Essential Spanish & English Translations and Editing

ÉSETE is me, David Rochelero. Welcome to my bilingual website!

ÉSETE = Essential Spanish & English Translations and Editing

You’ve spent a lot of time with your writing. Your manuscript is looking pretty good, but you need an objective second set of eyes to help your writing be the best it can be. Line editing, copy editing and proofreading your writing are jobs for professional editors, and that is what I am here for.

Two of the guiding passions in my life are la lengua española, and good writing, in Spanish and English. I fell in love with the Spanish language before I finished my very first lesson 40 years ago and immediately declared a major in it. During my remaining undergraduate years I travelled to San José, Costa Rica, and Guanajuato, Mexico, as part of my studies.

After a number of other travels to Latin America and studying in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala, I decided to pursue master’s degree studies. A semester of that program was spent in Guadalajara, Mexico. My master’s program is where I developed my interest in research and appreciation for editing.

I have now line edited, copy edited and proofread numerous novels in English and Spanish, as well as having worked as the Spanish copy editor of the translations of web pages for a large insurance company and for a digital learning company. For the latter, I helped with the marketing of the classes as well as the classes themselves. We created learning opportunities for Spanish speakers at schools such as Harvard, Oxford and London School of Science. Currently, during the day, I work for a non-profit organization line editing documents for a variety of law-enforcement agencies and public-safety programs. That leaves me quite a bit of free time to work on freelance editing projects.

Also, in my spare time I have translated twenty-five novels from English to Spanish (with more soon to come),

as well as doing all the researching, line editing, copy editing and proofreading for the translations,

all but one of which I have published myself.

I can translate your novel for you too.

Know that I am here to help with the English or Spanish line editing, copy editing and proofreading of your documents, whether it is for books, website pages or other documents!

“American Shield” by Susan Shapiro, Aquilino Gonell and Jamie Raskin

Now this is an honor. Counterpoint Press has asked me to copyedit the Spanish translation of their soon-to-be-released nonfiction book, “American Shield.”

BOOK DESCRIPTION
“American Shield is an all-American tale of duty and determination—beautifully told by an immigrant, a veteran, and a patriot.” —Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita of the United States House of Representatives

“Set against the extraordinary events of January 6, 2021, Aquilino Gonell’s inspirational memoir is rooted in the joys and struggles of the immigrant experience that have long defined the American experiment.

“Aquilino Gonell came to the United States from the Dominican Republic as a young boy. Although he spoke no English, he dedicated himself to his adopted land, striving for the American dream. Determined to be a success story, he joined the army to pay for college. He saw action in Iraq and returned home with PTSD. Believing in the promise of our government, he focused on healing himself and supporting his family. His hard work paid off when he landed a coveted position with the United States Capitol Police and rose to the rank of sergeant.

“January 6, 2021, changed everything. When insurrectionists stormed the Capitol, Gonell bravely faced down the mob attempting to thwart the peaceful transfer of power. The brutal injuries he sustained that day would end his career in law enforcement. But when some of the very people he put his life on the line to protect downplayed or denied the truth of that day, he chose to speak out against the injustice done to him and the country. Chronicling what it means to live a life of conviction, one that adheres to the best ideas of our democracy, American Shield is a bold testament to the power of truth, justice, and accountability from a highly decorated officer and immigrant who exemplifies the greatest aspirations of a grateful nation.”

MLA Handbook

Recently, the Modern Language Association contacted me and asked if I would proofread the Spanish translation of their style guide.

I was humbled to say, “Yes!”

The MLA Handbook is widely used in the United States, Canada, and other countries. It provides guidelines for writing and documentation of research in the humanities, such as English studies (including the English language, writing, and literature written in English); the study of other modern languages and literatures, including comparative literature; literary criticism; media studies; cultural studies; and related disciplines.

After our work is done, the Spanish version of the MLA style guide will, hopefully, be available sometime in 2023.