“I’ve published a number of books before, and my experience with previous editors had peaked at ‘OK-ish.’ Catherine’s renewed my faith in the profession. With The Coaching Habit she understood and protected the spirit of the book, while refining it both on a big-picture, structural level and on an ‘in-the-weeds’ copyediting level. She’s an artist. Get her on your team.”
—Michael Bungay Stanier, author of The Coaching Habit and Do More Great Work
“Thanks for the excellent job on the copy edit! Catherine, great work and very solid thinking. … Those little notes … [on Do the Work] really lent a human face to the whole process. I loved ’em.”
—Steven Pressfield, author of The War of Art
“Without editors, there would be no clarity. Thanks to Catherine Oliver, for making sense of my thoughts as well as my words.”
—Bernadette Jiwa, author of Make Your Idea Matter
“Catherine Oliver’s editing was brilliant. We credit her with great improvements in the clarity, organization, and readability of our work.”
—Jack Quarles, co-author of Same Side Selling
“Catherine suggested elements for Same Side Selling that we had overlooked; those elements happen to be the pieces that reviewers consistently praise in the book. Catherine is efficient and an incredibly valuable resource. On top of that, her sense of humor and empathy make it an enjoyable experience. You can definitely find someone cheaper, but you won’t find anyone better at any price.”
—Ian Altman, co-author of Same Side Selling
“Catherine was an absolute jewel to work with, … [and] the book is better because of her editing and expertise. I’m more confident and proud of the book, which means that promoting it is a lot easier. It was truly some of the best writing help that I’ve received in the last decade, and I don’t intend on letting another book see the marketplace without her seeing it first.”
—Charlie Gilkey, author of The Small Business Life Cycle
“Not only did Catherine turn my pile of words into a veritable manuscript, but she also taught me so much about writing and grammar throughout the process. She helped me analyze structure and clarify my thoughts and arguments through developmental edits; then she cleaned up my manuscript through rigorous line edits. She’s an excellent editor, a great teacher, and a pleasure to work with. Your project couldn’t be in better hands.”
—Christopher “Mayday” Rucks, author of Don’t Make Beats Like Me
“Foremost in my mind while writing the manuscript was the fact that much of the material would be of little interest to some readers. I tried my best to make the explanations as approachable as possible, while fully understanding that the book will function in different ways for different readers. My thanks to Catherine Oliver, our editor, for LOTS of help making the book more readable.”
—Mark Rippetoe, author of Starting Strength: Basic Barbell Training, 3rd Ed.
“Catherine Oliver does just what she says she’ll do. She’s fast, thorough, accurate, kind, tech-savvy and an absolute pleasure to work with. My new book, Purple Cow, wouldn’t be what it is without her!”
—Seth Godin, New York Times’ bestselling author of Permission Marketing
“You know, you really were the best editor we had at Coriolis. I loved working with you because you were so reliable and thorough. Plus, when you can count on freelancers, that makes all the difference. As I said before, with you on one of my books, I knew all was well.”
—Dan Young, former Project Editor, The Coriolis Group
“Experiencing your work—the attention to detail, the economy, the artistry—I get a sense that this book has passed through the hands of a master.”
—Mark Aman, former technical writer, Logical Operations
“I often tell people that there are three editors … who taught me a great deal, and you’re one of them. I didn’t need reminding of that, but—and this might sound weird—I really enjoyed reading your queries. I enjoy talking about how to clarify and improve writing, and you’re great at it.”
—Adam Wilcox, President and founder of Writ Wilcox, LLC
“You had MUCH to do with the success of our book business.”
—Robert A. Condello, former Vice President and Publisher, Logical Operations
“You’re my curve-ball person.”
—Josh Pincus, VP Content & Delivery, Axzo Press
“Your contributions … were not simply superb editorial skills. You also reminded us to esteem the written word as something more than a mere commodity to be exchanged for a paycheck.”
—Brian S. Wilson, former Manager of Instructional Technology and Design, Logical Operations
“I really enjoyed working with you. You taught me the ropes on my first project here. Of course, I then recommended you for a number of difficult projects as a result, [and] I really appreciated your skill.”
—Sean Tape, former Project Editor, The Coriolis Group
“Development Editor Catherine Oliver was an enormous help in taking the thoughts of artists and programmers and making sense of it all for us.”
—Bill Turner, coauthor, Flash 5 Cartoons and Games f/x and Design
“The [next book] is for Microsoft Press …, and their editorial standards are very high. I’m excited to bring you on board because you’re one of the few freelance editors I’ve worked with who … meets those standards with flying colors. The project editor … requests a substantive edit…. You do an excellent job in that department…, which is why I wanted to have you on this project.”
—Sybil Ihrig, Helios Productions
“I appreciate Catherine’s professionalism, timeliness, and thorough editing. She handles multiple projects concurrently without any problems, and she willingly incorporates any feedback she’s given over the course of a project.”
—Meredith Brittain, former Senior Project Editor, The Coriolis Group
“Catherine went beyond the call of duty to make sense out of a very difficult book. Her editorial skills are very strong and … made the book far better….”
—Michelle Stroup, former Developmental Editor, The Coriolis Group
“She is one of the best [copyeditors] that I have ever worked with.”
—Greg Balas, former Senior Project Editor, The Coriolis Group
All quotes used with permission (boldface emphasis added). Job titles and company names have changed over the years.