A meticulous, caring editor, Elaine is a real pro who knows how to take a book from the idea to the finished product, applying professional standards with compassion every step of the way.
Michaela Hamilton,
Editor in Chief,
Kensington Publishing
I have been an editor and a writer for more than 25 years, spending some of that time on staff and some of it as a freelancer. Before founding the Sharp Pencil Editorial Services in 2003, I worked for a number of book publishers, a few magazines, several newspapers, and a website. The skills and experience I picked up in each field allow me to feel comfortable today with a wide variety of formats and subject areas. Equally proficient at developmental editing, substantive editing, line editing, and copyediting, I am also adept at meeting tight deadlines, handling numerous projects simultaneously, and working both independently and as part of a team.
Emphasis
Although the bulk of my editing projects have been in consumer health, I am considered a general nonfiction editor with a solid grounding in fiction. As my portfolio shows, I have worked with books and articles on health, alternative health, nutrition, cooking, pregnancy, parenting, fitness, sports, self-help, lifestyle, psychology, women's issues, New Age, spirituality, pet care, and history. I have edited nonfiction books, novels, magazine and journal articles, short stories, and website content; and proofread enough galleys to send my eye doctor on a summer-long junket around Europe.
Library
The books on my desk include dog-eared copies of The Chicago Manual of Style and Words into Type, as well as the MLA Style Manual, the Publication Manual of the American Psychological Association, and the American Medical Association Manual of Style. My tried-and-true dictionaries include Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, the American Heritage College Dictionary, and the Concise Oxford English Dictionary. A quick study, I can, if need be, master other style guides and dictionaries in short order.
