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"The best decision I could have made."
"An absolute joy to work with!" "He works with warmth and compassion to boot." "The quality of his work is worth far more than what he charges." "Uses his brain and heart to read instead of a checklist." |
Testimonials"In a sea of editors, Dario is a find. After being tasked with several R&Rs from agents who thought my writing was good, but not yet great, Dario, a true line editor, helped me take that next step. He took the time to understand my work, learn about my intentions, and amplify my writing. He didn't just fix my errors. He taught me how to fix them myself with examples, book recommendations and tailored feedback. I'm sure I'm not alone in my struggle to perfect internalization, voice and line structure. Fortunately, those are Dario's specialties. Using my manuscript, he found the best parts and built upon them, challenging me to think and dig deeper. His feedback was kind but direct, his work professional and timely, and he truly cared for my story. I'm very grateful for the experience and look forward to working with him again in the future." - Matt Varga (titles forthcoming - Testimonial Feb. 2024) "I discovered Dario through a mutual contact, and after working with several lackluster editors on my debut novel, I was a little leery about the “wonderful” and “amazing” claims attached to his reputation. With just the ten-page sample edit, Dario proved me wrong. He is indeed both wonderful and amazing. I purchased Dario’s single-edit solution package. The quality of his work is worth far more than what he charges. Dario immediately spotted my writing weaknesses, most of which had been glossed over by my previous editors. He offered a constructive, kind solution to each problem, and explained his reasoning behind each suggestion. His approach made the editing process collaborative, which was a severe and welcome departure from my previous experiences. Now, when I open an email from my editor, I’m excited rather than filled with dread, because I know that in addition to grammatical and occasional scene fixes, there will be in-line comments where he laughed at something I wrote or where he felt the emotion I hoped to convey to my readers. Dario has worked on two full-length novels with me, and as I’m writing a series, we’ll be working together many more times in the future. His work ethic is exceptional. I highly recommend him, not only as an editor, but as a collaborator." - Astra Capone, author of Fool Me Once series (women’s fiction/romantic comedy, 2023) "After an eternity of self-edits, professional edits, and more self-edits, I thought my book would never get published. After I met Dario I witnessed light at the end of the tunnel. Dario took ownership of an unusual request—to edit a sci-fi adventure novel about tree care. Working diligently, he doctored my manuscript and brought the story to life, all while offering professional guidance along the way. Next, he quickly formatted the manuscript and incorporated powerful and vivid fonts to enhance the readability. His knowledge of the publishing process is unmatched. A true subject-matter-expert who is eager to share industry insights, it is an honor to work with Dario: he brings enthusiasm, dedication, and excellence to every writing project no matter how small or large the task." - Edward Morrow, author of Tree S.T.A.R.S: Dominion (science fiction, 2022) "I loved working with Dario. He was the writing coach and teacher I needed--the professional who gave me honest feedback and also encouragement long after my wife and friends were sick of reading drafts. There was nothing proforma about Dario's approach. He thought long and hard about problems in my story, he identified my limitations as a writer, and suggested fixes for both. "Here's one example. I was not as disciplined as I should have been with point of view in each scene. He had me make a spreadsheet listing the point of view character for each scene. Then he told me to revise every scene, working one character at a time, so that I could get and keep each character's voice in my head. It took a few months and made my novel far more compelling. This blog post about my process has a few other examples of how Dario helped me." – Eric Silberstein , author of The Insecure Mind of Sergei Kraev (science fiction, 2021) "Professional, insightful, and a blast to work with, Dario can fill every editorial role you need, from brainstorming to development to copyediting and proofreading. I’ve had the distinct pleasure to work with Dario on three full-length projects, starting at various points in the process, and in each case I’ve been elated with the final product. You are getting more than just an editor with Dario—you’re getting an immensely talented writer in his own right, a champion, and a wise shepherd." – William R. Hincy, author of Without Expiration (winner of the 2021 American Fiction anthology