TESTIMONIALS
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Book manuscripts
"Over the decades, I have worked with several editors in Spanish and in English, both with my fiction books and my scholarly writing: working with Isis has been the most satisfying and interesting experience of all. Since I wrote in English as my second language, Isis needed to pay attention to different aspects of the text, from grammar to more complex problems related to ideas and chapters' structure. To do all this, Isis was fully involved with the book's argument, open to questions and, at the same time, very efficient with time. There were two aspects of the editing that were unique in my work with Isis. One was her intelligence to decide whether it was best to directly correct what was wrong, to suggest two or more different alternatives to fix a problem, or to open a conversation with me. The other, related, was her deep understanding of the arguments and events discussed in the manuscript, which allowed her to make suggestions that improved the book throughout. Isis works as an editor in the most comprehensive, old-fashioned sense of the term: as a collaborative effort with the author and with an engagement with the text and ideas that readers and writers will appreciate."
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Ernesto Semán, author of Ambassadors of the Working Class (Duke UP, 2017) and Assistant Professor, Jepson School of Leadership Studies, University of Richmond.
"It was wonderful to work with Isis! She demonstrates the utmost professionalism; making expectations on both ends clear up front, minimizing the potential for misunderstandings and omissions that can create unnecessary stress in an editing process. She did an excellent job of converting my manuscript to Chicago style; the time saved was well worth the money spent on my end. Not only is her attention to detail stellar, but she works in a timely manner as well. She was even so generous as to point out errors and points that required clarification that came to her attention in the process while also providing that feedback in a respectful manner (not in a condescending or curt tone that probably every academic has had experience with!). Her years of publishing high-quality scholarship of her own make her especially qualified to know what to look for and to know the right questions to ask of any text aimed at publication."
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Eva Karene Romero, author of Film and Democracy in Paraguay (Palgrave, 2016).
"Isis showed deep familiarity with the Chicago Manual of Style manual when she proofread my book manuscript. Her familiarity significantly exceeded the knowledge of the professional copy editor that the press used. She is very well organized, and works with very careful attention to detail. She is also flexible and able to adapt to the style conventions of different presses and particular projects. Isis is also fully conversant with proofing conventions in both Spanish and English. Yet she also brings to the work a nice balance of professionalism in the fine details of manuscript preparation with a lively sense of intellectual curiosity."
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Joe Parker, author of Democracy Beyond the Nation State. Practicing Equality (Routledge, 2017) and Professor of International and Intercultural Studies at Pitzer College.
"Isis came highly recommended to me from multiple sources. I utilized her services to copy edit my book manuscript. I found her expertise in research areas such as cultural studies and Latin American studies to be a real asset as I worked on some major revisions. She was thorough, detailed, and very generous with suggestions and feedback. I really appreciate how she constantly checked in to ask me questions anytime something was not clear. Although working on book revisions was stressful, it was great to have support from Isis in multiple areas."
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Maritza Cárdenas, author of Constituting Central American-Americans (forthcoming, 2018).
“I had a great experience working with Isis! For this book, Isis translated two chapters from Spanish and copy edited three others. Her work and dedication were crucial to reaching the final version of the manuscript. In my individual case, she guided me through the revision of my translation from Spanish of one contributor’s chapter and of a book chapter of my own. She was very professional, worked in a timely manner, and was very honest about her timeframe for her work. As I am a native-speaker of Spanish, her attentive reading and detailed feedback helped me shape my argument while taking care of other small mistakes and enhancing nuances that contributed to shape the text. Throughout our several email exchanges, she was very polite and always asked pertinent questions. She often offered two (or even more) options to resolve any possible misunderstanding in the text. And more importantly, Isis was able to grasp the core of the argument, which contributed to clarify the text and make it more accessible to the reader. Isis is truly engaged in her work and her collaborative style contributes to have a very detailed and polished final text .”
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Federico Pous, co-editor of Authoritarianism, Cultural History, and Political Resistance in Latin America. Exposing Paraguay (Palgrave, 2018) and Assistant Professor of Spanish, Department of World Languages and Cultures, Elon University.
