About Elyse
Professional Book Editor and Publishing Specialist
I’m passionate about providing professional, sensitive, and meticulous editorial services.
My Story
A life with books.
I was raised in the American Southwest and come from a long line of authors and journalists. My great-grandmother was friendly with the likes of John Galsworthy; my ancestor Bret Harte was Mark Twain’s mentor and friend.
It seemed natural to pursue a career working with words. I studied creative writing and book arts at Mills College in Oakland, California; made my first forays into professional editing; then spent years teaching English in Asia.
After several years in Europe, editing part time and reviewing opera, I decided to pursue a full-time editing career. Since then, I’ve edited hundreds of books and countless smaller projects.
What I’m passionate about.
I’m a collaborative, compassionate editor who prides herself on service and responsiveness. When clients hand a project to me, I want them to relinquish their stress and worry along with it. When I return it, I hope they feel inspired, creatively refreshed, and amazed by what they’ve accomplished—and from what they’ve told me, they usually do.
Every book is unique, and it should be treated as such. I meet each project on its own merits, adapting my approach to suit the needs of the manuscript and its author’s goals and desires.
How I live now.
I’ve settled in Inverness, Scotland, though most of my clients remain in the United States. I work with numerous authors and publishers, including as a senior editor overseeing and coaching other editors.
When I’m not editing, you can usually find me cooking, running, hiking, exploring Scottish towns by train and foot, or catching a classical concert or opera.
Why work with me?
I’ve worked with New York Times bestsellers and National Book Award and Booker Prize winners, plus indie bestsellers in Amazon’s most competitive genres. And I have credentials to back up my experience:
A BA in English from Mills College
A certificate in copyediting from the University of Chicago Graham School
Numerous Club Ed courses in line editing and developmental editing
And more!
I also belong to the Editorial Freelancers Association and am an Advanced Professional Member of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading.
I look forward to working with you next!
Fun Facts about Me
I might be a little obsessive about keeping consistent habits—I have a Duolingo streak that’s over six and a half years long.
I get excited every time someone asks me a question about The Chicago Manual of Style (the standard guide for editing US trade books).
I met my husband via a shared love of classical music, and he’s usually playing anything from Bach to Schoenberg in the background as I edit.
I’ve lived in nine countries, including Germany, Vietnam, Turkey, Serbia, Croatia, Romania, and North Macedonia.
Some of the happiest days of my life were spent hiking the Fife Coastal Path to Saint Andrews with my husband. I’m hoping to walk from Inverness to Fort William soon!
I don’t drive—I’d rather walk or cycle, and I love a good train ride.
My Most Popular Services
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Developmental Editing
Developmental editing tackles the overall structure and content of a book. For fiction, this involves in-depth, collaborative work on issues such as plot, character development, narrative perspective, and theme.
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Line Editing
Line editing polishes a work at sentence level, focusing on issues such as word choice, phrasing, rhythm, redundancy, and clarity to create vivid, professional prose and ensure the author’s voice shines.
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Copyediting
Copyediting deals with grammar and spelling, but also so much more! For this service, I also ransack a book for any remaining continuity errors and plot holes, fine-tune phrasing, and double-check facts.