Freelance developmental and line editor for fiction and non-fiction books. Freelance writer and author of Creating Your Purpose-Driven Business: A 30-Day Plan for Developing a Personal Brand and Business Strategy. Specialized interests: romance, romantasy, mystery, and contemporary fiction. Organized, detailed, creative, approachable, great communicator, and excellent at working independently and as a collaborator. SKILLS Proficient in Microsoft Word, Adobe Acrobat, Mailchimp, Squarespace, Wix, and other business management software such as Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint. Proficient in the Chicago Manual of Style, APA Style, and Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. Other: Structure and Organization Audience and Voice Character Development Plot Book Formatting Branding and Marketing Editorial Freelancers Association Member

Hi, I’m Fred Aceves. I'm an author and passionate book editor and coach. As a published author with HarperCollins, my work has been honored with multiple accolades. I know firsthand how deeply personal and challenging the writing process can be. That’s why I bring the same care and dedication to my clients’ work as I do to my own. Whether you're just starting out or preparing your manuscript for submission or publication, I’m here to help you bring your vision to life. While I don't use AI in my own editing work, I stay current on AI developments and understand its ethical use, helping writers navigate tools that support research or logistics without compromising their personal voice and expression. Below, you’ll find the services I offer. Not sure which one fits your needs? Just send me a message with a bit about your project and where you are in the process. I’ll point you in the right direction—even if that means recommending someone else. DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING Also known as substantive or content editing, this is where we shape the big picture of your book. For novelists: I focus on the essential storytelling elements—plot, structure, character development, pacing, setting, conflict, tone, and theme. Early drafts often need reworking or reshuffling, and I’ll help you strengthen what’s working while identifying what can be cut or improved. For nonfiction authors: I can help you build a clear, compelling structure, fine-tune your argument, and enhance your book’s flow. I’ll also help with chapter titles, subheadings, and ways to present information (or data) more clearly and visually. LINE EDITING & COPY EDITING Many editors specialize in one or the other—I offer both. That means more cohesive, efficient editing—and better value for you. Line Editing: I’ll help you polish your prose on a sentence level, improving clarity, flow, rhythm, and tone. This is about making your writing sing. Copy Editing: I’ll also address grammar, punctuation, spelling, consistency, and accuracy. BOOK COACHING If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck, or just unsure where to begin, book coaching might be exactly what you need. Does any of the following resonate? I want to write a book, but I don’t know how to start. I’ve started—but I can’t seem to finish. The plot or structure feels like a mess. I’m creatively stuck. I’ve got pages of notes, but no clear path forward. I wonder if I have what it takes or if anyone will even want to read it. You’re not alone—and you don’t have to do it alone. As your coach, I’ll help you: • Build a clear roadmap for your book • Set (and meet!) consistent writing goals • Get regular, personalized feedback • Brainstorm and troubleshoot ideas • Stay motivated and confident • Move from idea to finished manuscript Ready to take the next step? Get in touch, and let’s talk about how we can work together. The following is just some of my clients' feedback that you can find in my Upwork history: "Fred is a very accomplished, high-level editor with deep experience in editing nonfiction. I worked with Fred early in the conception state of writing my book and he eventually helped lead me towards a breakthrough that set me on the right path to finishing the book to great reviews." - Chris Shaver, author of Relationship Needs: Ten Shortcuts "Wonderful feedback and guidance helping me work through the content doubts I had. Always reliable, always offering valuable insights on how to progress. I highly recommend him." - Henrik Jensen, author of Masculine Meditations "Fred was outstanding to work with. An expert editor and it was great communicating with him. He totally got what I needed and delivered. Highly, highly recommend." - James A. Cosby, author of Rock Music, Authority and Western Culture "Fred has not only helped me ask the right questions about a journey I’ve never navigated before, but he’s also provided helpful resources along the way. These have made the entire process feel much more approachable and manageable. His expertise and support have been invaluable to my progress." - Dan Pardi, MS, PhD, CEO of Vivendi Health and author of the forthcoming What is Health? "Fred is thorough, patient, and committed to a level of quality that pushes you to rise to meet it. He's an editor who respects both your intention as a writer and the intelligence of your reader. Highly recommended." - Brandon Boyd, author of Undomesticated "Fred did an amazing job editing some essays for me. He took the initiative to ask some great questions that took the piece to the next level." - Larry Tadlock, memoirist and stand-up comedian

