Services hummingbird

I inherited the love of reading and writing from my mom and a passion for traveling from my dad. I came from a family of readers, but I always loved telling and writing stories as much as reading them. I also love watching people and imagining fantastic back stories for them.

My father’s job taking us from Maadi, Egypt, to New Port Richey, Florida, and quite a few cities in between, I caught the travel bug, and spent time in Rennes and Paris, France, as an adult. I love speaking French and watching French movies. Quiche remains one of the few dishes I cook well.

I received my bachelor and master of arts degrees in English literature from the University of Colorado at Boulder and my master of fine arts degree in creative writing from Antioch University Los Angeles. I also have a bachelor of arts degree in international affairs from the University of Colorado at Boulder.

I worked in book publishing as an acquisitions editor for several years, most recently at an association, where I developed books about business, medicine, and pets. I have also been a freelance writer and editor for over a decade. My personal essays are published in a variety of print and digital publications, including Role Reboot and The Manifest-Station. My short story “Missed Connection” won a Stories on Stage contest and was performed live, and my short stories have been published in The Madison Review, Tampa Review, KYSO Flash, Sand Hill Review, and The Magnolia Review. In 2007 my book Generation What? Dispatches from the Quarter-life Crisis was published by Speck Press. I was the editor and a contributing writer. I live in Denver, Colorado, with my family.

I offer the following services to individuals and businesses:

Testimonials

"Bess Maher reviewed and edited my book Companion-Animal Dental and Surgical Instruments published by AAHA Press. Her edits, comments, and recommended changes took the first draft to the final product. Her feedback was accurate, thorough, and thoughtful regarding structure and flow. Bess made herself available by way of coaching and moral support. Whether a writer is experienced or new to writing, working with Bess will dramatically improve the work. My book became a best seller to its target market because of Bess. I highly recommend Bess Maher as an editor."

—Gail E. Marshall, MBA, AHT

"I am the author of numerous books, workbooks, and scripts developed for the veterinary profession. Among them are the AAHA Be Safe video training series that won the American Business Association’s Gold Stevie Award in the Safety/Security category. Bess Maher was the editor at AAHA that helped me update or develop that script and many of those publications. Her comments and suggestions were always useful and made the content more understandable for the reader. Bess was very patient, professional, and courteous at all times. I would wholeheartedly recommend Bess as an editor for any author or manuscript."

—Philip J. Seibert, Jr., CVT