Testimonials

“I research everything. Through research I learned the single most important decision that predicts the potential success of a self-published author (this probably holds true for all authors) is the decision to hire a professional editor. No surprise there. I then researched professional editors and found Arlene. Not only is she immensely professional, experienced and talented, but some of her edits literally stopped me in my metaphorical tracks – they were that good!

“I also found Arlene kind but direct. Arlene is not a mincer of words when it comes s**tty writing, yet in her gentle terms s**tty writing would be identified by phrases like “could be better if perhaps,” “what about trying this idea?” or “the correct grammar is such-and-such, so is this maybe a mistake or is it deliberate?” I learned so much from Arlene while not once feeling condescended to or creatively truncated. She instilled trust. Arlene will be the editor of my next novel. That’s the highest praise I can giver her.”

— Kenneth Evren
A Body of Fates
Vancouver, BC
July 2023
[email protected]

“Credit where credit is due: Arlene Prunkl of PenUltimate Editorial Services rocks! I edited my 32-page children’s book at least eight times, had three beta readers go through it, and let it sit for a week before reading through it again. I found several more nasty typos and extra spaces and commas gone awry and was quite pleased with myself. But Arlene did a final proofread and found over a dozen more things that needed fixing.

“This showed me what I teach all my clients and students. YOU CAN’T EDIT OR PROOFREAD YOUR OWN WORK! You see what you wrote, you see what you think should be there, and you don’t see what shouldn’t be there. Please consider hiring an editor/proofreader for all your written work. It is so worth it to a achieve a professional finished product. Thank you, Arlene, for showing me how fallible I am with my own writing and proving to me why writers always need fresh eyes.”

— Darcy Nybo
A Girl Called Goose
Kelowna, BC
January 2023
www.artisticwarrior.com
[email protected]

“Arlene, it’s with great joy that I can tell you that today I received my first print copy of my novel, The 13th Vote. After three and a half years of work, it was something to see! The cover, interior art, and typesetting really brought it to life and I hope those who read it get just a fraction of the satisfaction that I have in holding it in my hands.

“But one element that stands above all of these is the quality of your editing. As you recall, I found you on the internet, through no personal reference, and despite you having ‘checked all the boxes,’ I remained quite anxious about how much of an impact you’d make relative to readability, form, and structure, and more so, that you would change my ‘voice’ that is so much a part of my art. Let’s face it, editing for most, and certainly for me, is not inexpensive, but I have come to realize it is indispensable, especially when pros like you are involved.

“To my most pleasant surprise, your editing made such a wonderful difference in the finished product that today, I can’t believe that I had any doubts about you. Your diligence, attention to detail, and grasp of grammar and style are incredible, and allowed my words and ideas to come to life without changing my voice in the least. Also, your coaching and suggestions have made me a better writer and allowed me to feel as if I was in control of my work at all times. Lastly, I am most grateful for the support you have given me. You never hesitated to field my questions, or send articles or blurbs of best practice, so I could know what constitutes good and proper writing.

“I wanted to personally thank you for helping me on my writing journey. It’s just begun for me and so, I definitely will work with you again (hopefully in less than three years!) Can’t wait!”

— Brendan Gavin
The 13th Vote
Ontario, Canada
January 2021
www.fabulousnewcatalog.com/my-books/
[email protected]

“We would like to send Carol and Rick Blacklaws a ‘thank you’ for their beautiful book on the Fraser. Personally, I haven’t been able to leave it alone and would love to make a trip to the McBride area. Carol has such a magnificent command of the English language. Sometimes I read a sentence more than once just to enjoy her phrasing. The photography is beyond words.”
— Lawrence Joiner from the OK Ranch on the Fraser River

“Thank you for this beautiful and well-informed book. I came home from Steveston and went through every page. I love the photos but I also love Carol’s writing that keeps rolling along just like the river. At times, it is a travelogue urging people to explore the river as you did and then it is a history lesson on the river’s past. You don’t ignore the very real threats to the river and I like that you got into New Westminster’s turning its back on the river. The inclusion of Indigenous stories, photos, and histories is well beyond the token. One really understands how integral they are to the story. Congratulations to you both. You have done one hell of a good job.”
— Alan Haig-Brown, author, BC historian

— Carol & Rick Blacklaws
The Fraser: River of Life and Legend
British Columbia, Canada
September 2020
[email protected]

“To Whom It May Concern:

“Arlene Prunkl is the editor of my memoir, George Garrett: Intrepid Reporter, published by Harbour Publishing in March, 2019. The book has been very successful with standing on the BC Bestsellers list for 14 consecutive weeks. I attribute much of that success to the expert guidance and keen eye of substantive editor Arlene Prunkl. We communicated entirely via email and did not meet in person until after the editing had been done. Arlene is as pleasant in person as she was in emails. She was helpful, encouraging, and thoughtful. Her experience was obvious as she transformed a rather disjointed account of my career in journalism into an easy-to-read manuscript with flow. Arlene eliminated unnecessary chapters, condensed like material into something cohesive and did it all without bruising my ego.

“The Intrepid Reporter book is considered by critics to be important to the history of British Columbia.

“Editor Charlie Smith of the Georgia Straight wrote: ‘The book contains riveting tales of a bygone era in British Columbia.’

“Harold Munro, editor of the Vancouver Sun/Province said, ‘The book is a must-read for anyone interested in the history of British Columbia.’

“Arlene Prunkl took the ramblings of an old reporter and fashioned a story worth telling. An editor’s job – very well done.

“George Garrett (retired journalist) – June 1, 2019”

— George Garrett – retired journalist
George Garrett: Intrepid Reporter
Vancouver, BC
June 2019
http://www.harbourpublishing.com/title/GeorgeGarrett
[email protected]

“The Water Tower Club is the second novel of mine that Arlene has edited, and you can be sure that when I finish my next novel I’ll be knocking on her editorial door again. Arlene knows more about grammar, punctuation, and usage than anyone I know. I swear, I think she’s practically memorized the more than one thousand pages of the Chicago Manual of Style. I always want to believe, after spending months self-editing a manuscript, that it’s error free. Not so! Arlene is so thorough and meticulous in her work she inevitably finds things I missed. But her expertise extends beyond ferreting out mechanical errors. She makes spot on suggestions regarding storyline, characterization, diction, dialogue, and point of view that are invaluable. When I finish making revisions based on her editorial comments, I always end up with a better read. As editors go, Arlene is the real deal and the complete package!”

— B K Mayo
The Water Tower Club
Roseburg, Oregon
August 2018
[email protected]