award), and other works. (Literary fiction, 2021) “Most authors are probably familiar with the feeling of being stuck in the weeds. That was me while in the late stages of writing my fantasy novel. Although I had smoothed out most of the plot, character, and pacing issues on my own, there was still a pronounced gap between the novel I had and the novel I wanted to write. I contacted Dario in the summer of 2020, knowing I needed more help than I could get from reading blog posts. "Contacting Dario was the best decision I could have made. He has a way of gently clearing away the trees and viewing the forest, pointing out flaws without condemning, and is aware of the power of positivity in the creative process. He has continued to make himself available as I walked the last few weary miles of book editing, and I couldn’t be happier with the finished result. His prices are extremely reasonable, also. Highly recommended!” – TatiAnna Tibbitts, author of Ink Adept (fantasy, 2021) “Dario Ciriello is an absolute joy to work with! His mastery of story structure, keen eye for characterization, and attention to detail were invaluable throughout the editing process–from discussing plot and theme to cleaning up errors. His genuine enthusiasm for my manuscript and vision made what could’ve been a tedious line editing experience a true pleasure. As a writer, Dario understands the vulnerability and sensitivity of a first-time author. He didn’t pull any punches, but he delivered feedback in a way that made me eager to improve my book. Not only is my novel better after Dario’s careful attention, my writing is better. I would definitely work with him again, and I highly recommend him to other writers seeking a skilled editor.” – J.H. Schiller, author of Buttermilk Sky (urban fantasy, 2020) “I’ll say it again: you’re the only person whom I’ve met since I started promoting the book who seems to be flexible enough, not attached to “rules” or “guidelines,” who uses his brain and his heart to read instead of a checklist, and therefore the only one I would trust when it comes to editing or giving a professional’s opinion on my book.” – Nora McKinney, author of A Natural (erotic drama, 2019) “I’m delighted at each opportunity to work with Dario Ciriello, who vastly improves my story and writing with every editing pass. He works with warmth and compassion to boot, supporting me as a writer and a person as we puzzle out thorny writing issues that would otherwise be demoralizing to tackle on my own. Dario has edited three of my novels so far, and I look forward to a long-term working relationship together.” – William Hertling, author the Kill Chain and Avogadro Corp. series (tech/sf thrillers 2014-2018) and technology speaker “I’ve been a friend and colleague of Dario Ciriello for almost fifteen years, and in that time I’ve learned to trust his judgement when it comes to writing. His critiques have always focused on helping me not just create compelling fiction, but to accomplish that while remaining true to my own vision of my work. "I started working with Dario as an editor when he published my first novel The Bone Flower Throne through his publishing house Panverse Publishing in 2013. His dedication to quality craft and helping me produce the strongest work I could made my decision to hire him as a freelance editor for my second novel a no-brainer. Dario is an integral member of my indie publishing team, and I wouldn’t dream of sending any novel to press without his input, be it editorial, copy editing, or proofreading. He’s a consummate professional, and a joy to work with.” – T.L. Morganfield, author (romance/historical fantasy) (2016) “Dario Ciriello is a gentleman editor. "Much to my relief, he scoped my opening fifty pages with diplomacy, but more importantly, his comments zeroed-in on my weaknesses with pinpoint accuracy. His trained eye nailed everything necessary for me to progress to a tighter and more emotional rewrite. I survived inspired. No wonder I found him an invaluable resource. "My tendencies to infodump art history were well-spotted. I am now more alert to this weakness of mine. Dario successfully culled my words for my offenses of too much and too little as well as too late and nowhere in sight. As a result, I quickly wrote new scenes to replace floaty exposition and transformed several infodumps into dialogue. My protagonist is, happily, now better represented to my target readership. "What impressed me greatly, was Dario’s way of highlighting things I did right while shining a concentrated light on the areas most in need of improvement. The balance of both was more helpful than overloading me with a list of errors. I wanted an editor with a seasoned eye who could deliver the bitterest rules with an edge of sweet encouragement. Dario Ciriello was the best choice I could have made to show me pages under a sane microscope. "Quiet teachers are the best.” – Veronica Knox, author (literary/historical fantasy) (2015) |