"Working with Michael has been one of the best experiences I’ve had on Upwork. He’s not just a meticulous editor but a true creative partner." —François Avisse, Novelist, "Control" "Mike is smart. He is thoughtful. He honors my work. He makes me a much better writer than I am." —William O. Roberts, Jr., Author, "Crossing the Soul's River: A Rite of Passage for Men" "I've hired many proofreaders over the years and he was the BEST!" —Sylvia G., Author, "The Medicare Mama's Guide to Medicare and Social Security Retirement" "Mike was an exceptional collaborator with edits that were consistently sharp and thoughtful. He is a seasoned writing coach -- and he consistently pushed for clarity, precision, and strength in every sentence." —Robert Lewis, Author, "Robert's Extremely Nerdy Guide to SAT Vocabulary" Hello! 👋 I'm Mike — My superpowers: Copy and line editing. Proofreading. Writing copy. I pay attention to the small details — I have a knack for spotting the miscue that nobody else spots. I can transform complex ideas into clear, elegant language. My background: I bring decades of experience in writing and writing instruction, proofreading, editing, and publishing books, stories, large/small writing projects, speeches, presentations, research arguments, blogs, poems, personal narratives, and essays. (I also support the Oxford comma but will humbly bend to your wishes if you do not!) What I can do: 1) Copy editing and proofreading: I have an eagle eye for spotting any kind of error. These might include grammar infractions, verb tense agreement, punctuation, spelling, typos, regionalization (i.e. British/Canadian stylization), capitalization, homonym errors, sentence structure...you name it. I will spot it so we can fix it. I get a thrill when I find the tiny things that most people miss—that odd extra space, lost period, or missing quotation marks. 2) Line editing: I'll help you rework and rephrase complex ideas into simple, elegant, clear sentences. I have an exceptional ear for tone and voice and can preserve your unique style while sharpening and polishing your prose. Line editing is usually performed ahead of the copy editing. I am able to do line and copy editing simultaneously, but depending on the scope and needs of your writing project, it may take longer. 3) Academic research, proofreading/editing: I have an academic background and am adept at helping academics and researchers with academic journal submissions, proofing copy, formatting citations, and adhering to any unique style guides and submission requirements. 4) Developmental editing: I can do "big picture" collaboration and offer feedback for memoir, nonfiction, academic research, literary fiction, poetry, others within my range of expertise and comfort. Extras: I bring over two decades of experience as a master English teacher in American private and public schools. So, I always bring honesty, dependability, flexibility, teachability, and a desire to jump in and learn new things. If I don't know about a topic, I will research and read until I do. I bring tremendous value as a team person and flexible, creative collaborator who can improvise and pivot on a dime to deliver results ahead of your deadline. I have exceedingly high standards for my clients' end products. See what my clients have to say: "He takes complex ideas that have not yet matured to a point of clarity so those ideas are not only comprehensible, but practicable. I've published two books and cannot even remember the services of an editor. They were neither helpful nor hurtful. Mike is the total opposite. He makes my ideas REAL." — William O. Roberts, Jr., Author, "Crossing the Soul's River: A Rite of Passage for Men" "Mike was an exceptional collaborator on my vocabulary book, with edits that were consistently sharp and thoughtful. He not only caught the tiniest of typos and stylistic errors, but also pointed out where entries needed more nuance and -- as a seasoned writing coach -- consistently pushed for clarity, precision, and strength in every sentence. His work made the finished project truly shine." – Robert L., Author, "Robert's Extremely Nerdy Guide to SAT Vocabulary" "I've hired many proofreaders over the years and he was the BEST!" –Sylvia G., Author "Michael is a great editor. He communicated well with me and finished the work quickly. I paid him more than we had agreed on initially because I could see the value he brought to the project. I highly recommend him." – Christine F., Editor "Michael provided excellent help with my project — proofreading and copy editing an academic document. I would certainly work with him again for projects that required proofreading or formatting. He displayed a keen eye for detail." – Ewan K.

In addition to working for decades doing full-time editorial work at major publishing companies, I have completed a significant number of editorial and proofreading freelance projects, both fiction and nonfiction, over the span of thirty years. My education has focused on history, religion, and genealogy, but my areas of interest are far wider. Until March 2025, I was a contract production editor for Alpha Publishing, working on their Internet/Computer/Technology school textbooks (Kindergarten through Grade 12). In addition to proofreading and copy editing, my responsibilities included photo selection, page quality assurance, and style consistency. Prior to that, for over twenty years I was a senior proofreader at the custom college textbook division of Pearson, handling a wide range of subjects and project types. As the focus of the company transitioned to online materials, I did copy editing, proofreading, and other quality assurance tasks in a variety of media. In the years before that, I worked for the trade book division of Addison-Wesley as a production editor, working on non-fiction books such as Friday Night Lights. I also worked for D.C. Heath as a copy editor, focusing on elementary through high school textbooks. I'm familiar with a range of style guides, including the Chicago Manual of Style, APA, AP, Words into Type, and others. In addition, I'm very proficient with Microsoft Word (including Track Changes), Adobe Acrobat for pdfs, and PowerPoint.