𝐻𝑒𝑟𝑒'𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑑 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ... Having groundbreaking expertise doesn't guarantee a bestselling book😔 Every day, brilliant ideas die in poorly written manuscripts that never see the light of day. 𝑰 𝒔𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒇𝒊𝒄 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒃𝒍𝒆𝒎... I help industry leaders transform their hard-earned knowledge into influential books that build their authority, without consuming their precious time. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝗽 𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁? 🔸 "I have valuable insights but can't find time to write" 🔸 "I'm worried my voice won't come through properly" 🔸 "I need this book to position me as an authority" 🔸 "I want to impact lives but struggle with the writing" 𝐼 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑖𝑡... I've helped over 75 authors and self-publishers overcome these exact hurdles. Here's what they achieved: ✅ Generated 6-figure speaking opportunities ✅ Landed major media appearances ✅ Built 7-figure consulting businesses ✅ Grew email lists by 25,000+ subscribers ✅ Secured book deals with top publishers And the best part? 𝑅𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑟𝑒𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠! 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱𝗺𝗮𝗽: 1. Deep-Dive Strategy Session: Clarify your vision and goals 2. Comprehensive Market Research: Position your book for maximum impact 3. Structured Interview Process: Capture your knowledge effortlessly 4. Chapter-by-Chapter Development: Maintain your authentic voice 5. Professional Editing & Refinement: Polish your manuscript to perfection 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁: ✅ Proven book framework that captures YOUR voice ✅ Comprehensive market research for positioning ✅ Strategic guidance on publishing options ✅ End-to-end project management ✅ One fixed price, no hidden fees 𝑅𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟... Every day you wait is another day your message isn't reaching the people who need it. Another day your authority isn't being built. Another day without the book that could transform your business. Ready to turn your expertise into a bestselling book that builds your authority while you focus on what you do best? Click "𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗝𝗼𝗯" now to discuss your project. 𝑷.𝑺. 𝑴𝒚 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒅𝒂𝒓 𝒇𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒒𝒖𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒍𝒚—𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒂 𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒏𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒄𝒍𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒆 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒔. 𝑺𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝒕𝒐 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒑𝒐𝒕!

I am an Ivy-league trained English Professor with over 25 years of experience in writing and publishing with a particular expertise in academic writing and publishing. I have served as a reader and a member of the editorial boards of several academic journals and presses, and have read admission essays for graduate and undergraduate programs and for national and international fellowships and scholarships. I have also successfully guided clients in obtaining competitive professional grants, including NEH, Mellon, SRI and Fulbright, as well as book contracts with presses such as UC Berkeley, Stanford, U of Chicago, Cambridge and Oxford. I also have extensive experience in the academic promotion process, having been a department head and serving on my college's APT committee. While I have an expertise in academic writing, here on Upwork I have helped writers complete and publish essays in a wide range of fields, including business, fintech, medicine, law, self-improvement and fiction. I can help with all aspects of the process, from how to start a book to how to write a proposal and secure a publisher. I offer a 10% discount to those who are the first in their families or adjunct faculty. See below for specific information on my services and rates. DEVELOPMENTAL EDITOR & WRITING COACH $95 an hour As a developmental editor and writing coach, my goal is to help get your writing into the world, whether you already have a manuscript and a contract from a press or simply a rough idea of something you'd like to write. I will meet you where you are and help you with any and every stage of the writing process--from the brainstorming and planning stages to the writing, revising and final editing to responding to reader reports and reviews and securing publication. I am particularly good at taking a very rough, rough draft--or even a rough idea--and helping a writer massage it into a compelling and well-structured narrative. I am also quite good at helping writers who find themselves "stuck" in a particular project and need help crafting a plan to move forward. THESIS AND DISSERTATION EDITOR AND WRITING COACH $95 an hour Writing a dissertation is hard, I know! I wrote one myself and, as an English professor for over 20 years, I helped shepherd many students through the process. Unfortunately, not every graduate program provides their students with the kind of guidance and structure that most of us need for taking on a project of this size. That is where I come in. I taught graduate level writing for many years and have supported graduate students working in a variety of fields, including the social sciences, humanities, technology, business and finance, computer science and education. I am a fast and careful proofreader and line editor, proficient in a number of citation styles, including MLA, Chicago, Oxford m, Harvard and APA, and able to carefully follow the publishing guidelines of the press you are working with. I am also conversant in a number of national Englishes. However, my talents really lie in helping clients with larger holistic issues, including argument development, organization and structure, and responding to committee feedback. I’m also especially good at helping writers who get stuck in a project or are suffering from writer’s block. My mantra is that a done dissertation is the best dissertation and I can help you craft a plan to make that come to fruition. COLLEGE AND GRADUATE ADMISSIONS ESSAYS $120 an hour As an English professor for 20+ years, I am especially attuned to what admissions materials need to contain in order to be effective. I have sat on a number of admissions committees and served on the selection committees for a number of national and international scholarships and fellowships. I have a particular expertise in graduate admissions and my clients have been accepted into several competitive programs at top schools, including Harvard, UC Berkeley, Stanford, the Wharton School of Business, Cornell and Yale, among others. I have supported clients in a wide range of fields, including medicine, law, the humanities, social sciences, counseling, nursing (including several DNP applicants), and public policy. I can help you prepare your CV and writing samples (if required), as well as prepare for any standardized tests or interviews. But where my expertise really lies is in the statement of purpose. The SOP is especially important since at some point in the admissions process everyone has good grades, laudatory recommendations and exemplary test scores. I have a proven system of helping even clients who think they can't write create compelling and organic narratives that tell the story of who they are and why they are a great match for a program.

