Hire the Best Book Editors in Wisconsin

I have a Bachelor's Degree in Creative Writing (with a Minor in Communications) from the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay. I took rigorous courses in both academic writing, research, and creative writing. I specialized in poetry. I served on the school's literary journal, the Sheepshead Review, for two years, or four semesters. For three of those semesters I was on the editing team. I was the nonfiction editor one semester, and then co-chief and chief copyeditor for two semesters, respectively. I'm very good at looking through things and finding flaws, as well as rewording sentences so they make more sense. I'm also very good at casual writing and writing poetry, short stories, and articles for newspapers, which would translate over to blogs. If I have to do a little research, that's no problem. I once had to write a ten page research paper, so this is no big deal! I have been on Upwork for over 6 years now and I have edited over 160 manuscripts. I am the listed editor on the book AEGIS by Aether Quinn and registered in Bowker's databases (where the ISBNs for the book came from). In my downtime I'm a huge nerd who reads, plays video games, and is into other geeky culture. I'm also a wife and have an adorable calico cat named Leliana. I very much look forward to working with anyone who is interested. I look forward to hearing from you!

Beautiful design is respect. I design reports, webs, books, and data visuals that help people understand and trust complex work. When content is dense or technical, I bring calm structure: clear hierarchy, strong typography, and charts that explain, not decorate. What I design and deliver • Impact reports, annual reports, research publications, guides/toolkits • Infographics, data visualization, and chart redesign • Book interiors, book covers, and ebook layout • Amazon KDP print + ebook production support (print-ready PDF, EPUB when needed) • Presentations and client-ready PDFs • Wix pages that match the publication design system (optional) What you can expect • Clear scope and milestones (no surprises) • Careful production details (styles, consistency, print readiness) • Clean, organized files and reliable handoff My background in education and software engineering helps me think in systems and deliver reliable handoffs: clean files, consistent styles, and clear communication. Tools & platforms: Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Tableau, Python, Wix, Amazon KDP.

For over 30 years I've helped writers (from entrepreneurs to academics to healers) successfully shape what they're trying to say, in their own voice. I believe every document has an intended result or call to action; a tone, style or voice; and an ideal reader — and I edit towards those outcomes, working hand in hand with you. As a developmental editor, I'm the person to call when you have a pile of ideas, a half-finished draft, or a concept you're not sure how to frame. One of my strengths is organizing, so I'll help you figure out what belongs where and what doesn't. For books, I'll help you outline and title your masterpiece to make it land with impact for your ideal audience. (Every book I've helped develop has revealed a "surprise" chapter that turns out to be one of the most powerful one.) After that, I can coach you in writing or help you create your manuscript via the speak-to-write method, a specialty of mine that captures your voice. Tapping my marketing background, we can design a book to grow your business. I can even help you build your signature system. I came up through line editing and proofing, so I offer those services as well. I love that my clients often return for more. I prefer long-term relationships. What I bring: • Over 30 years of professional editing and writing, both corporate and freelance • Deep background in health, wellness, and spirituality; as well as entrepreneurship (esp. startup/growth phases) and marketing; and finance (formerly Series 7 and Series 65) • The intelligence to edit research and academic reports or white papers and catch errors • Speak-to-write book creation: You talk, I shape that transcript into your manuscript. • AI-fluent: I love to edit AI-generated content to sound human. On the flip side, I can use AI tools and create prompts to get your workflow done. • Ivy League BA in Economics • Work with AP, Chicago, APA, and eclectic in-house styles Selected work: • Right to Petition by Nicole Tisdale: Co-outlining, title development, coaching • Memoir: Developmental editing of a personal narrative about body image that helped a woman reclaim her story • Research reports of 100+ pp, including bivariate and multivariate modeling: Full line edit and proofing, plus I catch math errors Genres: Nonfiction, memoir, poetry Topics: • Health, wellness, nutrition, exercise, self-help, healing, spirituality, coaching • Money management, finance, economics; entrepreneurship • Published research reports, board communications, external-facing thought leadership • Book outlining and development How I Work: • I'm fast, reliable, and I take your subject matter seriously. • I bring a light touch and great respect for your voice and ideas. • Having worked with many clients, I can adapt flexibly to your editing preferences. Note: I am returning to Upwork (May 2026) after working with private clients for a few years, Therefore I currently have no Job Success Score, which requires two active contracts. When I was last active on Upwork, it ran at nearly 100% and I was a Rising Talent. I hope to return to that status this year.

