Louise Stahl

Louise Stahl – Editor

A detail-oriented proofreader with experience in basic copyediting. I specialize in fiction, creative non-fiction, and memoirs.

Overview

I am a freelance proofreader with over 30 years of experience in proofreading and basic copyediting. I have worked on fiction, creative non-fiction, poetry, essays, and interviews in the context of a literary magazine. Among other things, I have proofread a 100+ page anniversary book for a private school, a compilation of essays and stories by MFA students in Creative Writing at Fairleigh Dickinson University ("Gateways," published by Serving House Books, 2018), and numerous pieces by graduate students before and after their graduation for publication (which I continue to do). I was the final proofreader for a book in translation ("Happiness, as Such," by Natalia Ginsburg, translated by Minna Proctor, New Directions Press, 2019), and a book of personal essays by Renee Ashley ("Minglements," Del Sol Press, 2019). I assisted in the final editing of the book "The Muse Upon My Shoulder," edited by Sylvia Skaggs McTeague for The Fairleigh Dickinson University Press (2004). Most recently, I proofread an Indie Book Award winner ("Duplicity," by Peter Selgin, 2020), a fictionalized memoir (published Summer 2021), and numerous manuscripts through Reedsy.

Authors I have worked with include Walter Cummins (short story writer and editor), the late Thomas E. Kennedy (novelist, essayist, and literary critic), and Rene Steinke (author and finalist for the 2005 National Book Award).

I pride myself on being efficient, and, as one of my editors once told me, being "able to spot an italicized comma from across the room."

~ ~ ~ ~

"Louise is an asset to any project. She is meticulous, thoughtful, and intelligent. Also important, she is an absolute pleasure to work with." —Minna Zallman Proctor, Editor, The Literary Review

"Louise does fabulous work. She’s a nit-picker—the best of all possible qualities for a proofreader/editor. She’s knowledgeable, reliable, and great to work with. Totally my go-to source for freelance jobs."—Renee Ashley ("Basic Heart," "Because I Am the Shore I Want to Be the Sea," "The View from the Body," and others)


"I have worked with Louise on many editorial projects over the years, including a number where she was one of several proofreaders of a manuscript. She never failed to impress with her close attention to details, often catching errors that others missed. She is precise and scrupulous. ... Most recently, she proofread a 700-page novel and caught one or more errors of punctuation, spelling, usage, and more on just about every page. She is extremely thorough."Walter Cummins, Co-publisher, Serving House Books


"Louise served as Editorial Coordinator for Fairleigh Dickinson University Press for nearly thirty years. Among her responsibilities was to communicate with book authors, to edit promotional materials, including the press website, and to copy-edit our annual catalog. She has a keen eye for typos and other editorial issues, and helped assure that our materials fully met professional standards." —Harry Keyishian, Professor Emeritus of English and Past Director, Fairleigh Dickinson University Press



Services
Fiction
Action & Adventure Contemporary Fiction Humor & Comedy Literary Fiction Short Story Women's Fiction Young Adult
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

The Literary Review at Fairleigh Dickinson University

Sep, 1992 — Jul, 2020 (almost 28 years)

Reading and evaluating submissions of poetry, fiction, creative non-fiction, and essays. Proofreading and basic copyediting of work before publication, both in print and online.

Fairleigh Dickinson University Press

Sep, 1992 — Jun, 2017 (over 24 years)

Assisted Director with maintaining manuscript submissions database, as well as corresponding with authors and manuscript evaluators. Website maintenance, social media, and coordinating Editorial Board meetings.

The Legislative Index of NJ

Jun, 1987 — Apr, 1992 (almost 5 years)

Compiling and proofreading weekly legislative newsletter, as well as annual booklet of legislator's biographies and photos.

Portfolio

Duplicity

Selgin, Peter

A Boy's Guide to Outer Space

Selgin, Peter

Regal House Publishing

The Art Collector

Bacon, Susan

Porter Street Press

Venezuela's Collapse: The Long Story of How Things Fell Apart

Lizarralde, Carlos

Independently published

And the Dead Shall Live

Klein, David Shawn

The Sweet Friendship

Neuder, Lisa R.

The Literary Review: The Tides

The Literary Review, TLR

Happiness, as Such

Ginzburg, Natalia

Louise has 58 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Judy L.

Judy L.

Sep, 2024

Great to work with. Did a great job reviewing my story and catching the errors. I highly recommend Louise.
Louise S.
Thank you, Judy! I enjoy both your writing and working with you!
Kate S.

Kate S.

Jun, 2024

I loved working with Louise. Professional, prompt, and an eye for detail. Highly recommend. Will definitely work with again!
Louise S.
Thank you so much! I look forward to working with you again also.
Heather M.

Heather M.

Jun, 2024

I was very pleased with Louise's proofreading of my document. I would definitely recommend her to other writers looking for proofreading services.
Louise S.
Thank you, Heather. That is greatly appreciated.
Lenny G.

Lenny G.

May, 2024

What can I say about Louise? She was PHENOMENAL!!! I would highly recommend her to anyone looking to have their book proofread. She caught things that I don't think even the most well-seasoned editor would have caught (and I've worked with many of them). Her communication and response time was excellent. Her attention to detail was impeccable. She finished the project several days earlier than ...
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Louise S.
Lenny, wow! Thank you so much! I sincerely appreciate your high endorsement and kind words. It was a pleasure working with you and I look forward to reading (and proofreading!) more of your work.
Susan D.

Susan D.

May, 2024

Louise is thorough, reliable, easy to work with and very responsive. She's a pleasure to work with.
Louise S.
Thank you, Susan. I enjoyed working with you as well. I hope we can work together again in the future.

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