"Angela was incredible to work with! Her work was timely and accurate. She communicated clearly, kept me in the loop about her progress on the project, and was able to complete two different tasks (beta reading and copyediting) in advance of milestone deadlines." - Author's feedback on a 30K manuscript project. If you need a copy editor or proofreader: I'm your extra pair of eyes to detect typos, grammatical/syntax errors, confusing sentences or plot holes. Readers can be picky and too many errors can mean the difference between a glowing 5-star review and one that is well... less complimentary. If you need a beta reader: I provide an in-depth report focusing on characters, plot, pacing, style, flow and any particular concerns you have, to ensure your manuscript meets reader expectations and genre tropes. My Services: ☑️ Copy editing ☑️ Proofreading ☑️ Developmental editing ☑️ Beta reading Extra Info: ☑️ Romance specialist but interested in editing and proofreading most genres, including non-fiction ☑️ Native English speaker with a MA in English based in Edinburgh ☑️ 12+ years of writing, copy editing and proofreading experience ☑️ Self-published author ☑️ Timely turnaround (1 week for a 60K word copy edit / proofread) ☑️ Prefer Word.docx using track changes and highlighted comments (but Google Docs OK too) ☑️ Delivery: a tracked changes version and a clean version of your manuscript. ☑️ UK English or US English - either is fine If you need an experienced, affordable copy editor, proofreader or beta reader with a quick turnaround, contact me for a quote!

Hello, my name is Melissa, and I am the founder of Melissa Woods' Editing LLC, a boutique editing company (it's just me—a one-woman operation!), specializing in developmental and sentence-level editing. I would be honored to hear more about your book! My book, Call Me Elizabeth Lark, was released in 2020 by Crooked Lane Books/ Penguin Random House. I have a bachelor's degree in creative writing and have written six novels. I'm a seasoned editor of fiction and nonfiction with experience in AMA-11, APA-7, Chicago Manual of Style, and AP style guides. I have taken many manuscripts to the next level; several of my clients have received publishing deals and agents. I am also a published and agented author and have won many awards for my writing. I started editing in 2021 after mentoring two authors for Pitchwars, a popular Twitter contest. Their book comes out in the summer of 2025. After helping them, I was hooked! My unique skill set can elevate your book to the highest standards. I aim to retain your voice while enhancing the content of your story through copy or developmental editing. If you want a skilled, enthusiastic editor, look no further! I was awarded The Stephen R. Kustra Fellowship and The Glenn Balch Award for Fiction. I was also nominated for The Pushcart Prize in November of 2024. Specialties: *Developmental editing *Line editing *Copy editing *Beta reading *Query letter writing and editing *Ghostwriting * KDP formatting using Vellum as an add-on to editing I specialize in several different genres, which are very diverse!: *Literary fiction *Crime fiction *Nonfiction, including self-help, academic, and spiritual *Romance, from clean to high heat *Historical *YA PUBLICATIONS * Lithub * Crimereads * Coffin Bell Journal * Memoir Magazine * Chicago Story Press

I'm a freelance writer and editor who offers a wide range of services. These include ghostwriting, proofreading, line editing, developmental editing, and more. I am open to most types of projects but specialize in writing cozy mysteries and nonfiction books targeted to women. You can find my recently released cozy mystery novel, Murder at Tea Thyme, on Amazon. I take on hourly or fixed-rate contracts. Rates are negotiable, and I am happy to do my best to work with your budget. I'm also available to write or edit: - Blog posts - Web content - Novellas - Short stories - Brochures - Flyers - General reports Feel free to send me a message with any questions!

