A.J. is an editor, proofreader, and writer with wide experience both in fiction and in nonfiction, the latter with specialties in business writing, business methods, business history, communication, and literary analysis. He also writes both nonfiction (primarily articles on business-related topics and book reviews in various areas of fiction and nonfiction) and fiction and has won several minor awards for his short stories.
As a freelance editor, he enjoys the challenges of working with both fiction and nonfiction manuscripts. His specialty is science fiction (and he edited the four-volume Magill’s Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature), but he moves easily among genres. Although he thrived as an in-house editor, he decided in 1997 to pursue freelance work, primarily to be able to work more directly with authors and to have greater flexibility and choice among projects. He prides himself on helping authors write so that they convey exactly what they want to, polishing their work and exploring with them the best ways to tell their stories or to present their facts and theories while maintaining the authors’ own tone and style.
His career in the publishing industry, spanning more than 25 years, began at SAGE Publications. While pursuing graduate work in economics at UCLA, he taught at California State University, Northridge, and other colleges in the Los Angeles area. After deciding that the publishing field suited him better than academia, he took a position at Salem Press, earning promotion to the position of project editor within several months. He worked in-house at Salem Press until starting work as a freelance editor, and Salem Press remained a client until it went out of business.
A. J. has edited nonfiction work, both books and papers (including more than a dozen successful theses and dissertations and dozens of articles published in academic journals), in a variety of fields, including various social sciences, technical research, and medical research. His work includes dozens of books and more than 50 journal issues in the social sciences, research methods, mathematics, political science, psychology, business and management, history, and health and medicine, among other topics.
A. J. has earned praise from supervisors at the numerous publishers where he has worked, as both an in-house editor and a freelancer, as well as from the authors with whom he has worked (see feedback below). His employers and clients include the following:
Salem Press (6 years in-house, continuing freelance)
Sage Publications (since 1993)
The Planetary Report (magazine)
Guilford Press
The University of California Press
Liberty Fund
ABC-CLIO
Rowman & Littlefield
Along with working with authors through various publishers, he assists authors in honing their manuscripts prior to submission and works with students on academic papers. He holds an MA in economics from UCLA, has done graduate-level coursework in mathematics, and taught economics at California State University, Northridge, for 4 years, as well as teaching at several other colleges. Several of his graduate student clients have successfully defended dissertations he edited. He is an expert in APA and Chicago styles and is on several publishers' lists of "go-to" editors for books with mathematical content. His writing on business and economics has appeared in several reference volumes, and he is the editor of and a contributor to Great Events from History II: Business and Commerce, containing approximately 500 articles on critical events in 20th-century business history.
He is especially interested in working with fiction authors and has edited more than 40 novels (science fiction, fantasy, mystery, and young adult) and assisted some of those authors and others in putting together query packages for agents and publishers. He has published short fiction in a variety of genres, so he understands the writing process from both the editor's and the writer's perspectives. Among other awards, he has received an honorable mention in the "Year's Best" collection of fantasy and horror published by St. Martin's Press in 1995. He has been a “Municipal Liaison” for the popular worldwide event “National Novel Writing Month” since 2002.
Specialties
He is an expert in APA and Chicago styles and is on several publishers' lists of "go-to" editors for manuscripts with heavy math content. His fiction specialties include science fiction, fantasy, horror, mystery, memoir, and young adult. Among his services and specialties are
Writing, copyediting, developmental editing
Manuscript evaluations and critiques
Fiction: science fiction, horror, mystery, mainstream, short story
Inquests: Living with the Dead, by Judge Thomas Mitchell Shamburger
Czech Mate, by Dan West (crime thriller/satire)
Anathema Rhodes, by Iimani David (New York Literary Society, 2009 - Nominated for 2009 Book Of The Year by Foreword Magazine in literary fiction)
Vengeance Has No Joy, by Robert Haldi — detective fiction
Rose's Collage, by Christa Laririt — poetry
Figures upon Figures, by Christa Laririt — poetry
Between Me and God: A Poetic Memoir Tracing a Year of Hope (tentative title), by Beverlye Hyman Fead — memoir and poetry
The Spirit Garden, by Charles Plante — fantasy
Magill's Guide to Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, consulting editor T. A. Shippey, Project Editor A. J. Sobczak
Keep It Simple: An Informative Guide for Post 9/11 Air Travel, by Fred F. Pfisterer
The Nature of Leadership, edited by John Antonakis, PhD, et al.