Are you facing a complex dissertation, struggling with data analysis, or need publication-ready research? I deliver rigorous academic research and writing that earns top grades, successful defenses, and journal publications. WHAT I DELIVER: • Complete dissertations (proposal through final submission) • Quantitative analysis (SPSS, PLS-SEM, statistical modeling) • Qualitative research (thematic analysis, coding, NVivo) • Literature reviews and research proposals • Academic editing and formatting (APA, Harvard, Chicago) MY TRACK RECORD: • PhD-qualified with 14+ years of professional research experience • 500+ successful academic projects with 95% Job Success Score • Top Rated status on Upwork (consistent 5-star reviews) • Specialization in business, social sciences, and STEM research • Average project completion: on-time or early delivery WHY CHOOSE ME: Your research deserves an expert who understands methodology, academic rigor, and publication standards. I don't just write—I ensure your work meets the highest academic standards and passes committee scrutiny. READY TO DISCUSS YOUR PROJECT? Message me with your research topic, deadline, and specific requirements. I offer free consultations to ensure we're a perfect fit.

I'm here to help. Please, if at any moment you feel like something is not clear about my services, let me know and we'll address. it. What you'll get from me: - 7+ years of experience in translations. - 100% job success score and top rated freelancer on Upwork. - Proven experience and reliability. - I'll make your machine translations look completely human. Before we begin, I'd like to ask a few questions: - When would you like to us to begin? - What is the main goal of your project? Did I left something out? Feel free to send me a message. I'll address them gladly. Sincerely, - Rodrigo Aceves.

Quick with content, agile with verbs, and detailed with descriptions, my favorite work is to enhance a client's writing, engage their audience, and add dimension and perfection to a text. Over 20 years' experience in book production and other publication projects, working with publishers, composition houses, and individuals. Polished, easy-on-the-eyes copywriting, insightful proofreading, accurate indexing, and inspired coaching -- on time, on budget, and on track to bring you to an unexpected level of professionalism. Books have included the New York Times bestseller The End of America by Naomi Wolf (copyediting), the controversial self-published memoir Fearless Puppy on American Road by Doug Ten Rose (copyediting and promotion), and editing of the Sati series of mystery novels by Winslow Eliot (copyediting). Glad to arrange to give you a sample, such as copyediting a portion of your project, to show you how much you can benefit by choosing me as your ghostwriter, copyeditor, or proofreader.

I've been at this writing game for a long, long time--over 40 years, to be exact. I've won national writing contests, published books with small presses, been the "go-to" editor for fast-turnaround "quick books" at a major publisher, and, of course, helped dozens of individual writers to become better authors. I'm the pickiest of the picky, a crackerjack speller, and The Grammarian About Whom Your Mother Warned You. I also wear a second hat: I've been a performing musician for most of my life--singing, primarily. I have a Bachelor of Music degree, have played the piano since I was 8, and am still involved in musicmaking today. My major was theory, but my first love Is voice, and I am continually fascinated by music history. What a combo, huh? 😁 So...if you want the best TLC your book can get--especially if music is also a part of your life as well--you truly can't do any better. The (Singing) Book Magician is here!

If you're looking for an editor and proofreader to elevate your writing projects, your search ends here. But that's not all — I am also a language artist, offering top-tier translations between English, Gujarati, and Hindi. You can trust that your work will be handled with the utmost care and delivered with impeccable quality. My journey began in a completely different field as a Chartered Accountant, but my passion for reading and writing soon led me to combine my linguistic talents with my profession. This dream materialized when I joined a prestigious publishing house for a long-term assignment. I researched and created captivating books on professional topics, meticulously edited and proofread content, and even crafted a few self-help gems. When this assignment concluded, I took on a new challenge as a review editor for a children's daily newspaper. I was responsible for shaping the newsletter’s content for two editions a week. Over time, I also translated engaging news stories from English to Hindi, helping to make the content accessible to non-English-speaking children. In the later months, I also designed the editions. This project wrapped up on December 31, 2021. But the journey didn’t stop there. I went on to edit a mesmerizing memoir, curate content for a professional firm’s website, and edit a collection of short stories, all while balancing multiple blog editing projects. To further refine my publishing skills, I completed a prestigious course offered by the National Book Trust, India. I’ve also worked as an editor and content manager for various blogs, gaining hands-on experience with WordPress and SEO basics. In addition, I served as a team leader, managing teams ranging from 20 to 200 people, providing training in writing prompts to train AI models, and offering operational support to my team . This experience allowed me to refine my leadership and communication skills while contributing to the development of cutting-edge AI systems. Attention to detail is a superpower I’m proud of, and I thrive on delivering tasks on time. I’m always learning and upgrading my skills to offer the best service to my clients. Feel free to message me — I’ll respond promptly!

