Carla Benton - Editor
Meticulous, results-oriented copy editor and proofreader with 12 years of experience across a wide variety of both fiction and nonfiction
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Overview
I spent the first 8 years of my publishing career working at major publishers in New York City before relocating to Chicago in May 2016 and making the switch to becoming a full-time freelance copy editor and proofreader.
As an undergraduate at New York University, I had the advantage of being able to participate in publishing internships during the full academic year rather than just summers. As a college student, I was an intern at Scholastic, Penguin Group (now Penguin Random House), Routledge, and McGraw-Hill. I went on to work in production editorial/managing editorial departments at Penguin Group, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster. At this time I also began taking freelance copy editing and proofreading projects from fellow production editors at major publishers.
In a basic copy edit, I ensure spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct and consistent and the text is clear and accurate. If it is needed and requested, I also tighten and rewrite. In a basic proofread, I look for and correct remaining editorial errors and flag production and design problems. The standard resources of the publishing industry are the The Chicago Manual of Style, 16 and 17; Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11; and Words into Type, 3; these are the primary resources I use as well.
In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, cooking, and baking, and I am an avid long-distance runner who enjoys competing in events ranging from the mile to the marathon.
As an undergraduate at New York University, I had the advantage of being able to participate in publishing internships during the full academic year rather than just summers. As a college student, I was an intern at Scholastic, Penguin Group (now Penguin Random House), Routledge, and McGraw-Hill. I went on to work in production editorial/managing editorial departments at Penguin Group, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster. At this time I also began taking freelance copy editing and proofreading projects from fellow production editors at major publishers.
In a basic copy edit, I ensure spelling, grammar, and punctuation are correct and consistent and the text is clear and accurate. If it is needed and requested, I also tighten and rewrite. In a basic proofread, I look for and correct remaining editorial errors and flag production and design problems. The standard resources of the publishing industry are the The Chicago Manual of Style, 16 and 17; Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary, 11; and Words into Type, 3; these are the primary resources I use as well.
In my spare time, I enjoy traveling, cooking, and baking, and I am an avid long-distance runner who enjoys competing in events ranging from the mile to the marathon.
Services
Languages
English (US)
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Entertainment
History
Sports & Outdoors
Fiction
Historical Fiction
Humor & Comedy
Thriller & Suspense
Women's Fiction
Work experience
Proofreader
American Medical Association
May, 2018
–
June, 2019
(about 1 year)
Production Editor
Simon & Schuster
April, 2013
–
May, 2016
(about 3 years)
Responsible for the book production editorial process in an XML workflow, primarily for the Scribner, Touchstone, Atria, and Simon & Schuster imprints
Assistant Production Editor
Palgrave Macmillan
November, 2011
–
April, 2013
(over 1 year)
Carried out edits throughout production of frontlist and reprint trade titles from manuscript to bound book
Copy Editor and Proofreader
Self-employed
May, 2010
–
Present
(about 10 years)
Clients include Hachette Book Group, HarperCollins, Kirkus Media/Amazon Publishing, Macmillan, the Natural Resources Defense Council, Penguin Random House, Scholastic, and Simon and Schuster
Portfolio (16 selected works)
The Incomplete Book of Running
Peter Sagal
“Sagal has created a new genre—the five-minute-mile memoir. Combining commentary and reflection about running with a deeply felt personal story, this book is winning, smart, honest, and affecting. Whether you are a runner or not, it will move you.” —Susan Orlean In the midpoint of life, I found myself lost, in a dark place. So I tried to figure out exactly how many miles I had run to get there... read more
Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger
Rebecca Traister
***NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER*** ***BEST BOOKS OF 2018 SELECTION BY*** * WASHINGTON POST * People * NPR * ESQUIRE * ELLE * WIRED * REFINERY 29 * “In a year when issues of gender and sexuality dominated the national conversation, no one shaped that exchange more than Rebecca Traister. Her wise and provocative columns helped make sense of a cultural transformation.”—National Magazine Award Citati... read more
A Man Called Ove: A Novel
Fredrik Backman
Read the New York Times bestseller that has taken the world by storm!Meet Ove. He’s a curmudgeon—the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse. People call him “the bitter neighbor from hell.” But must Ove be bitter just because he doesn’t walk around with a smile plaster... read more
Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance
Angela Duckworth
