Testimonials
I had the pleasure of working with Raquel on developmental edits for my nonfiction manuscript and the process far exceeded my expectations. At every step of the way, Raquel was clear, thoughtful, and thorough in her communication. I instantly felt like my work was in the best of hands. Her edits demonstrated a keen eye for detail along with ease in understanding and articulating the bigger picture. I believe that her feedback, which was delivered with tremendous care and a much appreciated dose of humor, meaningfully elevated my book. I would work with Raquel again in a heartbeat.
— Kylie Flanagan, author of Climate Resilience and executive director of The Manzanita Foundation
Raquel Pidal has been a superb freelance copyeditor for Beacon Press, working on manuscripts in subjects ranging from education to popular culture. Her work has improved our manuscripts and has garnered praise from authors. She is professional, highly skilled, and a pleasure to work with. We have valued her contributions to our books.
— Susan Lumenello, managing editor of Beacon Press
During my search for an editor to do a manuscript assessment of my novel, a literary agent recommended Raquel Pidal—and I will be forever grateful. When Raquel returned the manuscript to me, frankly, I was astounded at the careful attention my work received. She provided copious notes crammed with astute insights about where and how to streamline the pacing and how to further develop the character, theme, and underlying conflicts. Her understanding of my intentions was so profound that I’d almost wondered if she’d been at my side while I was working on the book.
I was so happy with Raquel’s phenomenal manuscript assessment that I engaged her twice again: when I asked her to look over my novel revisions and to look over a short story. Her written comments and the Google Meets that followed only cemented my first thoughts about her expertise—and her as a person. Raquel is a reader and editor with immense talent—and a person whose warm generosity inspired me to be courageous. The referral from the literary agent was a gift that should have been tied up in a bow.
— Bud Jennings, author of In a Photograph of Paris
Having been blessed to have Raquel Pidal edit my last two books, one nonfiction and the other a novel, I am in a good position to comment on her editorial ability. At each stage in both projects, I found myself making the book better than it would have been otherwise, something I attribute to Raquel’s extraordinary editorial and communication skills. I have described her as “eagle-eyed,” and that she is. Seeing is everything in the writing process, and Raquel sees both the small and large things, and knows how to present her take on a manuscript in a way that fuels the writer. When she reads a manuscript, she gets it, grasping both what is already there on the page and sensing its full potential. Having pointed the author toward key areas, she trusts the writer to follow through. Her emotional intelligence plays no small role in making her good at this.
— Ned Bachus, author of City of Brotherly Love, Open Admissions, and Mortal Things
I was introduced to Raquel through another author whose work she had edited, and I am so thankful for that. Having someone edit your manuscript is tough—especially for me as it was my first time. Her developmental edit process was thorough and thoughtful. I received pages of notes and detailed feedback. After spending so long writing, being advised to rearrange the timeline and add additional content was frankly more than I had anticipated. However, after addressing all of the areas that she offered feedback, it helped make the story easier to follow with important context to keep the reader engaged. After I had read the manuscript hundreds of times, Raquel did a line edit and I couldn't believe the number of tiny details she caught, helping button it up. My writing was good, but Raquel helped me make it great and I will happily work with her again in the future.
— Chris Wrenn, author of Yankees Suck and founder of Bridge Nine Records and Sully's Brand