Therese A.

With 12+ years of experience as a line, copy, and developmental editor working with independent authors and small presses, I serve clients including first-time novelists, memoirists and activists, families, prolific romance and thriller novelists, and multiple finalists in international short story competitions. I earned my copyediting license from the University of San Diego extension program. I work from a thorough knowledge of the Chicago Manual of Style, while flexibly accommodating author preferences. Going beyond grammatical corrections, I also provide suggestions for clear and vivid writing, with powerful pacing, content, and word choice. Each year, I read over 200 books in a wide variety of genres, from bestsellers to indie titles. Along with being great fun, this creates a wide perspective I bring to genre, literary, and cross-genre work, understanding readers’ expectations while respecting each author’s unique approach. My own experience as a writer means I understand how it feels to be edited–the work, the nerves, and the satisfaction of knowing a manuscript has been improved with the help of thoughtful input. "I can't say enough about the timely and thorough manuscript evaluation I received from Therese. Her detail-oriented critique not only provided me with invaluable suggestions with regards to the overall structure of my story but, just as important, also touched upon how to fine-tune the subtle aspects of my novel to create a more superior read. I look forward to utilizing her skill set again during the editing phase." -Alex F. "Therese copyedited my novel and did a great job. She offered many helpful suggestions and continues to respond to questions in a timely manner. I highly recommend Therese Arkenberg if you need fast and accurate editing." -Michael E. Kmiotek "The [developmental editing] memo alone is like a writing seminar targeted at my particular story. Therese Arkenberg' insights and editing skills were nothing short of remarkable. She seemed to know my characters better than I did. I was most fortunate to have found her." -T. Hahm PUBLISHING CAREER HELP Find anthologies, journals, and contests. Research literary agents and prepare your query letter and synopsis. Build a strategy to promote your work. Format manuscripts for self-publishing on Createspace or Lulu, Kindle, Smashwords, and other distributors. DELIVERY TIME Based on schedule and the needs of a particular project, short stories can take as little as 48 hours, novels between two weeks and two months. MORE CLIENT TESTIMONIALS: Jeff Jorczak (Cody Leet): "Therese was one of the beta readers for my new novel Spheria. The depth of her analysis and feedback were invaluable. She caught some very subtle continuity issues that I had not even thought of. Her love of sci-fi and technology also helped me in particular since this book was heavy on science. Last, the detail of her notes was amazing...I already asked her if we could working together again on my future projects. (and if you use her as a result of this recommendation, I get first dibs!)" Alero Dabor: “I do not think I would have completed my memoirs without Thesere. From the moment I started working with Therese, she has offered invaluable suggestions that empowered my story. Her understanding of what I was striving to achieve is truly commendable. Therese is an exceptional editor. I will recommend Therese to anyone I know who is looking for an editor.” Cynthia "Cyn" Duby: "I was very leery of hiring an editor and now I don't know what to do without one! And, there will never be another editor for me than Therese. She is extremely thorough, makes excellent suggestions, and has tightened up my novel, improved the way the story arcs, and has given me, not only global suggestions, but also incredible line by line edits. My writing has vastly improved and my confidence has grown immensely. She not only is a very talented writer and editor, but she also knows the business and, knowing that I seek publishing, has that in her mind when editing and when we correspond. My manuscripts will never leave home without her expert eye catching my errors, my repeated phrasing, and cutting the unnecessary words and confusing phrasing...Be prepared for corrections, be prepared to hear that there are changes, and then smile knowing every change, every edit is making your work the very best it can be." Zahara Heckscher: "Therese is a talented writer and editor. I highly recommend her for manuscript review. She provided essential big picture suggestions for my novel with excellent ideas for conflict and character development as well as a close read with page by page comments to improve the draft. She made excellent and specific suggestions that improved my novel—and helped me strengthen my craft as a writer."