Hello. I’m Gabrielle Estel, a freelance book editor with a love for language.

Great editors advocate for your readers - bridging the gap between understandable and enthralling.

Reader’s Advocate, Author’s Teammate

 
  • A great editor should be the reader’s advocate and the author’s teammate.

    I will help you make the best decisions for your manuscript by providing both my recommendations and my reasoning behind it. With this information in hand, you have the power to make the changes necessary for your goals.

    I am a firm believer in quality over quantity; and I know your time is money. My jobs are done right the first time with professional finesse.

  • I don’t only want to help improve the manuscript, I want to help my writer grow!

    My holistic improvement approach focuses on my writer’s skills. I want you to take strategies from my help and run with them! I support my writers through technique fliers that focus on improving consistent grammatical or storytelling weaknesses.

    I will give your manuscript AND your writing skills the attention they deserve.

  • Being your target audience is my job. Through their eyes, I will make your content readable, relatable, and memorable. My words make even the most technical content captivating and easy for your audience to digest. 

    Great editors advocate for your readers - bridging the gap between understandable and enthralling.

  • Linguistics and rhetoric are my best friends. I am concise. I value returning clients and the impact of great words.

    I am currently supplementing my editing skills with further formal instruction through the University of Chicago Graham School’s Editing Certificate Program (2019–Present).

    I previously graduated Summa Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in English Education and Minor in Literature (2017). I was also the single member of my graduating class to be awarded the Outstanding Senior in English (2017) and maintained high marks in the Honors Program throughout my studies (2013–2017).

    I currently work as a writing consultant for the University of Iowa, which is known as “the Writing College.”

  • I have worked closely with clients from over 15 countries across North America, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. I am familiar with the grammar structure of multiple languages and know how to smooth translations into native level English.

    I am an eclectic reader, and it shows. From historical memoirs to literary magazines to doctoral dissertations, I enjoy working with all texts. I am the best fit for your content because I want to learn about your piece of the world.

What People Are Saying

 

“You are in good hands. Gabrielle strengthened my story in two ways. She gave pointed comments at the sentence level and tailored a conceptual review that reflected a smart, close reading of my story. She communicates professionally and honors her commitments. Do yourself the favor of working with her, you deserve it.”

— Jeffrey Boudon, author (line edit)

It was an honor working with Gabrielle. She keeps everything organized with a running style sheet to keep note of key components. Estel Edits is a stellar editing service. Thank you!

— Robert C, author (copy edit)

"Working with Gabrielle has been absolutely amazing. I sought her services for a sensitivity read of my Ancient Egyptian-inspired fantasy manuscript, and I'm so thankful that I found her! Her work was professional, timely, and thorough. I loved reading through her comments, which were chock-full of fun facts and recommendations to not only make my world building flourish, but also to make modern Egyptian readers feel seen! With her knowledge of Egyptian culture and her access to a focus group of native-born Egyptians to analyze select passages, my manuscript was in excellent hands and has come out stronger for it!"

— Chelsea Elizabeth, author (sensitivity edit)

“Working with Gabrielle for the review of my debut poetry collection, Alice and Antius, was a delightful process. She promptly responded to my query and was honest about her interest in the subject matter, rather than offering to a review a work she wasn’t enthusiastic about. The review itself was thoughtful and spirited and delivered in approachable language unburdened by literary jargon. Along with a Goodreads review, Gabrielle created some beautiful content for Instagram, including several posts, stories, and an interview slideshow. My experience working with Gabrielle was entirely positive and I highly recommend her services!”

— Kit Ingram, author of Alice and Antius (book review)

“I love teachers. And it isn’t because I happen to be one myself. But I love teachers because they are so kind and generous. This month I had the pleasure to work with another teacher, Gabrielle. Besides writing a book review, Gabrielle arranged an interview. She sent me questions and I answered back. While I was so touched by the gesture, what touched me even more was the fact that Gabrielle personalized the review by adding her own childhood memories. Then she told her students my stories. Thank you so much Gabrielle! You have made this teacher enormously happy!”

— Theresa Fuller, author of The Girl Who Became a Goddess (book review)

Not sure which service best suits your words? No worries!

I offer free sample edits of up 1,000 words to evaluate your manuscript’s needs before creating an estimate. I believe in best value and greatest fit. Please reach out with any questions about my editing philosophy or editorial process.

“When something can be read without effort, great effort has gone into its writing.”

-Enrique Jardiel Poncela