Jamie Thaman

Jamie Thaman – Editor

Experienced copy editor and proofreader who has enhanced hundreds of novels, academic works, textbooks, viewbooks, art books, and more.

Overview

I have over twenty-five years of professional copyediting and proofreading experience, working on projects ranging from textbooks to yarn catalogs, from psychological thrillers to true crime, from international spy novels to coffee-table art books, from paranormal romances to viewbooks to exam items. I have worked both in-house and as a freelancer for multiple publishers and other organizations on a variety of fiction and nonfiction, both print and online. I freelanced part-time up until 2019, at which time I transitioned to full-time freelance work.

I have a mastery of grammar, spelling, and punctuation, but I'm not afraid to look something up if I have any doubts. Having worked for some of the biggest publishers around, I know how to be diplomatic when offering suggestions to clarify meaning or when something is incompatible with the rest of the text. I have excellent attention to detail and will let you know if something on p. 353 doesn't make sense with an established fact on p. 17. I am quite familiar with various style guides (Chicago, MLA, AP, and APA) but will put them aside if an institution's or author's preferred style calls for it. That said, if I were creating the style sheet, I would go for the serial comma every time!

Services
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Historical Fiction Mystery & Crime Romance Thriller & Suspense
Non-Fiction
Education & Reference Health & Wellbeing Humanities & Social Sciences
Languages
English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • Bachelor of Arts, communication; minor, comparative literature, University of Massachusetts, Amherst
  • Working knowledge of various style guides, including AP, MLA, APA, and particularly Chicago
  • Copyedit/proofread Microsoft Word and Adobe Acrobat documents online, marking edits using Track Changes or Adobe editing tools

Work experience

Westmoreland Museum of American Art

Jul, 2005 — Present

Copyedited Simple Pleasures: The Art of Doris Lee, Melissa Wolfe, John Fagg, Tom Wolf, and Barbara L. Jones (2020); Picturing America: Signature Works from the Westmoreland Museum of American Art, Barbara L. Jones (2010); Painting in the United States, Barbara L. Jones with Judith H. O’Toole (2008); Made in Pennsylvania: A Folk Art Tradition, R. David Brocklebank, Barbara L. Jones, Harley Trice, Phil Schaltenbrand, Frank Swala, and Charles Muller (2007); Artists of the Commonwealth: Realism and Its Response in Pennsylvania Painting, 1900–1950, Betsy Fahlman (2006); Born of Fire: The Valley of Work, Barbara L. Jones (2006); Different Views in Hudson River School Painting, Judith H. O’Toole (2005)

Westchester Publishing Services

Dec, 2004 — Present

Copyedited multiple university press books, including Bedlam in the New World: A Mexican Madhouse in the Age of Enlightenment, Christina Ramos (University of North Carolina Press, 2022); Dangerous Intercourse: Gender and Interracial Relations in the American Colonial Philippines, 1898–1946, Tessa Winkelmann
(Cornell University Press, 2022); Before Busing: A History of Boston’s Long Black Freedom Struggle, Zebulon Vance Miletsky (University of North Carolina Press, 2022); Democracy by Petition: Popular Politics in Transformation, 1790–1870, Daniel Carpenter (Harvard University Press, 2021); Movie-Made Appalachia: History, Hollywood, and the Highland South, John C. Inscoe (University of North Carolina Press, 2020); That Middle World: Race, Performance, and the Politics of Passing, Julia S. Charles (University of North Carolina Press, 2020); The Last Turtlemen of the Caribbean: Waterscapes of Labor, Conservation, and Boundary Making, Sharika D. Crawford (University of North Carolina Press, 2020); Visualizing Taste: How Business Changed the Look of What You Eat, Ai Hisano (Harvard University Press, 2019); Gone Home: Race and Roots through Appalachia, Karida L. Brown (University of North Carolina Press, 2018); Opium’s Long Shadow: From Asian Revolt to Global Drug Control, Steffen Rimner (Harvard University Press, 2018); The New Map of Empire: How Britain Imagined America before Independence, S. Max Edelson (Harvard University Press, 2017); The Hello Girls: America’s First Women Soldiers, Elizabeth Cobbs (Harvard University Press, 2017); The Uprooted: Race, Children, and Imperialism in French Indochina, 1890–1980, Christina Firpo (University of Hawai‘i Press, 2016); and Voice, Silence, Self: Negotiations of Buraku Identity in Contemporary Japan, Christopher Bondy (Harvard University Asia Center, 2015)

