Michael S.

Michael S. – Editor

Versatile book editor with 15+ years' industry experience. I work with both fiction and general nonfiction

Overview

I will give your manuscript the professional polish it needs to succeed in today's competitive marketplace.


I've been a busy editorial freelancer since 2005, specializing in developmental editing, copy editing, and proofreading. I've edited everything from academic articles and scholarly books to rock 'n' roll memoirs, sports autobiography, general self-help, historical fiction, and even a book about whale music. I've been a regular freelancer for Oxford University Press for the past decade and have worked extensively with SUNY Press, Princeton University Press, Rochester University Press, Duke University Press, and Continuum International, among others. I've also edited and proofread commercial trade fiction and nonfiction for Knopf/Doubleday, Avalon Publishing Group, Kirkus Direct, Perseus Books, Cardoza Publishing, Skyhorse Publishing, iUniverse, and other prominent publishers. I've edited over 100 trade and academic books. I specialize in nonfiction but have also worked extensively with fiction (especially historical fiction). In addition to my freelance editorial experience, I also have four years' experience as a manuscript reader and evaluator (fiction and nonfiction) for two top NYC literary agencies.

Sample edit also available.

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Humanities & Social Sciences Political Science & Current Affairs Writing & Publishing
Fiction
Historical Fiction Humor & Comedy Literary Fiction
Languages
English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • Certificate in Book and Magazine Publishing, NYU Summer Publishing Institute, 1994

Portfolio

How do you measure the soul of a city? In Denver, for the better part of five decades it’s been by the Broncos. From an ugly and inauspicious beginning to the first nationally televised Monday-night game in 1973, through postseason games that included back-to-... read more
Whale song is an astonishing world of sound whose existence no one suspected before the 1960s. Its discovery has forced us to confront the possibility of alien intelligence-not in outer space but right here on earth. Thoughtful, richly detailed, and deeply ent... read more
This rock 'n' roll Angela's Ashes begins in County Wexford, Ireland, in the late 1950s, a now unrecognizable, priest-fearing backwater suffocating in superstition and strangled by sexual fevers. After an escape to the Bronx, Larry finds himself, like a musical... read more
What is your highest ideal? What code do you live by? We all know that these differ from person to person. Artists, scientists, social activists, farmers, executives, and athletes are guided by very different ideals. Nonetheless for hundreds of years philosoph... read more
This instant classic relives the most incredible hands by the greatest poker player of all time. Great players, legends and unforgettable events in the history of poker march in and out of fifty years of momentous hands. Sit side-by-side with Doyle as he repla... read more
In this fresh approach to the history of the Black Death, John Hatcher, a world-renowned scholar of the Middle Ages, recreates everyday life in a mid-fourteenth century rural English village. By focusing on the experiences of ordinary villagers as they lived—a... read more
Winner of the 2010 Dartmouth Medal, this major five-volume encyclopedia offers comprehensive coverage of all aspects of human rights theory, practice, law, and history. The set will provide situation profiles and full coverage of the development of the movemen... read more
Pushing past the conventional understanding of federal and state courts and the judicial system, this volume examines eight little-known Florida courts. Part 1 details general jurisdiction courts from 1513 to 1865 while part 2 profiles modern-era special juris... read more
At the beginning of the third decade of the 21st century, the Latino minority, the biggest and fastest growing in the United States, is at a crossroads. Is assimilation taking place in comparable ways to previous immigrant groups? Are the links to the countrie... read more
Narratives of cultural encounter in colonial North America often contrast traditional Indian coastal-dwellers and intrepid European seafarers. In Storm of the Sea, Matthew R. Bahar instead tells the forgotten history of Indian pirates hijacking European sailin... read more
Mormonism is one of the few homegrown religions in the United States, one that emerged out of the religious fervor of the early nineteenth century. Yet, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have struggled for status and recognition. In th... read more

Michael has 49 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

T L.

T L.

Nov, 2023

Michael was thorough in his review of all my materials. I sent him a long manuscript with a short time-frame in which to complete the tasks I hired him for. He provided me with a helpful review of my work; the deliverables he sent back to me included corrections and a thoughtful critique of my work. Michael is responsive to questions in a timely manner and I was quit pleased with his professi...
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Lisa S.

Lisa S.

Oct, 2023

Michael went above and beyond. I really enjoyed working with him. I've already referred him to others and plan to work with him again.
Roger M.

Roger M.

Oct, 2023

Michael's copy-editing work on my novel has been top-notch. He is highly professional in his approach; communicates well, patient, and detail-oriented. He has a keen eye, as he caught minor errors that had slipped by me. I greatly appreciate his straightforward comments, which have improved my writing by pointing out phrasing that could confuse a reader. He also took the time to highlight areas...
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Frances R.

Frances R.

Oct, 2023

Michael was very responsive, timely, and professional in his review and report.
George S.

George S.

Sep, 2023

I feel there's no stronger review you can make about an editor then saying you used them twice on the same book. Michael was my copyeditor and I came back to use him as a proofreader. Superlative work+Reasonable Price=Michael

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