Illustrated Memoir Copyedit and Layout
Budget: $3,000 – $5,000 USD
BOOK EDITOR & DESIGNER NEEDED
Illustrated WWII Combat Memoir — Band of Brothers
HARD DEADLINE: Files uploaded to KDP & IngramSparks by April 15, 2026
Publication Date: June 6, 2026 — 82nd Anniversary of D-Day
———
THE PROJECT
I’m looking for one professional (or a small team) who can handle both the final copy edit AND the interior book design/layout for a completed illustrated memoir about my father, a WWII paratrooper who served in Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division — the unit made famous by Stephen Ambrose’s Band of Brothers and the HBO miniseries.
My father, PFC Burton “Pat” Christenson, was a machine gunner, squad leader, and combat artist. He jumped into Normandy on D-Day, fought through the hedgerows, served in Holland, survived Bastogne, and marched to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. After the war, he spent decades creating detailed pencil drawings of his combat experiences and writing his memoirs. He also corresponded directly with Dick Winters and Stephen Ambrose.
I am his son. I’ve spent 25 years assembling his archive and have written the narrative that connects his memoirs, his artwork, and his letters into a complete book. The manuscript is finished. The drawings are cataloged. The structure is set. What I need is a professional to bring it across the finish line.
———
WHAT YOU’LL BE WORKING WITH
The manuscript is complete and runs approximately 200 pages of text. It is written in two voices — my father’s (from his original typed memoirs) and mine (as his son and a fellow Army veteran). The book is organized into ten chapters spanning his life from Oakland, California through every major campaign of WWII and into the post-war years, plus a chapter of original V-Mail letters home from the war.
Completed manuscript: A polished Word document (.docx) with all ten chapters, the V-Mail Letters Home chapter, and Pat’s original D-Day poem integrated into the text. 69,720 words, 181 manuscript pages.
41 original combat drawings: Pencil on paper, all signed B.P. Christenson. Subjects include D-Day parachute drops, infantry combat, tank battles, soldier portraits, weapon studies, a hand-drawn Bastogne tactical map, Christmas cards from the foxholes, and allegorical pieces. High-resolution scans available for all.
Complete Drawing Placement Guide: A detailed document specifying exactly where each of the 41 drawings should be placed in the book, with full descriptions of each artwork, what makes it unique, the exact passage it corresponds to, and the reason for that placement. This guide is ready to hand to a designer.
8 original V-Mail letters (1943–1944): Scanned at high resolution. Already embedded in the manuscript with transcriptions and narrative captions. These show Pat’s actual handwriting, military addresses, and censor stamps.
Photographs (forthcoming): Original photographs of Pat before, during, and after the war. I am currently scanning these and will provide them with a photo placement guide similar to the drawing guide.
Historical documents: Letters from Dick Winters, an inscribed copy of Band of Brothers from Stephen Ambrose, Hollywood premiere materials, and veteran signatures. Select items will be reproduced in a documents section.
Cover concept: The cover design direction has been established — the title, subtitle, author attribution, and key visual elements are defined. The designer will need to execute the final cover files to KDP and IngramSparks specifications.
———
WHAT I NEED YOU TO DO
1. COPY EDIT (not developmental edit): The manuscript voice and structure are final. I need a thorough copy edit and proofread for grammar, punctuation, spelling, consistency, and readability. Historical names, dates, unit designations, and locations should be verified against the record. No rewriting. No restructuring. The two voices in the book (father and son) are intentional and should be preserved exactly as written.
2. INTERIOR BOOK DESIGN & LAYOUT: This is a heavily illustrated book. You will place 41 original combat drawings throughout the text per the placement guide I provide. You will also place V-Mail letter scans (already in the manuscript), photographs (with placement guide), and historical documents. The layout must handle full-page artwork, half-page illustrations, captioned images, and text-wrapped drawings. Chapter openers, typography, running headers/footers, page numbers, front matter (title page, copyright, dedication, table of contents), and back matter (acknowledgments, about the author) all need professional treatment.
3. FINAL OUTPUT FILES: Print-ready PDF interior and cover files formatted to the exact specifications of both Amazon KDP (paperback and hardcover) and IngramSparks. The book will be published in three formats: hardcover, paperback, and ebook (Kindle). I need files for all three.