In her instant, multi-month New York Times bestseller, Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent, but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.” “Inspiration for non-geniuses everywhere” (People).The daughter of a scientist who frequently noted her lack of “genius,” Angela Duckworth is now a celebrated researche... read more
From elite marathoner and Olympic hopeful Becky Wade comes the story of her year-long exploration of diverse global running communities from England to Ethiopia—9 countries, 72 host families, and over 3,500 miles of running—investigating unique cultural approaches to the sport and revealing the secrets to the success of runners all over the world.Fresh off a successful collegiate running caree... read more
The Friend: A Novel
Sigrid Nunez
WINNER OF THE 2018 NATIONAL BOOK AWARD FOR FICTIONNEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER"A beautiful book … a world of insight into death, grief, art, and love." —Wall Street Journal"A penetrating, moving meditation on loss, comfort, memory...Nunez has a wry, withering wit." —NPR"Dry, allusive and charming…the comedy here writes itself.” The New York TimesA moving story of love, friendship, grief, healing,... read more
Scrappy Little Nobody
Anna Kendrick
The New York Times bestselling collection of humorous autobiographical essays by the Academy Award–nominated actress and star of Up in the Air and Pitch Perfect.Even before she made a name for herself on the silver screen starring in films like Pitch Perfect, Up in the Air, Twilight, and Into the Woods, Anna Kendrick was unusually small, weird, and “10 percent defiant.” At the ripe age of thi... read more
The Women in the Castle: A Novel
Jessica Shattuck
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERGoodReads Choice Awards Semifinalist "Moving . . . a plot that surprises and devastates."—New York Times Book Review"A masterful epic."—People magazine"Mesmerizing . . . The Women in the Castle stands tall among the literature that reveals new truths about one of history’s most tragic eras."—USA TodayThree women, haunted by the past and the secrets they holdSet... read more
“Essential reading for every runner.” —Men’s Fitness “Compelling…As becomes clear not long after its starting gun, this book transcends the search for a two-hour marathon.” —The Washington PostTwo hours to cover twenty-six miles and 385 yards. It is running’s Everest, a feat once seen as impossible for the human body. But now we can glimpse the mountaintop. The sub-two hour marathon will requi... read more
Sounds Like Me: My Life (So Far) in Song
Sara Bareilles
With refreshing candor, Sounds Like Me reveals Sara Bareilles, the artist—and the woman—on songwriting, soul searching, and what’s discovered along the way.Sara Bareilles shares the joys and the struggles that come with creating great work, all while staying true to yourself. Imbued with humor and marked by Sara’s confessional writing style, this collection tells the inside story behind some o... read more
Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory
Deena Kastor, Michelle Hamilton
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERDeena Kastor was a star youth runner with tremendous promise, yet her career almost ended after college, when her competitive method—run as hard as possible, for fear of losing—fostered a frustration and negativity and brought her to the brink of burnout. On the verge of quitting, she took a chance and moved to the high altitudes of Alamosa, Colorado, where legendary c... read more
Game Changers: The Unsung Heroines of Sports History
Molly Schiot
“The embrace of women’s sports sometimes feels almost like a political act...Molly Schiot’s Game Changers: The Unsung Heroines of Sports History is so valuable.” —The Wall Street Journal “A thoughtful, exhaustively researched, and long-overdue tribute to the women who have paved the way for the likes of Serena Williams, Abby Wambach, Simone Biles, and more.” —espnW Based on the Instagram accou... read more
"I’m British, so I’m medically dead inside, but even I can’t help but open up whenever I talk to Marc. He uses his honesty like a scalpel, cutting himself open in front of anyone he’s talking to, and in doing so, invites you to do the same. "―John Oliver Each week over a million and a half listeners tune into WTF with Marc Maron to hear Marc and a guest do something remarkable: talk.Waiting fo... read more
Three Tigers, One Mountain
Michael Booth
$9 Therapy: Semi-Capitalist Solutions to Your Emotional Problems
Megan Reid, Nick Greene
A tongue-in-cheek collection of the tips, tricks, and recipes that will fix your life without busting your budget.$9 Therapy proves that it’s possible to take self-care seriously without taking yourself too seriously. Self-professed lifestyle gurus Nick Greene and Megan Reid know that sometimes it takes as little as spending nine dollars on an act of self-care to turn your day around. While wo... read more
Woman on the Edge
Samantha M. Bailey
A moment on the subway platform changes two women’s lives forever—a debut thriller that will take your breath away.A total stranger on the subway platform whispers, “Take my baby.” She places her child in your arms. She says your name. Then she jumps... In a split second, Morgan Kincaid’s life changes forever. She’s on her way home from work when a mother begs her to take her baby, then places... read more
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