, copy edits, and final proofreads on translated short stories and essays. Highlights include YEOYU (a series of eight Korean stories), VERZET (a series of eight Dutch stories), +SVIZRA (a series of eight stories from Switzerland), and KŪNAI (a series of five Lithuanian stories).

Self-employed

Jan, 2018 — Present

As a freelance editor, I have worked on a variety of published, self-published, and unpublished manuscripts across a wide range of genres, including literary fiction, hybrid fiction, epic fantasy, urban fantasy, romance, memoir, personal essays, and academic writing.

The Malahat Review

Sep, 2014 — Jun, 2016 (over 1 year)

In my final two years at the University of Victoria, I interned with The Malahat Review as a member of their Fiction Board, vetting prose submissions and helping select stories for publication.

Portfolio

Bruise: A Novel

Markle, Adrian

Proofreading
Proofreading
Copy Editing
Each One Matters

Crunican, Deb

Editorial Assessment
Copy Editing
Developmental Editing
Proofreading
Copy Editing
Proofreading
Proofreading
Proofreading
My Daddy is a Paramedic

McLeod, Mr David

Copy Editing
My Mummy is a Paramedic

McLeod, Mr David

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Proofreading
The Dandy

Polak, Nina

Reconstruction

Amatmoekrim, Karin

Demons

Kang Hwagil

Divorce

Kim Soom

Kong's Garden

Hwang Jung-eun

Europa

Han Kang

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing

Senica has 9 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Nilofar S.

Nilofar S.

Nov, 2024

Senica is an intelligent, thoughtful, and highly competent editor. I’ve worked with her twice to refine my debut novel, and both times she exceeded my expectations. Her professional line editing, detailed style sheet, and insightful feedback on story structure, character development, and voice elevated my manuscript to a much higher level. Thanks to her expert edits, my novel was nominated for...
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Seth W.

Seth W.

Feb, 2024

Senica is incredibly professional and gives insight where in areas I never thought of. I can't recommend her enough.
Alison H.

Alison H.

Oct, 2023

Senica was the first editor I ever worked with, so I had a lot to learn, but she taught me what I needed to know with clarity, patience, and kindness. She answered all my questions to my satisfaction and introduced me to several important concepts and tools which she showed me how to use to improve my work, while still respecting my style and goals. She demonstrated that she had a wealth of lit...
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Ana I.

Ana I.

Aug, 2023

I truly enjoyed working with Senica. She was very professional and respectful with my project's vision and my voice as a writer.
Erik-Marv B.

Erik-Marv B.

May, 2023

Senica did line editing for my translated novel, and I'm grateful to her for bringing my story to life in English. She demonstrated an outstanding level of professionalism, dedication, and an astute understanding of the novel's needs. Senica made sure that every line was scrutinized and improved upon; she carefully tackled each issue, bringing my novel to its full potential in English.

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