———
BOOK SPECIFICATIONS
Title: A Screaming Eagle: The Combat Drawings & Memoirs of a Band of Brothers Soldier
Author: Timothy Christenson (with Burton “Pat” Christenson)
Genre: Military History / WWII Memoir / Illustrated Nonfiction
Estimated page count: 300–350 pages designed with illustrations (181 manuscript pages, 69,720 words, plus 41 drawings, photographs, and documents)
Trim size: 7″ x 10″ or 8″ x 10″ recommended (to display artwork at proper scale — open to designer’s recommendation)
Interior: Black and white (all drawings are pencil on paper)
Cover: Full color, hardcover with dust jacket (IngramSparks) and paperback (KDP)
Formats needed: Hardcover, paperback, and Kindle ebook
Distribution: Amazon KDP + IngramSparks
———
TIMELINE — NON-NEGOTIABLE
This book launches on June 6, 2026 — the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, the day my father jumped into Normandy. This date is not flexible. Working backwards: P
Project must be completed and uploaded to KPD and Ingram Sparks by April 15
WHY THIS PROJECT MATTERS
This is not a vanity project. This is one of the most significant unpublished WWII archives in private hands. It contains:
• 46 original combat drawings by a named Easy Company paratrooper — the only known collection of its kind
• Four personal letters from Dick Winters (1991–2000)
• A personally inscribed copy of Band of Brothers from Stephen Ambrose
• Eight original V-Mail letters home from England and France (1943–1944)
• A hand-typed D-Day poem by the soldier who was there
• 30+ signatures from Easy Company veterans
• Hollywood premiere materials from the HBO Band of Brothers launch
The D-Day anniversary launch gives this book a built-in media hook. Every military history outlet, veterans’ organization, and WWII community will be running D-Day content on June 6th. This book — original combat art by a Band of Brothers soldier, published by his son on the anniversary of the jump — is exactly the kind of story that gets covered.
I need a professional who understands what this is and will treat it accordingly.
———
BUDGET to be discussed
I’m open to proposals. Please quote the full scope — copy edit, interior design/layout, cover finalization, and final file delivery for KDP and IngramSparks. If you price editing and design separately, that’s fine. I’d prefer one person or team handling both for continuity, but I’m open to a team approach if the timeline is met.
Payment structure negotiable — milestone-based preferred (deposit, first proof delivery, final file delivery).
———
TO APPLY
Please send me:
1. Your portfolio or samples of illustrated nonfiction books you’ve edited and/or designed. Military history or memoir experience is strongly preferred.
2. Your proposed timeline confirming you can meet the May 1 deadline.
3. Your quote for the full scope of work.
4. A brief note on why this project interests you.
I will provide the full manuscript, the Drawing Placement Guide, and sample artwork to serious candidates for review before we finalize.
———
Thank you for your time. My father carried a machine gun across Europe, came home, and spent the rest of his life turning what he saw into art. I’m finishing what he started. I need the right person to help me get it across the finish line.
— Timothy Christenson
Son of PFC Burton “Pat” Christenson, Easy Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division
Illustrated WWII Combat Memoir — Band of Brothers
HARD DEADLINE: Files uploaded to KDP & IngramSparks by April 15, 2026
Publication Date: June 6, 2026 — 82nd Anniversary of D-Day
———
THE PROJECT
I’m looking for one professional (or a small team) who can handle both the final copy edit AND the interior book design/layout for a completed illustrated memoir about my father, a WWII paratrooper who served in Easy Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division — the unit made famous by Stephen Ambrose’s Band of Brothers and the HBO miniseries.
My father, PFC Burton “Pat” Christenson, was a machine gunner, squad leader, and combat artist. He jumped into Normandy on D-Day, fought through the hedgerows, served in Holland, survived Bastogne, and marched to Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. After the war, he spent decades creating detailed pencil drawings of his combat experiences and writing his memoirs. He also corresponded directly with Dick Winters and Stephen Ambrose.
I am his son. I’ve spent 25 years assembling his archive and have written the narrative that connects his memoirs, his artwork, and his letters into a complete book. The manuscript is finished. The drawings are cataloged. The structure is set. What I need is a professional to bring it across the finish line.
———
WHAT YOU’LL BE WORKING WITH
The manuscript is complete and runs approximately 200 pages of text. It is written in two voices — my father’s (from his original typed memoirs) and mine (as his son and a fellow Army veteran). The book is organized into ten chapters spanning his life from Oakland, California through every major campaign of WWII and into the post-war years, plus a chapter of original V-Mail letters home from the war.
Completed manuscript: A polished Word document (.docx) with all ten chapters, the V-Mail Letters Home chapter, and Pat’s original D-Day poem integrated into the text. 69,720 words, 181 manuscript pages.
41 original combat drawings: Pencil on paper, all signed B.P. Christenson. Subjects include D-Day parachute drops, infantry combat, tank battles, soldier portraits, weapon studies, a hand-drawn Bastogne tactical map, Christmas cards from the foxholes, and allegorical pieces. High-resolution scans available for all.
Complete Drawing Placement Guide: A detailed document specifying exactly where each of the 41 drawings should be placed in the book, with full descriptions of each artwork, what makes it unique, the exact passage it corresponds to, and the reason for that placement. This guide is ready to hand to a designer.
8 original V-Mail letters (1943–1944): Scanned at high resolution. Already embedded in the manuscript with transcriptions and narrative captions. These show Pat’s actual handwriting, military addresses, and censor stamps.
