Overview
Here's my story—and what makes me the right person to help you with yours.
Words are my world. I’m a longtime editor, published author (my book came out in October 2023), and award-winning writer and photographer. I love my career—and I feel extremely privileged to do this work every single day and keep learning and growing and bringing that expertise to my clients. For the past 20-plus years, I've been creating and editing content for sectors ranging from travel and education to fintech and fiction. In 2024, my nonfiction B2B writing earned a National Magazine Award (NMA)—yay, Silver!—the highest honour in Canada for magazine writing.
Not all editors are strong writers (just as writers are not always good at self-editing), but my skill set in crafting everything from magazine articles (front-of-book, listicles, profiles, features) and ads to case studies and UX copy (tool tips!) has helped me understand the critical role of the audience and the power of making every word count.
I've somehow developed a few "specialty" areas (travel and booze writing and editing military memoirs!), but I still consider myself a dedicated generalist. I love to fall down the rabbit hole to discover a new topic and bring my curiosity, creativity and clarity to the work. As an editor, I've taken deep dives into shaping book manuscripts (the largest a 300,000-word nonfiction treatise), managing all facets of magazines (both consumer and trade), and developing content strategies to help people and projects get noticed.
There’s no limit to my desire to constantly learn and create (and help you do the same). That's led to me working with clients and companies around the world, including Lonely Planet, Capgemini, UN-ILO, Ogilvy, EF Education First, Culture Trip, Smithsonian, USA Today, CBC, and others.
Services
Fiction
Non-Fiction
Languages
Awards
- NATJA: “The Gaucho Way,” photography: illustration–print category
- NATJA: “The Deep Dive: Baijiu Tasting,” culinary travel category
- NATJA: “The Gaucho Way,” cultural travel—print publication category
- NATJA: “Light and Shadow in Siem Reap,” arts and culture category
- NATJA: “Local Infusion,” culinary travel category
- NATJA: “Water World,” illustrated story category
- NATJA:“Force of Nature,” cultural, educational, self-improvement category
- NATJA: “Escher’s Atrani,” photography—cover photo, illustration category
- NATJA: "Earth, Straw, and Cultural Revival in America’s Oldest Capital City," cultural travel category
- 2024 National Magazine Award B2B: Silver for Best Profile of a Company
Certifications
- Bachelor of arts degree
- Google analytics (basic and advanced) certification
- Courses in content writing, social media, digital media
Work experience
Published by Cedar Mill Press, an imprint of HarperCollins Focus
Cedar Mill Press commissioned me to write this forthcoming book (to be released in August 2023), the first Canadian city featured in the "city cocktail" series, joining metropolises including Tokyo, London, New York, Paris, and San Francisco, among others. My role involved sourcing more than 100 cocktail recipes (and accompanying photos) from establishments across the city, including distilleries, developing the framework for each chapter, and writing chapter introductions, recipe blurbs, and so forth.
Self-employed
For one of my ongoing contracts, I'm a freelance book editor and copywriter for a self-publishing company. I work remotely to deliver editorial support to the publisher's authors, assessing the quality and marketability of fiction and nonfiction manuscripts (everything children’s books, cookbooks and novels to memoirs and treatises written by PhDs), recommending the level of editorial service (e.g., developmental editing, copy editing, proofreading), and delivering services aligned with professional standards set out by the Editors’ Association of Canada. I also write marketing content, such as back cover blurbs and author profiles. My expertise in style guides includes Chicago Manual of Style, Canadian Press Style, APA, and MLA.
Portfolio
Janet has 45 reviews
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John H.
May, 2024
PinnedMichael H.
Aug, 2023
PinnedHelen M.
Apr, 2023
PinnedClementina O.
Dec, 2024
John H.
Oct, 2024
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