Most Christian authors do not lose readers because their message is weak. They lose them because the manuscript was never shaped for a reader, only written for one. Most children's books do not fail because the story is bad. They fail because the illustrations felt generic, the layout felt rushed, and nothing on the page made a child lean in. That is the problem I fix, and honestly, it is my favorite problem to solve. By the time we are done, your Christian manuscript will not just be clean. It will hit the moments it was always supposed to hit, in the right order, with the right weight, without losing a single drop of the voice that made you write it in the first place. Your children's book will not just look nice. It will be the one a child asks for again at bedtime, the one a parent reads without dreading it, the one that actually sells because it actually works. I am not going to tell you I am passionate about books. Every editor says that. What I will tell you is this: I have restructured Christian manuscripts where the confession was buried in the wrong chapter and the whole arc fell flat because of it. I have built children's book illustrations where the warmth of a single spread made a parent tear up before they finished the page. I have formatted KDP books that looked self-published until they did not anymore. That is what you are hiring. Not enthusiasm. Results. And I genuinely love delivering them. 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗜 𝗢𝗙𝗙𝗘𝗥 Christian Book Editing This is where the real work happens. I do developmental and line editing for Christian nonfiction, devotionals, Bible studies, memoirs, and faith-based self-help. I sharpen structure, pacing, and clarity while protecting the spiritual voice and message your readers came for. Your conviction stays. Everything that was getting in the way of it goes. Children's Book Illustration I create full custom illustration for picture books and early reader books, from initial character sketches and sample spreads to final page-by-page artwork. Every image is built to carry the emotion of the page, not just decorate it. Warm, expressive, and made to be loved by both the child and the adult reading alongside them. Children's Book Design and Layout Professional interior layout and cover design formatted and ready for Amazon KDP, IngramSpark, or print-on-demand. Every page is designed so that opening the book feels like an event, not just a read. KDP Formatting and Publishing Setup Clean, professional e-book and print formatting built for Amazon KDP and major self-publishing platforms. Your book will look as good inside as it reads, and it will go live without the formatting nightmares that plague most first-time publishers. 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗜𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗦𝗠𝗦 Christian and Faith-Based: Christian Nonfiction, Devotionals, Bible Studies, Spiritual Memoirs, Faith-Based Self-Help, Prayer and Discipleship Books Children's: Picture Books, Early Readers, Educational Books, Faith-Based Children's Stories 𝗪𝗛𝗔𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗚𝗘𝗧 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗠𝗘 ✔ Christian content handled with genuine understanding, not just technical skill ✔ Illustration and design built around your story's tone, not pulled from a generic template ✔ Your voice preserved whether it is devotional, conversational, or wonderfully whimsical ✔ Children's books designed to be loved by kids and trusted by parents ✔ KDP formatting done right the first time so your book goes live without issues ✔ Honest feedback that is specific and actionable, not just encouraging ✔ A collaborator who is genuinely invested in your book doing well Your manuscript already has something worth saying. Your children's story already has something worth showing. What it needs now is someone who knows exactly how to make a reader feel it. Send me a message with your project type and where you are in the process. I would love to hear about your book.

Reading has been a lifelong passion for me. I am dedicated to helping authors like you create and refine your best work, by providing you with valuable and honest insight and assistance on any part of your writing or research project. I have a Master’s Degree in Library and Information Science, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Comparative Literature. I have professional experience in copy editing, beta reading, developmental reviews, historical art research, proofreading, writing book club discussion guides, publishing KDP books, writing and formatting training manuals and business reports. I have provided thorough analysis as a beta reader for over 30 authors in a variety of genres including fantasy, romance, mystery, thriller, self-help, non-fiction, and memoirs. My experience also includes copy editing and proofreading over a dozen books, and developmental reviews on over ten additional books. I most frequently work with the CMOS, but can work with any style guide that you prefer. I can work with manuscripts in Word, Google Docs, or Adobe. If you are looking for any assistance on your writing or publishing journey, let me put my experience to work for you!

Professional writer and editor. My skillset involves editing various types of writing, beta reading, and writing.