Ernesto Mestre is an editor who can bring the working novelist's eye to your manuscript, helping you to get it in the best hape for submission to agents and editors. He is a Professor of Fiction at the Sarah Lawrence College and Brooklyn College MFA programs, two of the top-tier programs in the country, and has been working independently as an editor for over 15 years. Ernesto has published two novels, The Lazarus Rumba and The Second Death of Única Aveyano, and one forthcoming next year, Sacrificio, and has been awarded the prestigious Guggenheim Fellowship for his fiction, as well as the New York Foundation for the Arts Fellowship in Fiction. He has also translated four novels from Spanish. As an editor and novelist, he is finely attuned to and very meticulous about bringing out strengths in a manuscript while remaining true to the writer's vision and voice.
He is available for a range of editing choices:
Proofreading
Copyediting
Developmental Editing
Craft Critique
Ghostwriting
Publication Package (one of the above, with synopsis and query letter)
Available to work on any fiction or nonfiction memoir manuscripts.
"As writers, we invariably get to the point on a project when we lose objectivity. Despite the feedback of writer friends, we find ourselves stumbling through the smaze of indecision. We need impartial eyes to help us move forward.
... Ernesto's copious notes and comments showed that he understood some aspects of my memoir better than I had. He pointed out connections that needed to be brought to the fore, and to characters that needed to be more fleshed out to make the reader invest more emotionally in them and in my book.
He has a good ear for what muddles a line, without compromising the writer’s voice and vision. His line edits are like good plastic surgery: effective but subtle.
... In this difficult economic climate, writers must spend our money wisely. If we’re going to pay an editor, we must choose one who will help us do for our manuscripts what we couldn’t achieve on our own. Mestre delivers that and then some; he engages your text with both passion and compassion." Dean Kostos
JAMES POWELL is "a good literary surgeon," as one of his accomplished clients noted. As an editor of fiction and non-fiction, he views manuscripts with a broad, comprehensive vision and an eye for detail-for "the right word in the right place." Powell's editors will tell you that his books need no editing, as Powell is, himself, an editor. He will read your fiction with an eye to making it believable and your non-fiction with a knack for making it both convincing and engaging. His books and short stories have been translated into many languages and are known throughout the world. His list of publications includes The Tao of Symbols (Morrow 1982), Energy and Eros (Morrow 1985), The Prentice Hall Global Employment Guide (Prentice Hall 1983), Mandalas: The Dynamics of Vedic Symbolism (Sterling 1980), Derrida for Beginners (Writers and Readers 1996), Postmodernism for Beginners (Writers and Readers 1998), Eastern Philosophy for Beginners (2000), and Deconstruction for Beginners (2005), and Slow Love: A Polynesian Pillow Book (2008). His short story "The Silence of the Hummingbird" was published in Spanish in Revista Katharsis in Malaga, Spain and his journalism has appeared in the Santa Barbara Independent and Montecito Journal.
Books, memoirs, theses, and dissertations
APA and MLA formats
"The turnaround time was excellent. The work was fabulous!!" Nova University student.
"His editing really streamlined my ideas. Mr. Powell's service offered much needed support."
You may send your initial submission to all addresses to make sure it's received.
Required:
Submit the first 50 pages of your manuscript (Word/DOC or RTF
attachment preferred). Large files
should be zipped. Attachment not required if writing has not started
(e.g., because you're looking for a ghostwriter).
A sample is required to receive an estimate
for editing services
Along with a sample, the following information is required. Ignore questions that do not apply to your
project (e.g., footnotes).
(01) Word count of complete project (under "Tools" in MS Word):
(02) Put your 100-word (approx) synopsis/description here (or attach):
(03) Describe your genre and topic (e.g., nonfiction/self-help, science fiction,
horror, romance, mystery, Western, young adult, children, poetry, Christian, creative nonfiction, literary):
(04) Deadline date, if any, for return of complete project. (Please be realistic. Remember that professional editors usually have a project in process.):
(05) If you have no immediate deadline, when do you want to start the editing process?: (For instance: within 30 days, within 60 days, within 90 days, 4-12 months)
Copyediting / Proofreading / Line Editing (e.g., English corrections, typos, paragraph and sentence structure, word use)
Developmental (e.g., help with the big picture, such as flow/pacing, telling the story, characterization, structure, style)
Rewriting / Ghostwriting
Critique / Evaluation
(07) Number of charts/tables/pictures (if any):
(08) Writing style/format manual (e.g., Chicago Manual, APA, MLA), if applicable:
(09) Number of footnotes/references:
(10) Do you have a contract with an agent or publisher?:
(11) Do you plan to self-publish?:
(12) What is your budget for the entire project?
$ ________________
(Note: The editors will quote their regular rates, but having an idea of your budget allows the editors to tell you what services they can provide to stay within that budget.)
(13) Your name:
(14) E-mail addresses:
(15) Day/evening phone numbers (required -- in case the response to your e-mail bounces or the editors need clarification
regarding the scope of service needed, deadline, etc.):
(16) City, State, Country (or time zone):
(17) The name(s) of the editor(s)/writer(s) you'd like to contact.
(If no names are selected, your e-mail will be sent to several consultants chosen by the coordinator):
(18) Do you want the coordinator to reroute your submission if you requested editors/writers who (a) are not available by your deadline date, (b) do not handle the type of material you submitted, and/or (c) do not perform the service(s) you want?
(19) How did you learn about our service?:
(20) Attach the first 50 pages of your manuscript (include prologue/preface, proposal, query)
Notes:
No hidden charges
We won't quote you one price and charge you another. When possible, we'll provide you with a per-word or per-page rate so you'll know up front exactly
how much your project will cost. (Of course, we ask that you fairly represent the scope of your project.)
It is a mistaken notion that freelance editors work "on spec" (speculation) with no payment to the editor. It is basically asking the editor to work for free. There's no guarantee that a book will see a profit (or even be published). The editors posted here do not work on spec.
Note: Price quotes and time estimates for individual editors cannot be given over the phone or via chat. This is a network of freelance editors with varying prices and work schedules (see our FAQ). To obtain a price quote please follow the procedures listed on our quotes page.
Contact live support if you do not receive a response within three hours. It is possible that your submission was not received. You may also page the network coordinator by leaving voicemail or sending a fax to 469-789-3030.
Please be as complete as
possible in representing your project's scope and size so you will receive
the most accurate estimate.
Disclaimer: Your agreement, whether oral or written, is with your freelance editor / proofreader / writer, not with the freelance network as a whole or its coordinator.