Helping to publish books that educate, empower, and transform
Hello and welcome to UpLit, a professional book editorial and proofreading service dedicated to creating Uplifting Literature.1
I’m Swetha, the friendly (and only!) editor here. I specialize in helping nonfiction book authors and publishers serve readers through well-crafted, riveting narratives articulated in the author’s unique style and voice and presented impeccably. My passion is to bring to life books that contribute to individual and collective education, empowerment, and transformation.
The genres I work with span psychology, memoir, research-backed self-help, philosophy, spirituality, inspiration, personal growth and transformation, parenting, family and relationships, health and healing, exercise/movement, leadership, social change, history, poetry, architecture, art, photography, culture, nature, and the environment. Drawing on my Asian Indian heritage and upbringing and my two-year 500-hour Iyengar Yoga teacher training and apprenticeship (at Adeline Yoga, Berkeley), I also lend subject-matter expertise to books on yoga including anatomy, āsana, and philosophy. Additionally, my proficiency in the Devanagari script and basic Sanskrit enables me to provide transliterations of Sanskrit text and editorial oversight for Sanskrit-to-English translations.
I enjoy propelling my clients to success using the array of knowledge and abilities I have gained and refined through myriad projects over a twelve-year-long career in diverse roles and occupations including business administration in the yoga industry and business and tech consulting. I am a graduate of the Professional Sequence in Editing certificate program from The University of California Berkeley Extension and have an MS (with Honors) in Management Information Systems from Texas A&M University. I continue my training with courses and sessions offered by the Professional Editors Network (PEN), Publishing Professionals Network (PPN), Editcetera, BAWiP, and other reputed editorial organizations where I am a member.
For editing projects: I provide thorough line- and copyedits of manuscripts with detailed, honest, and considerate suggestions to improve clarity and support the credibility of the writing while enhancing the author’s distinctive style and voice. I deliver a custom style sheet for each project.
For proofreading projects: Beyond word-by-word proofing for grammatical and typographical errors, I check for accuracy and consistency in the typesetting and design of all book elements. I can also perform fact-checking, collation of author/editor corrections, and resolution of editorial queries where needed.
All work is based on the house (or other chosen) style and preferred dictionary. I am skilled in print and digital markup, the Chicago Manual of Style, and other popular tools of the trade such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, Microsoft Office Suite, and Google Suite.
Please contact me with details about your project and requirements. I am always excited to take on new challenges and would love to bring you my skills and enthusiasm.
Warmly,
Swetha Rao
- Note to fellow logophiles: Several online dictionaries define uplit as the simple past tense and past participle of the verb uplight (meaning “to light in an upward direction” per Collins English Dictionary); however, Merriam-Webster has no entry for either word. ↩︎
