How I Can Help You
Are you looking for a trained, experienced, professional copyeditor for the nonfiction manuscript you’re going to self-publish?
I’m John Vias (it rhymes with bias), and I help nonfiction indie authors look their best. I offer copyediting and proofreading for both printed books and e-books, and file prep for e-books.
Areas of Interest
Here are a few (okay, more than a few) of my areas of interest:
- Art, art history
- Health
- Alternative medicine
- Self-help, psychology
- Buddhism, meditation
- Computers, technology
- Culture, humanities
- Writing, language
- Science, environmentalism
- Current events
- Politics
- Humor
(Kudos if you can combine those last two.)
Okay, you caught me—I’m an all-around nerd. The upside for you? Whatever your book is about, I may already know something about the topic or at least be interested. Try me!
Who Am I?
Long ago in a land far, far away (Florida), I earned an English degree. And despite what you may have heard about the utility of English degrees, I use mine every day. Later I was chosen to receive copyediting training through Sage Publications’ Copy Editor Outreach Program.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, I’ve garnered over a decade of copyediting and proofreading experience for clients writing for American audiences. I keep up with the never-ending changes in American English, and I’m a proud member of the American Copy Editors Society, Bay Area Editors’ Forum, and Northwest Editors Guild.
There is beauty in order, and I help bring that beauty to my clients’ work and into the world.
A Bit More About Me
I have worked in the computer industry and as a technical writer. Footnotes don’t scare me. As a visual artist, I have created award-winning night photography. In my spare time, I enjoy reading (surprise!). I also actively participate in editor groups and further my editing skills through conferences and webinars.
On the Services page, read more about how I can help you.
A masterful copyeditor.
—William Spear, bestselling author
John is a wonderfully conscientious and meticulous copyeditor who has an unusual talent for untangling twisted syntax in a way that both clarifies an author's intended meaning and sharpens its impact. He is able to take the flab out of a meandering, disorganized piece of prose and recast it into something lean and muscular, without substituting his own voice. John also has a deep familiarity with the mechanics of copyediting and marks up manuscripts in a manner that is clean, clear, and easy to navigate. I recommend him highly.
—Tom Schmitz, writer