Overview
Since November 2006, I have been a highly respected production editor at Kensington Publishing, where I am in direct contact with every facet of fiction and nonfiction publishing from manuscript to bound book, and have been instrumental in the success of a varied list of titles—including Dr. Jen Gunter’s The Vagina Bible, Joanna Martine Woolfolk’s The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need, and Tucker Max’s I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell. I am highly proficient in editing, proofreading, and the creative writing of jacket and catalog copy, and have mastered the nuances and subtleties of anchoring a small production department.
Throughout my career, I have freelanced in a variety of capacities: copyediting, proofreading, fact-checking, and coding manuscripts. Recent bestsellers upon which I have performed these duties include The Writer’s Journey by Chris Vogler and Save the Cat! The Last Book on Screenwriting You’ll Ever Need by Blake Snyder, both for Michael Wiese Productions.
Events during the pandemic, both worldly and personal, have shifted my priorities. These include the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, the new and worrisome majority on the Supreme Court, and my volunteer work escorting patients at Choices Women’s Medical Center in Jamaica, New York. This time in my life has made me a better editor, a better communicator, a better planner, and a better person. Now I’d like to immerse myself further in a world of invigorating and revolutionary ideas, disseminating information that might help the vulnerable and disenfranchised.
Moreover, my strong interpersonal and communication skills, combined with my robust enthusiasm, initiative, and leadership, would make me an invaluable addition to your editorial staff.
Thank you for your consideration.
Services
Non-Fiction
Fiction
Languages
Awards
- Mentioned thrice in Publishers Weekly for books acquired; many acquisitions and titles overseen garnered positive reviews in Library Journal, Booklist, MOJO, and other periodicals
- Frequent spokesperson for publisher at workshops and symposia such as the Manhattan Marymount Writer’s Conference and Book Expo America
- Several commendations, including 2001 Rowman & Littlefield Outstanding Achievement Award, in which I was praised for “mobilizing, inspiring, and empowering others”
Work experience
Kensington Publishing Corp.
● Shepherd books through every phrase of production: copy edit, author review, typesetter preparation, proofread, correction collation, and printer finalization
● Play a key role in day-to-day company oversight, focusing on softcover originals and mass-market reprints with an eclectic list of titles in virtually every subgenre of fiction
● Hire and manage a select roster of exemplary freelance talent, thereby developing ongoing relationships with authors, editors, fact-checkers, packagers, designers, typesetters, and publicists
● Achieve and maintain a successful five-month lead time with all publications I handle, the best track record of any editor at Kensington
● Titles I've handled include Dr. Jen Gunter’s The Vagina Bible, Joanna Martine Woolfolk’s The Only Astrology Book You’ll Ever Need, and Tucker Max’s I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell
Taylor Trade Publishing / Cooper Square Press / Madison Books
►Associate Editor (3/03–4/04)
Assistant Editor (3/01–3/03)
Editorial Assistant (3/99–3/01)
● Signed nearly fifty original projects, including American Women Activists' Writings, edited by Kathryn Cullen-DuPont; The Salem Witch Trials by Marilynne K. Roach; The Gertrude Stein Reader, edited by Richard Kostelanetz; and Dr. Ruth Talks About Grandparents and The Art of Arousal, both by Dr. Ruth Westheimer
● Negotiated the reprint rights on over seventy titles, including Roe v. Wade by Marian Faux; Josephine by Jean-Claude Baker; George Eliot by Kathryn Hughes; and Rock She Wrote, edited by Evelyn McDonnell and Ann Powers
● Provided critical input into all phases of book development, including generating book ideas; determining demand for books based on consumer trends; delivering presentations; analyzing sales and financial performance; and devising clever marketing and publicity strategies
● Launched the company’s internship program; hired and oversaw temporary support personnel
Portfolio
Ross has 3 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
Value
Responsiveness
Barbara M.
Feb, 2022
Thom B.
Feb, 2022
Ben M.
Nov, 2021