As a copy editor, I have an excellent eye for detail, and am extremely thorough in my work. I enjoy adapting sentences to make them clearer and more concise, and my knowledge of grammar and punctuation is top-level. As an academic writer, I am experienced in research, formatting, and structure. I am nerdy enough to pursue information above and beyond the call of duty -- and I am skilled and experienced enough to then craft that information into a clear, interesting paper. As a ghostwriter, I can tap into my many, many years of devouring fiction of all eras in order to create charming, colorful, and exciting storytelling. My own writings have been professionally published.

I’m a professional editor with a PhD in English and extensive experience supporting both independent authors and academic, institutional, consulting, nonprofit, and faith-based writing. If you're looking for a long-term editing partner, I'm here for you. I bring many years of senior-level experience, and am known for being meticulous, reliable, and highly professional. I offer the range of editing support -- from light copyediting to in-depth developmental work. My editing work spans: - Novelists and fiction writers of all genres (navel, romance, adventure, science-fiction, etc.) - Consulting and institutional proposals - Research reports and strategic plans - Technical and research-based books - Multi-author and thematic collections - Memoir and trauma-informed nonfiction - Academic articles, dissertations, and theses - Grants and funding narratives - College and graduate applications I’m fluent in APA, MLA, and Chicago styles and comfortable working across institutional house styles, submission requirements, and confidential review processes. Previously, I've taught college writing for seven years at UW-Milwaukee. I've also served as Executive Director of an international NGO, where I led and edited grant proposals, reports, and communications related to justice, peacebuilding, reconciliation, and international programming. This experience gave me deep familiarity with donor expectations, institutional voice, and deadline-driven writing. I am also a co-founder of Santiago Global, a woman-owned firm specializing in research-based communication, data storytelling, institutional reporting, and proposal design. I also bring extensive academic experience, including teaching university courses in English composition, communication, and peace-related fields, publishing peer-reviewed work, and presenting at major interdisciplinary and international conferences. I have participated in interdisciplinary research institutes at Harvard and Northwestern University. While my training is rigorous, my approach to editing is practical and collaborative. I focus on structure, flow, clarity, and reader experience rather than stylistic rewriting or content ownership. I was mentored during my PhD by Dr. Jane Gallop, a leading practitioner of close reading, which shaped my careful, sentence-level attention and respect for authorial voice. I enjoy partnering with writers and teams who need a thoughtful, experienced editor to help their work read clearly, coherently, and professionally—especially when the content is complex, sensitive, or time-constrained.

"Melanie was absolutely AMAZING! She was the third freelancer I had tried for this project. The first two could not do it to the standards I wanted but Melanie not only met my standards she exceeded them." -Virna ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Finding the right freelancer is quite the treasure hunt, so here are some quick, helpful tidbits: *My clients are primarily related to Higher Ed, Business & Leadership, and Christianity *My clients are often long-term (projects that last 3+ months) *My clients love high-quality content with responsible (not spammy) SEO integration *My clients prefer conversational-style voice that connects with readers Are we a match so far? Awesome. Read on. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- If you want the CliffNotes version of my background, here are some highlights. *Bachelor's in Psychology and Sociology (aka, good at understanding what makes people tick) *Master's in Organizational Leadership (aka, business smarts) *6 years working at a University (aka, I truly GET all the inner workings of an educational organization) *2 years in sales (aka, I know how to convert) *8 years of ministry experience (aka, I care a lot about people and their faith journeys) *5 years in freelance writing (aka, well…this one is self-explanatory) Put that all together and you get? A professional freelance writer for purpose-driven businesses like YOURS. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Still tracking? Yay! I was hoping so. Send me an interview request for your project and let's set up a time to talk about your vision. See you on the Zoom call, friend!