Since 2008, I have completed thousands of successful projects, including translations from Spanish or French to English, translations from English or French to Spanish, and proofreading in English and Spanish. These projects cover a wide variety of styles and topics and include websites, books, children’s books, articles, blog posts, album notes, user manuals, spec sheets, newsletters, apps, advertisements, presentations, proposals, contracts, medical records, research papers, and government documents. I have worked on texts related to virtually every industry under the sun; however, I have done my most extensive work in the areas of education, automotive sales, travel and hospitality, medicine and dentistry, legal services, humanitarian aid, human resources, literature, music, home renovation, and electronics. I view translation as a delicate blend of art and science, relying as much on the heart as it does on the mind. On the one hand, my intuition tells me when to be literal and when to adapt the content to suit the language and culture of the target audience. On the other hand, my dedication to continuous learning and improvement leads me to seek the necessary information in order to avoid errors, not only in spelling and grammar but also in syntax (word order), diction (word choice), parallelism, punctuation, capitalization, and number formatting, among other considerations. I also take great pains to avoid unnecessary redundancy, colloquialisms, and clichés. My objective is always the same: to create a new text that not only conveys the same ideas as the original but also can also stand alongside it as an independent document of the same quality or better, written with a culturally appropriate level of formality or informality. When necessary, I employ proofreaders to detect any errors that I may have missed and to ensure that the translation sounds natural. I am also committed to making as many revisions as necessary until the client is fully satisfied with the results. My educational background in music has given me an acute awareness of the rhythm and tone of a text. During at least one of several rounds of editing, I read the translation aloud to ensure that it flows smoothly. When translating song lyrics, I ensure that the accented syllables fall on the accented beats, and as much as possible, I follow the same rhyme scheme. My professional background as a business owner has given me special insight into the vital importance of taking good care of my customers and employees. As a result, I have enjoyed a mutually rewarding working relationship with some of my clients for 10 years or more. At the same time, I have enjoyed a fruitful collaboration with my proofreaders, with whom I have worked for at least a decade. My experience as a marketing manager has taught me the value of writing in an engaging style tailored to the target audience and optimized for search engines. I incorporate the appropriate keywords and keyword phrases, but never to the detriment of the quality of the text, as search engine algorithms have become increasingly sophisticated and can detect when a text has been artificially overloaded with keywords in an attempt to achieve a better ranking. I always strive to go the extra mile for my clients through my meticulous attention to detail. For example, if the text contains hyperlinks, I check to see if there is a corresponding page in the target language. If so, I update the link so that it directs to that page. If the project involves a topic I am unfamiliar with, I research the subject matter to ensure that I have a basic understanding of it and use the appropriate terminology. Additionally, since a translation may contain more or fewer words than the original, I make the necessary formatting adjustments to ensure that the translated version fits correctly on the page. I respect the deadlines I commit to and do not make promises I cannot keep. I maintain regular communication regarding the status of the project, and if it consists of multiple documents, I deliver each one as it is finished so that the client does not have to wait until all the work is completed. This also enables me to incorporate any client feedback into the remaining translations. Finally, when translating into English, I generally use US English, but can adapt my spelling, punctuation, and word use to reflect UK conventions, when needed. With only a handful of exceptions, I adhere to the recommendations of the AP Stylebook. When translating into Spanish, unless instructed otherwise, I try to use neutral Spanish that will be easily understandable in any Spanish-speaking country, and I consistently follow the guidelines established in the RAE’s Nueva gramática de la lengua española.

As a native German translator and localization specialist, I help E-Commerce, SaaS, and Tech companies successfully enter the German market with translations that don’t just read well – they sell. I specialize in adapting English content for the German-speaking audience, ensuring your brand voice remains consistent while building trust and increasing conversions. What I can help you with: ✅ Shopify/WooCommerce store localization ✅ Product descriptions with SEO optimization ✅ Landing pages and sales copy ✅ SaaS and Tech blog translation ✅ App and UI localization with context sensitivity ✅ Email newsletters and automated flows Why work with me? ✨ Native German speaker with 10+ years of experience ✨ Deep understanding of E-Commerce and Tech terminology ✨ Conversion-focused approach for your German customers ✨ Fast, reliable, and detail-oriented I don’t just translate words; I ensure your message resonates with your target audience, helping you grow your business in the German market. Ready to localize your content for Germany and boost your sales? Let’s connect and discuss your project today.

AUTHOR of 9 books and experienced EDITOR and PROOFREADER of 30 years. Chicago Manual of Style, AP Style, APA Style, AMA Style, Windows/PC, Apple, MS Word, Word Perfect, PowerPoint, Excel, Adobe Acrobat, HTML, TVT comparison software. Content Management Systems (CMSs).