Jay Blotcher - Editor
New York, NY, USA
I am a veteran editor of 28 years, sensitive to preserving the author's voice, especially for memoirs and books on history and LGBTQ themes.
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Overview
A veteran book editor since 1991, I have provided developmental editing for books from publishers including St. Martin's Press and Random House. My forte lies in memoirs and non-fiction, particularly those that address social issues. Having been a grass-roots community activist since the 1980s, I bring a knowledge of the history of socially progressive movements to my work. I work quickly but accurately, guaranteeing great care and fast turnaround.
Because of my parallel career in journalism for magazines and newspapers since 1980, I have a sharp instinct for storytelling, fact-checking, proofreading and other methods for strenghtening an author's narrative.
Languages
English (US)
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs
Entertainment
History
LGBTQ (non fiction)
Politics & Current Affairs
Sex & Relationships
Social & Behavioral Sciences
Work experience
Developmental Editor
Self-employed
December, 1990
–
Present
(about 28 years)
Since 1991, I have provided developmental editing, manuscript critiquing and line editing for memoirs, nonfiction manuscripts, history books, self-help books and fiction. Authors include:
Queer in America by Michelangelo Signorile (Random House, 1993)
Healing from Family Rifts by Mark Sichel (McGraw-Hill, 2004)
Evidence of Harm: Mercury in Vaccines and the Autism Epidemic: A Medical Controversy by David Kirby (St. Martin's Press, 2005)
Queer Political Performance and Protest: Play, Pleasure, and Social Movement by Benjamin Shepard (Routledge, 2009)
Animal Factory by David Kirby (St. Martin's Press, 2010)
Death at SeaWorld: Shamu and the Dark Side of Killer Whales in Captivity by David Kirby (St. Martin's Press, 2012)
The Day My Brain Exploded by Ashok Rajamani (Algonquin Press, 2013)
Sally Field Can Play the Transsexual by Leslie L. Smith (PressLess Books, 2014)
When They Come for You by David Kirby (St. Martin's Press, 2018)
When You Wish Upon a Star by Marc Huestis (seeking publisher)
Art as a Political Tool by Gilbert Baker (seeking publisher)
Commissioned by Sterling Lord Literistic and the estate of Gilbert Baker to line-edit unfinished memoir by the late community activist and creator of the iconic Rainbow Flag.
Book Publicist
Self-employed
December, 1990
–
Present
(about 28 years)
Public Impact has been handling author PR since Michelangelo Signorile’s Queer in America (Random House) in 1993.
In many cases, we are brought on board to complement the efforts of the PR department at the publisher. Public Impact will go deep in promoting your book — not only to book reviewers, but to news and feature people, talk show hosts and bloggers. Authors we have served in the past four years have included AIDS activist and businessman Sean Strub, historian and memoirist Martin Duberman, activist-author Anne-christine d’Adesky, global gay business leader Lord John Browne, novelist Leslie Smith (who wrote the first novel about PrEP) and gay youth pioneer Aaron Fricke.
We partnered with Simon & Schuster in 2014 to promote Sean Strub’s memoir, Body Counts. We played a decisive role in maintaining his social media channels, reaching out to LGBT and HIV media, creating a promo video, organizing the launch party and promoting readings across the country to obtain local interviews.
Portfolio (13 selected works)
From the New York Times bestselling author of Evidence of Harm and Animal Factory―a groundbreaking scientific thriller that exposes the dark side of SeaWorld, America's most beloved marine mammal park Death at SeaWorld centers on the battle with the multimillion-dollar marine park industry over the controversial and even lethal ramifications of keeping killer whales in captivity. Following the... read more
Ten steps to surviving a family rift, finding peace, and moving on A family rift is one of the most traumatic experiences a person can face. It can have a profound effect on virtually every aspect of life, causing depression, relationship problems, and even physical illness. Healing From Family Rifts offers hope to those coping with a split in their families. Family therapist Mark Sichel addre... read more
Queer in America: Sex, the Media, and the Closets of Power
Michelangelo Signorile
In this tenth-anniversary edition, journalist Michelangelo Signorile updates his classic Queer in America, the bestseller that exposed the hypocrisy and prejudice that pervade mainstream American institutions. This third edition includes a new preface and a new chapter with an eye-opening critique of present-day America and its attitude toward gays and lesbians.