Journal article manuscripts
"Working with Isis Sadek has been great. She was excellent in all possible ways. She sent me the edited version very quickly, answered any questions that I had immediately, and made several accurate suggestions for improvement. One of the aspects of her work that I liked the most was that she did not just focus on finding typos and grammatically incorrect sentences, but also on really trying to understand what I was saying. As a result, I was able to communicate my ideas much more effectively and precisely. Isis speaks many languages very fluently. Because of this, she was very good at understanding the structure of my ideas in my native language, Spanish, and at thinking of ways of expressing these ideas in English in the best possible way. In sum, I strongly recommend Isis as an editor."
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Cristian Dimitriu, Postdoctoral Fellow at Justitia Amplificata-University of Frankfurt and Free University of Berlin.
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"I’ve now used Isis’s services for two projects: preparing an article for publication, and working on a grant application. Isis has been absolutely wonderful! For the article, she suggested options, discussed alternatives, and, most importantly, worked to keep my own voice. The final version was still 'as mine' as it was at the beginning, albeit much clearer and concise. For the grant application, Isis helped me distill my ideas and sharpen my argument, so that it was clearly understood by expert and non-expert readers. She took the time to read the requirements and sample submissions provided by the granting institution to make sure that the final version was appropriate. Isis is extremely professional and reliable, and worked fast and efficiently with my deadlines in mind. I would highly recommend her for any editing needs."
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Adriana Brodsky, Associate Professor, History Department, St. Mary's College of Maryland.
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"As an ESL scholar in the social sciences I have worked with a number of editors throughout the years. Nobody combines the linguistic skills, background knowledge and deep engagement as Isis does. Instead of fixing only cosmetic issues or completely re-doing a text, she works intensively to make the voice of the author shine. She provides honest feedback in asking questions about the text that help me make it clearest. I have received accolades for the sophistication of my writing and I owe the praises to her. I truly recommend her work for anyone, from senior scholars to undergraduates, including graduate students and junior professors, whether native speakers or ESL writers. Working with Isis is a guarantee of the highest quality for your book, article, thesis or dissertation."
Santiago Slabodsky, Florence and Robert Kaufman Chair, School of Government, Public Policy and International Affairs, Hofstra University.
Writing coach
"Isis Sadek is a talented mentor, editor and writing coach. She is dedicated to helping others achieve their writing goals with a pedagogical approach to improving not only texts, but the author's overall writing ability. I worked with Isis on many projects over the last seven years, culminating in the successful completion of my Ph.D. in Comparative Literature. During this time, Isis has always surpassed my expectations as a teacher-scholar with her uncommon ability to be detail oriented without losing sight of the project at large.
Isis is able to tune into the writer’s perspective to offer edits that help clarify sentences, paragraphs, chapters and entire works. She helped me improve my academic writing by providing meaningful feedback and insight on multiple drafts in both English and Spanish. The depth and breadth of her editing ability stems from her experiences as a diverse scholar who worked with a variety of disciplines. I credit Isis for helping me become a stronger writer and will never forget the patience, perseverance, and the overall professionalism of her rigorous approach to editing my work."
Jennifer Karash-Eastman, PhD (University of South Carolina), Digital learning solutions specialist, EMC Publishing.
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"I have worked with Isis in various collegial capacities over the last year. Isis is a scholar of uncommon brilliance with a tremendous capacity to senti-pensar (coined by Orlando Fals Borda). By this I mean that she thinks from what I would consider to be a decolonized perspective, moving beyond the conventions of grammar and construct alone, in order to consider subjectivity and voice. Apart from working in both Spanish and English impeccably, Isis understands how to coach others into writing from their own voices. While she is trained to write classic scholarly texts and to help others to do so as well, she is more invested in people who want to write into their own style and make a contribution beyond what is typically expected, synthesizing and honing in on a balance between strong critique and creative grace. In her approach to feedback, she is also firm while nurturing, a skill that can and does make or break writers at all stages of their career."
Daniel B. Coleman Chávez, Lecturer, Program in Women's and Gender Studies, UNC Greensboro.
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