Race, Ethnicity, and Gender, edited by Joseph F. Healey, PhD
Handbook of Research Design & Social Measurement, edited by Delbert C. Miller and Neil J. Salkind
The Planetary Report, a bimonthly magazine for space enthusiasts
Slow Leadership, by Adrian Savage
Reflections on Blood Games: Impact Poems from the Ricochets of Life, by Paul Guthrie (Calliope Books, 2007)
A
Curveball from Heaven, by Louis A. Buckley sports fantasy
Karabilla, by Patrick McClafferty (Raider Publishing) science fiction/fantasy
Feedback
"A.J. Sobczak is very intelligent and insightful - he makes clear rational suggestions and is not afraid to tell you when you are headed in the wrong direction. He does not just patronize the writer to collect money. He gives honest appraisals." - Dan West, writer
“A.J. did a wonderful job proof editing my dissertation. He is probably one of the best experts available in APA style academic writing." (Contact information on request)
“A.J is one of the most professional editors I have ever encountered. He did an amazing job. His comments were clear, concise, clean and most important - accurate.” (Contact info on request)
"I was more than just pleased with AJ and the network, it was more than I really expected." —Lyle Amlin
"I requested that AJ provide an evaluation of my book proposal and sample chapters, before submission to a publisher. AJ not only provide a very rapid service, he also provided me with far greater insight as to what changes were required. On consideration of his review, I agree with vast majority of his recommendations and am currently in the process of making the necessary amendments. His clear and objective viewpoint was exactly what was required." —Ian Robson, Perception Dynamics Ltd
"A. J. is an outstanding copyeditor, and was a true pleasure to work with. He excels at bringing out the best of the author has to say, without changing the author's 'voice.'" —Roderick Baker, Publisher, Apollo House Press
A
Curveball from Heaven,
by Louis A.
Buckley— sports fantasy
"A.J. has been a huge
asset to my company and
myself since August of
2002. A.J. has assisted
me with the editing of
my book proposal and has
always exceeded my
extremely high
standards. He is always
concerned about the
quality of his work, and
works beyond the
standards given to him. He treats every project
individually and gives
it his full attention
every time. He strives
to constantly improve
everything he touches.
This is easily seen
through his accuracy and
attention to detail
while proofing and
editing my manuscript. I
would be more than happy
to discuss A.J.'s
outstanding work with
anyone who has any
hesitation in working
with or hiring A.J.
Sobczak." —Jennifer C.
Selland, Founder and
President, Well-Run
Concepts, Santa Barbara,
CA
"It has been a pleasure
working with A. J. I
have never worked with
someone as competent as
he is in copy editing.
Most of the copy editors
that I've worked with
let many things 'slide'
that would never escape
A. J.'s sharp eye. He
really has very high
standards and is, by
far, the most competent
copy editor with which
I've worked. I have
recommended him to
colleagues, who were
also extremely satisfied
with his performance." —John Antonakis, Ph.D.,
Assistant Professor,
Department of
Management, HEC,
University of Lausanne,
Switzerland
"A.J. was fast and
efficient. His price was
competitive and his
level of editing was
just what I needed for
my comp exam. I would
work with him in the
future." —Margaret
Clausen, doctoral
student, California
Institute of Integral
Studies
"A.J. added substantial
value and was
accommodating,
thoughtful and
responsive to my
requests." —(Contact
information on request)
"A. J. did an excellent job and I am more than satisfied. I work full-time, am married, have a teenage son and a new five month old baby and I am trying to finish my Ph.D. so this editing was a real stress buster and time saver. I will utilize your services throughout the rest of my course work and dissertation." —Selina Griswold, graduate student, North Central University
"An excellent experience and first-rate work at
every stage." —(Contact
information on request)
"[The] project took about twice as long as initially thought. In the end though, it was worth it as I thought he did a thorough job." Josh Futer (contact information on request)
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A.J. is an editor, proofreader, and writer with wide experience both in fiction and in nonfiction, the latter with specialties in business writing, business methods, business history, communication, and literary analysis. He also writes both nonfiction (primarily articles on business-related topics and book reviews in various areas of fiction and nonfiction) and fiction and has won several minor awards for his short stories.
A
Curveball from Heaven, by Louis A. Buckley sports fantasy
Karabilla, by Patrick McClafferty (Raider Publishing) science fiction/fantasy