The Day My Brain Exploded: A True Story
Ashok Rajamani
After a full-throttle brain bleed at the age of twenty-five, Ashok Rajamani, a first-generation Indian American, had to relearn everything: how to eat, how to walk and to speak, even things as basic as his sexual orientation. With humor and insight, he describes the events of that day (his brain exploded just before his brother’s wedding!), as well as the long, difficult recovery period. In th... read more
A 2015 Reader's Favorite Finalist, this tale of sex, loss, redemption and pharmaceuticals in the modern AIDS era that will make you laugh, break your heart, and inspire you. Leslie L. Smith's #SFCPT is a coming-of-age story - a teenage gay runaway turned hustler, David Matthews, is on a journey to find himself and his community. Along the way he is visited by a ghost, meets a transsexual nurse... read more
New Hardcover with dust jacket
In the 1990s reported autism cases among American children began spiking, from about 1 in 10,000 in 1987 to a shocking 1 in 166 today. This trend coincided with the addition of several new shots to the nation's already crowded vaccination schedule, grouped together and given soon after birth or in the early months of infancy. Most of these shots contained a little-known preservative called thi... read more
As we play, we step away from stark reality to conjure up new possibilities for the present and our common future. Today, a new cohort of social activists are using it to create social change and reinvent democratic social relations. In contrast to work or routine, play must be free. To the extent that it is, it infuses a high-octane burst of innovation into any number of organizational practi... read more
L.M. Bennett is a late-bloomer who began dating at the age of thirty-five after bariatric surgery. She found herself twenty years behind the dating curve, navigating body issues, and matched with people who had been playing the game longer and harder than her. The Accidental Tsundere is a humorous, painfully honest summary of her missteps and often sardonic observations of “on the job” trainin... read more
My Magical Kippah
Kandi M Siegel
My Magical Kippah is about a young boy named Avram who is preparing for his upcoming Bar Mitzvah. With his voice starting to change, Avram is even more nervous about standing in front of his family and the entire congregation of his Temple to chant prayers. Avram's Zadi gifts Avram with a "magical" kippah that not only changes his life, but also the lives of those around him. This book is a he... read more
Rainbow Warrior: My Life in Color
Gilbert Baker
In 1978, Harvey Milk asked Gilbert Baker to create a unifying symbol for the growing gay rights movement, and on June 25 of that year, Baker’s Rainbow Flag debuted at San Francisco’s Gay Liberation Day parade. Baker had no idea his creation would become an international emblem of freedom, forever cementing his place and importance in helping to define the modern LGBTQ+ movement. Rainbow Warrio... read more
Jay has 6 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
Value
Communication
Jay was amazing! He not only understood what I was trying to say, but assisted me in saying it in a professional tone that will be able to be taken more seriously and reach that many more readers. He was quick and very responsive to all of my inquiries! I will definitely be working with him again in the future :)
Read moreCathy Martin, December 2018
Every project I take on educates me, as well. I learned a lot from Cathy's manuscript and the important life lessons that she is offering to people. Her final words in the book on living life are very wise; they should be shared with all human beings!
Reply from Jay Blotcher
Jay is a superb editor. He had quick turnaround when assessing my manuscript and his feedback was detailed and right on point, addressing many of the issues I was struggling with. I was fascinated to see how much one can pack into 5 pages of feedback. He is easy to communicate with and I am so thankful that he was available to respond to my questions even after he delivered the assessment. M...
Read moreSami Hermez, December 2018
It is a pleasure and an honor to work with a writer of such prodigious talents and sensitivity as Sami. The saga he has created from life is a powerful and important one that the world needs to read, so we truly understand the tragedy of the Palestinian people. I thank him for trusting me to work together to make his manuscript even more powerful.
Reply from Jay Blotcher
Aloha! This is my first experience on Reedsy and my agent/friend, suggested I use the platform, because the talent is well vetted. She was correct. My experience was great. A note about Jay: he is extraordinarily competent, easy to work with and able to manage time-frames perfectly. He is not for the thin-skinned, the ego-ridden or the'overly attached to my work' writer; but, if your goal is ...
Read moreHeather Jacks, October 2018
Every editing project is a learning experience for me. I learn how to better interact with authors, better how to shape and strengthen prose. And the bonus is that I learn something new by reading this book about the celebrated Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence. Working with Heather was not only a great experience, but it was a gift. She has been extraordinarily gracious in reviewing and assessing my edits. A perfect synergy of author and editor! Thank you.
Reply from Jay Blotcher
Jay was a wonderful editor, communicative, honest and galvanizing. My experience with him can be summed up in this snippet of a message I sent upon completion of the project: "It is an honour for you to have been the editor of our first book. your enthusiasm and insight have been wildly encouraging. You’ve no idea how affirming it is that you see the mysticism, the lyricism, the exhalation in...
Read moreSarah Huneidi, July 2018
Overall, I feel that the edits have made it a much stronger book. You helped me to solidify concepts, identify areas were pacing was off, or I had been too stingy with detail and made certain punch lines that much sharper.
Read moreL.M. Bennett, July 2018
Working with L.M. Bennett was a very rewarding experience. Not only was her manuscript smart, funny, literate, savvy and perceptive, but she was wholly receptive to my editing suggestions. She placed her trust in me from the start, because she knew my goal was to strengthen her story, make it more vivid, and to trim away the parts that slowed or muddled the action. I am fortunate that we worked together so well!
Reply from Jay Blotcher
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