Even the best writer needs another set of eyes to catch those mistakes
that can slip by, even after your most careful review. To communicate with your readers, you
need an editor with both the eye of a hawk and the patience of a saint
to help you clarify your words and ideas so you can entertain, inform, educate, and inspire your readers.
Whether you are writing a college admission essay or a personal memoir, a
how-to book or online text, I will give it a thorough eye. From simple spelling and grammar problems to
larger issues of structure and development, I will see to it that it is always you and your readers meeting together on the same page.
Certified by the U.C. Berkeley Extension in Professional Editing, I have worked on nearly 100 nonfiction trade books, plus numerous college essays, fiction, and thousands of pages of online text.
The following are my most recent and significant projects:
- Copy editor for Stories of Faith: Carmichael Presbyterian Church at 100 by Susan H. Herman (Carmichael Presbyterian Church, In Press)
- Copy editor for Faith and Mission: A Sesquicentennial History of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Oakland, California by Liz Hook (St. Paul's Episcopal Church, 2020)
- Developmental editing for Gangsters Up North: Mobsters, Mafia and Racketeers in Michigan's Vacationlands by Robert Knapp (Cliophile Press, 2020)
- Developmental editing for Small Town Citizen, Minion of the Mob by Robert Knapp (Cliophile Press, 2018)
- Developmental editing for The Dawn of Christianity: People and Gods in a Time of Magic and Miracles by Robert Knapp (Profile Book, 2017)
- Developmental editing/book coach for Mystery Man: Gangsters,
Oil, Murder, and Mystery in Michigan by Robert Knapp (Cliophile, 2014), U.C. Berkeley emeritus and author of the New
Yorker-reviewed Invisible Romans
-
Proofreader for The SAT/ACT 50 Myths and Mistakes and
A Parent's Guide to the SAT/ACT by David Benjamin Gruenbaum, handbooks for students and parents taking college entrance
exams
- Copy editor of Windham's Rembrandt by James Humphries, a posthumous memoir of an art teacher's experiences inside the Texas State Prison educational system
- Copy editor and proofreader of over eighty books on science, politics, and popular culture for Chelsea House Publishers (Infobase), award-winning publisher of textbooks for high-school students. Among these was the award-winning Oceans by Dana Desonie, cited as as "One of the Top Ten Environmental Books for Young People" by Booklist, the publication of the American Library Association.
- Copy editing of enormous sections of the Global Integrity Report, annual, worldwide surveys of political corruption and transparency, much of which was written by non-native English Speakers (also known as ESL writers).
- Proofreader of B2B advertising for Doremus, the oldest advertising agency in the U.S., for clients such as Hewlett-Packard and Corning
My includes all levels of proofreading, copyediting. And, as an award-winning author and independent publisher, I also provide developmental editing, book coaching, and advice about navigating the new world of independent publishing.
You can find out more about me by e-mailing tbdeluxe@sbcglobal.net; or visit
http://www.editorsforum.org and type in the last name below for more information.
Here are some comments by a few of my clients:
"Just wanted to thank you for the incredible job with the book! I look
forward to working with you on the next book!"--David Benjamin Gruen,
author of "The 50 ACT/SAT Myths and Mistakes" (Ahead of the Class).
“Thomas
is, quite simply, one of the finest copy editors and proofreaders I
have ever encountered; to work with him is a joy. He's the sort of
person who is always the first choice for particularly challenging and
important projects.” Mary Ellen Kelly--Chelsea House Publishers
“Thomas
is a pleasure to work with because he is a skilled editor (for
everything from biographies to science texts) and understands the need
to be flexible as publishing needs and deadlines change. He is always
thorough and will adjust his level of editing depending on what is
requested for various projects. Plus, his work is always on time and he
is thoughtful when communicating concerns.” Justine Ciovacco--Chelsea House Publishers
"Thomas
worked for me as an editor on a seasonal project over the course of
several years. It was never a question of "Should I call Thomas to work
on this again?" Rather, every year I thought, "Gosh, I sure hope
Thomas is available." We were editing an extensive international
report, mostly written by non-native English speakers. Some of it was
fascinating, much of it was tedious and tremendously boring.
Regardless, Thomas approached all of it with passion, editing savvy,
and a critical eye. He is a thoughtful editor, going beyond the style
guides to really question the logic and organization of the content he
is reading. He was definitely an asset to this project, and I recommend
him highly." Jennifer Orr-Project Editor, Global Integrity Project
I look forward to hearing from you! And best of luck!
Thomas Burchfield Editing and Writing
Grass Valley, CA
Keeping writers and readers on the same page