Berkley

Dec, 1996 — Present

Proofread multiple titles, including Soul Taken, Patricia Briggs (2022); Two Wrongs Make a Right, Chloe Liese (2022); Red on the River, Christine Feehan (2022); Secret of Bow Lane, Jennifer Ashley (2022); A Thousand Miles, Bridget Morrissey (2022); An Accidental Odyssey, KC Dyer (2021); Miss Moriarty, I Presume?, Sherry Thomas (2021); The God of Lost Words, A. J. Hackwith (2021); Kill All Your Darlings, David Bell (2021); The Personal Librarian, Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray (2021); Special Ops Seduction, Megan Crane (2021); Wild Love, Lauren Accardo (2021); One Minute Out, Mark Greaney (2020); Shadow Flight, Christine Feehan (2020); Brave the Tempest, Karen Chance (2019); Sons of Cain, Peter Vronsky (2018); Shadow’s Bane, Karen Chance (2018); Magic Triumphs, Ilona Andrews (2018); Beauty Like the Night, Joanna Bourne (2017); The Brain Warrior’s Way, Daniel and Tana Amen (2016); The Gluten-Free Cheat Sheet, April Peveteaux (2015); The Anxiety Toolkit, Alice Boyes, PhD (2015); Inspector Specter (Haunted Guesthouse Mystery series), E. J. Copperman (2014); Jason (Anita Blake series), Laurell K. Hamilton (2014)

Bedford/St. Martin’s

Sep, 1993 — Present

Copyedited multiple textbooks and ancillary materials, including A Speaker’s Guidebook: Text and Reference, 8th ed., Dan O’Hair, Hannah Rubenstein, Rob Stewart (2022); Media and Culture: Mass Communication in a Digital Age, 13th ed., Richard Campbell, Christopher R. Martin, Bettina Fabos, Ron Becker (and test bank, LearningCurve, quizzes, and Instructor’s Manual) (2021); Media and Culture: An Introduction to Mass Communication, 6th, 7th, 11th, and 12th eds., Richard Campbell, Christopher R. Martin, Bettina Fabos (and test bank for Media and Culture, 7th, 11th, and 12th eds.) (2008–2019); The Concise St. Martin’s Guide to Writing, 8th ed., Rise B. Cooper, Charles R. Cooper (2017); Speech Craft, 1st and 2nd eds., Joshua Gunn (2018, 2021); Filmmaking in Action, Adam Leipzig, Barry Weiss, Michael Goldman (2016); Models for Writers: Short Essays for Composition, 12th ed., Alfred Rosa, Paul Eschholz (2015); Choices and Connections, 1st and 2nd eds., Steve McCornack, Joe Ortiz (2015, 2017); Speak Up! An Illustrated Guide to Public Speaking, 2nd, 3rd, and 5th eds., Douglas M. Fraleigh, Joseph S. Tuman, Peter Arkle (and test banks for Speak Up!) (2006, 2008, 2019); Choices: A Writing Guide with Readings, 5th ed., Kate Mangelsdorf, Evelyn Posey (2012)

Prometric

Jun, 2019 — Present

Copyedited report templates (October 2019) and items for Psychiatrists in Practice Examination (April 2020); created an editing assessment for potential copy editors and proofreaders, as well as a universal style guide (June 2019); copyedit exam items (ongoing)

WEBS—America's Yarn Store

Dec, 2015 — Present

Copyedit five consumer catalogs per year: Spring, Valley Yarns, Fall, Weaving, and Holiday

The Bement School

Aug, 2015 — Present

Copyedit the school's bulletins, calendars, viewbooks, parents' guides, and brochures

CAIA Association

Mar, 2012 — Present

Copyedited CAIA Level I: An Introduction to Core Topics in Alternative Investments, 3rd ed. (2015); Level II Study Guide (2012); and CAIA Level II: Advanced Core Topics in Alternative Investments, 2nd ed. (2012); also copyedit exam items/rationales (ongoing)

Smith College Office of College Relations

Aug, 2007 — Present

Copyedited Fifth-Year Report for the New England Commission of Higher Education (2022); Fifth-Year Report for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (2017, 2012); electronic course catalog (2015); event program for Celebrating Collaborations (2013); Women in Public Service Project’s Directory of Delegates and Presenters (Paris) (2012); Five College Strategic Plan (2010); Smith College Emergency Procedures Guide (2008); self-study report and special-emphasis document for the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (2007)

