Jonathan Cohen, M.A., Testimonials

Can’t rave enough. Jonathan served as the “technical reviewer” for my book, The Complete Idiot’s Guide to Literary Theory and Criticism, but what he really did was read the manuscript as carefully and sensitively as any writer could hope for, then offered specific suggestions that made the finished product really sing. Jonathan was fantastic to work with: professional, dependable, on-time, interesting, funny, and genuinely interested in the work and getting things right. From matters of content (big and small) to important elements of style, Jonathan’s approach to editing is absolutely invaluable. Alpha Books/Penguin USA was smart to hire him for this job, and I highly recommend him to publishers and individual writers alike.

Professor Steven J. Venturino, Ph.D.
Department of English
Loyola University of Chicago

A bibliography in eight languages with at least as many different reference styles, not to mention gaps in information, was blocking the completion of a 650-page manuscript. Jonathan tamed the monster quickly and elegantly, making order out of confusion.¹The completed bibliography as printed was 61 pages long. I commend his precision and skill, based on background knowledge and good scholarly instincts, to anyone with a challenging editorial project.

Haun Saussy, Ph.D.
University Professor
Department of East Asian Language and Civilizations, The Committee on Social Thought
University of Chicago

Jonathan provided both copy-editing and editorial services on a book manuscript. His copy-editing was meticulous; his questions about content were insightful; his suggestions about passages that needed reworking were spot-on. As an editor he provided steady guidance. Jonathan’s interventions made the book stronger. He is a pleasure to work with: courteous, prompt, honest. I thought hard about which three attributes from the list to check, since they all apply to Jonathan and his work: fast-turn around, crystal clear results, well-researched and well-informed questions, and fair pricing top the list. I will definitely hire Jonathan again.

Professor Laura J. Mitchell, Ph.D.
Department of History
University of California, Irvine

It was an absolute pleasure to work with Jonathan during the writing and editing of my book, Ready to Go: History and Contributions of U.S. Public Health Advisors. Jonathan quickly grasped and appreciated the spirit and approach of the work, and he was a literary master with an “eagle eye” when it came to saying it carefully and well.

Professor Beth Meyerson, M.Div., Ph.D.
School of Public Health
Indiana University

Jonathan Cohen and Beth Riley have proofread issues of the twice-yearly Santa Monica Review for nearly two decades. As the magazine’s editor, I like to assure contributors, readers, and my own supervisors at Santa Monica College—the magazine’s sponsor—that we rely on professional proofreader-editors. Jonathan’s careful reading for our literary magazine speaks to his versatility, curiosity, thoroughness, and professionalism. He and Beth dig deep into word choice, idiom, usage, etymology and foreign languages, often going well beyond only line editing to challenge or affirm or recommend the best and most appropriate turn of phrase or reference for a short story or essay. They know and follow the conventions of our genre, and have in their long tenure helped shape the stylistic choices of Santa Monica Review. They have surely educated this editor and, most importantly, have consistently made the fiction and nonfiction featured in the magazine look its best.

Andrew Tonkovich, MFA
Editor, Santa Monica Review
Santa Monica College
Santa Monica, California

Jonathan is a remarkable editor. He has a smart sense of language and on numerous occasions he has helped me clarify my use of it. He also has a vast fund of knowledge. I would recommend Jonathan without hesitation. He is a pleasure to work with and he consistently follows through, with clever insight and a careful eye.

Professor David Brody, Ph.D.
School of Art
Parsons School of Design