Overview
I like to think of myself as a book therapist—sometimes we're solving discrete, practical problems, but sometimes our work is deeper and more holistic, figuring out not just what needs to be done but why, what the heart of a project is and how to express it. But my main tenet is respecting your ownership of your work. All of my advice, suggestion, and ideas are inspired by your writing and our conversations, and you make all of the final decisions about your project.
I have an MFA in Creative Nonfiction and a decade of teaching and editing experience. I have taught essay writing, science writing, creative nonfiction, and fiction; I've edited nonfiction, essays, science writing, self-help, criticism, and romance. I can offer observational feedback—"I felt confused here," "Because of X I expected Y, which didn't happen for three more pages," "It seems like you're really interested in A but you're spending a lot of time explaining B"—and ask the questions that will help crack a frustrating project. I can also offer practical advice on structure, tone, balance, voice, and encapsulating a project in a book proposal or query letter.
I am the author of a nonfiction book, The Possibility of Life, about how we imagine extraterrestrial life in science and in science fiction. I am the former associate editor of Future Tense and currently series editor of The Best American Science and Nature Writing. I'm the former romance columnist for the New York Times Book Review, and ran original editorial for Google Play Books. As a reader, I love creative nonfiction, science writing, literary fiction, romance, and sci-fi. I also have experience as a copyeditor and proofreader and am happy to provide those services as well.
Testimonials:
"Jaime helped me edit my book and I couldn't recommend her more highly. In addition to her being a pleasure to work with, prompt, and attentive to detail, I found both her prose and her abstract at a birds' eye view invaluable. Any writer would be lucky to work with her!"
—Alexandra Sacks, M.D., co-author of What No One Tells You
"Jaime is an insightful, imaginative and compassionate editor. She is particularly skilled at locating that place in a piece of writing that is adequate but that can be so much more. I never felt corrected by her edits — but rather inspired and liberated to produce my best work."
—Abigail Rabinowitz
Services
Non-Fiction
Languages
Awards
- Sloan Foundation Book Grant
Certifications
- MFA in Creative Nonfiction
Work experience
Self-employed
Future Tense
The Best American Science and Nature Writing
Google Play Books
Columbia University