Green Pen Quality Assurance

Apr, 2005 — Jun, 2010 (about 5 years)

Copyedited several computer-science-related texts, including Microsoft® Office 2010: Illustrated Fundamentals, Marjorie Hunt, Barbara M. Waxer; Programming with Microsoft Visual Basic 2008: An Object-Oriented Approach, Michael V. Ekedahl; Geometry with an Introduction to Cosmic Topology, Michael P. Hitchman; C++: An Active Learning Approach, Randy Albert, Todd Breedlove; Guide to Parallel Operating Systems, Ron Carswell, Heidi Webb, Terrill Freese; An Introduction to Project Management, Kathy Schwalbe; Fundamentals of Information Systems, Ralph Stair, George Reynolds; Guide to Oracle 10G, Joline Morrison, Mike Morrison, Rocky Conrad

Channing Bete Company

Mar, 2000 — Jun, 2019 (over 19 years)

Copyedited 32- to 180-page catalogs, looking for inconsistencies; deviations from typical phraseology; discrepancies in how products were being marketed; and errors in grammar, spelling, punctuation, and style. Also responsible for maintaining schedules and working closely with prepress specialists, writers, and designers. Performed the following duties of a senior advertising proofreader (my previous title) as well: proofread direct-marketing catalogs as well as mini-catalogs, product listings, e-mail promotions, letters, press releases, employment ads, and the company website, noting errors in transcription, spelling, grammar, punctuation, item numbers, titles, and price codes. Reviewed promotion pieces at all stages of development, including layout, Mac prep, Kodak, and printer’s proof. Maintained style manual and informed other Advertising proofreaders of new style guidelines and updates. Trained new Advertising proofreaders in all aspects of Advertising proofreading. Provided administrative support in manager’s absence.

Chameleon Books

Dec, 1993 — May, 2014 (over 20 years)

Copyedited multiple art books, including Winslow Homer: The Nature and Rhythm of Life, Martha Hoppin, David Tatham, Sarah Burns, Diane Forsberg (2014); The World of J. G. Brown, Martha Hoppin (2010); Bruno Andrade: The Nature I Paint, John Driscoll (2010); Marylyn Dintenfass Paintings, Lilly Wei, John Driscoll (2007); The Lyrical Constructivist: Don Gummer Sculpture, Peter Plagens (2007); Theophilus Brown: Paintings, Drawings, and Collages, John Arthur (2007); The Art of Monhegan Island, Carl Little (2004); Paul Cadmus: The Male Nude, Justin Spring (2002); Times Squared, Toby Old (2002); Distant Shores: The Odyssey of Rockwell Kent, Constance Martin (2000); Amazons in the Drawing Room: The Art of Romaine Brooks, Whitney Chadwick (2000)

Jamie has 6 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Christopher S.

Christopher S.

Mar, 2024

Jamie was great. She has a reasonable rate, and produces very high quality work product. She edited a manuscript for me, produced a style sheet for the manuscript, provided exactly the type of editing I requested, and delivered it on time and on budget. Thanks Jamie.
Jamie T.
I really enjoyed working with Christopher on his novella. He was very clear in what he was looking for and the tone he wanted to set. It was a great experience all around!
Sean F.

Sean F.

Dec, 2023

Jamie's responsiveness and flexibility were fantastic. Most importantly it was that turn of phrase or subtle shuffling of the words that made it jump off the page, chiming with my minds eye. It was my first collaboration with Jamie and I'll certainly be back again.
Jamie T.
Thank you, Sean, for this thoughtful review. It was truly a pleasure working with you on this first installment of the series, and I can't wait to see what happens next!
Camilla M.

Camilla M.

Jun, 2023

This was my second collaboration with Jamie, and again, she delivered with impeccable professionalism. One of the best, if not the best, editor I've worked with.
Jim M.

Jim M.

May, 2023

Great job!
Camilla M.

Camilla M.

Apr, 2023

Jamie did an exceptionally thorough job, despite my being a bit scattered in my deliveries. She was flexible, almost kind, professional, and precise in her edits. She misses nothing! I highly recommend her services to anyone in need of a solid editor for their manuscript, someone who'll not only elevate and polish their writing, but also inspect the story itself and come up with pertinent sugge...
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Jamie T.
Working on this book with Camilla was an absolute pleasure!

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