Photographs (forthcoming): Original photographs of Pat before, during, and after the war. I am currently scanning these and will provide them with a photo placement guide similar to the drawing guide.
Historical documents: Letters from Dick Winters, an inscribed copy of Band of Brothers from Stephen Ambrose, Hollywood premiere materials, and veteran signatures. Select items will be reproduced in a documents section.
Cover concept: The cover design direction has been established — the title, subtitle, author attribution, and key visual elements are defined. The designer will need to execute the final cover files to KDP and IngramSparks specifications.
———
WHAT I NEED YOU TO DO
1. COPY EDIT (not developmental edit): The manuscript voice and structure are final. I need a thorough copy edit and proofread for grammar, punctuation, spelling, consistency, and readability. Historical names, dates, unit designations, and locations should be verified against the record. No rewriting. No restructuring. The two voices in the book (father and son) are intentional and should be preserved exactly as written.
2. INTERIOR BOOK DESIGN & LAYOUT: This is a heavily illustrated book. You will place 41 original combat drawings throughout the text per the placement guide I provide. You will also place V-Mail letter scans (already in the manuscript), photographs (with placement guide), and historical documents. The layout must handle full-page artwork, half-page illustrations, captioned images, and text-wrapped drawings. Chapter openers, typography, running headers/footers, page numbers, front matter (title page, copyright, dedication, table of contents), and back matter (acknowledgments, about the author) all need professional treatment.
3. FINAL OUTPUT FILES: Print-ready PDF interior and cover files formatted to the exact specifications of both Amazon KDP (paperback and hardcover) and IngramSparks. The book will be published in three formats: hardcover, paperback, and ebook (Kindle). I need files for all three.
———
BOOK SPECIFICATIONS
Title: A Screaming Eagle: The Combat Drawings & Memoirs of a Band of Brothers Soldier
Author: Timothy Christenson (with Burton “Pat” Christenson)
Genre: Military History / WWII Memoir / Illustrated Nonfiction
Estimated page count: 300–350 pages designed with illustrations (181 manuscript pages, 69,720 words, plus 41 drawings, photographs, and documents)
Trim size: 7″ x 10″ or 8″ x 10″ recommended (to display artwork at proper scale — open to designer’s recommendation)
Interior: Black and white (all drawings are pencil on paper)
Cover: Full color, hardcover with dust jacket (IngramSparks) and paperback (KDP)
Formats needed: Hardcover, paperback, and Kindle ebook
Distribution: Amazon KDP + IngramSparks
———
TIMELINE — NON-NEGOTIABLE
This book launches on June 6, 2026 — the 82nd anniversary of D-Day, the day my father jumped into Normandy. This date is not flexible. Working backwards: P
Project must be completed and uploaded to KPD and Ingram Sparks by April 15
WHY THIS PROJECT MATTERS
This is not a vanity project. This is one of the most significant unpublished WWII archives in private hands. It contains:
• 46 original combat drawings by a named Easy Company paratrooper — the only known collection of its kind
• Four personal letters from Dick Winters (1991–2000)
• A personally inscribed copy of Band of Brothers from Stephen Ambrose
• Eight original V-Mail letters home from England and France (1943–1944)
• A hand-typed D-Day poem by the soldier who was there
• 30+ signatures from Easy Company veterans
• Hollywood premiere materials from the HBO Band of Brothers launch
The D-Day anniversary launch gives this book a built-in media hook. Every military history outlet, veterans’ organization, and WWII community will be running D-Day content on June 6th. This book — original combat art by a Band of Brothers soldier, published by his son on the anniversary of the jump — is exactly the kind of story that gets covered.
I need a professional who understands what this is and will treat it accordingly.
———
BUDGET to be discussed
I’m open to proposals. Please quote the full scope — copy edit, interior design/layout, cover finalization, and final file delivery for KDP and IngramSparks. If you price editing and design separately, that’s fine. I’d prefer one person or team handling both for continuity, but I’m open to a team approach if the timeline is met.
Payment structure negotiable — milestone-based preferred (deposit, first proof delivery, final file delivery).
———
TO APPLY
Please send me:
1. Your portfolio or samples of illustrated nonfiction books you’ve edited and/or designed. Military history or memoir experience is strongly preferred.
2. Your proposed timeline confirming you can meet the May 1 deadline.
3. Your quote for the full scope of work.
4. A brief note on why this project interests you.
I will provide the full manuscript, the Drawing Placement Guide, and sample artwork to serious candidates for review before we finalize.
———
Thank you for your time. My father carried a machine gun across Europe, came home, and spent the rest of his life turning what he saw into art. I’m finishing what he started. I need the right person to help me get it across the finish line.
— Timothy Christenson
Son of PFC Burton “Pat” Christenson, Easy Company, 506th PIR, 101st Airborne Division