Jennie Cohen

Jennie Cohen – Editor

Proofreader and copy editor specializing in fiction and literary nonfiction. Fifteen years' experience with premier New York publishers.

Overview

I am a proofreader and copy editor specializing in fiction and literary nonfiction. For more than fifteen years I have worked with some of New York's premier book publishers, including Holt, Anchor/Vintage, Flatiron, and FSG.

I have a red pencil and I'm not afraid to use it.
Typos beware: I have a keen eye.
Narrative beware: I'm meticulously attentive.
Details beware: I'm terribly thorough.

I specialize in literary fiction, historical fiction, women's fiction, humanities and social sciences, memoir and biography, religion and spirituality, and political science and current affairs. Production editors frequently seek me out for translated projects, as I speak a second language and am sensitive to the challenges of translation. (My undergrad degree is in comparative literature.) I also get all the yoga books because I've been teaching yoga almost as long as I've been proofreading professionally.

I will read your work for grammar, syntax, word usage, spelling, and punctuation. I'll ensure stylistic and narrative consistency and will see that the text conforms to industry standards of style. When I return your edited manuscript, all my edits will be visible to you and you will have the final say over the text--your book, your last word.
Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Health & Wellbeing Humanities & Social Sciences Political Science & Current Affairs Religion & Spirituality
Fiction
Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Women's Fiction
Languages
English (UK) English (US)
Awards
  • Phi Beta Kappa
  • Magna cum laude
Certifications
  • New School "Fundamentals of Copy Editing" course 2006
  • Smith College BA in Comparative Literature 2001

Work experience

Flatiron/Celadon

Jan, 2022 — Present

Read first pass against copyedited manuscript. Perform cold reads.

Anchor/Vintage

Oct, 2015 — Mar, 2016 (5 months)

Read first pass against copyedited manuscript. Perform cold reads.

Melville House

Jun, 2013 — Mar, 2017 (over 3 years)

Read first pass against copyedited manuscript. Perform cold reads. Electronically copyedit manuscripts.

Other Press

Jan, 2010 — Present

Read first pass against copyedited manuscript. Perform cold reads.

Holt

Nov, 2009 — Present

Read first pass against copyedited manuscript. Perform cold reads.

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Jun, 2008 — Present

Read first pass against copyedited manuscript. Perform cold reads.

Farrar, Straus and Giroux

Jul, 2005 — May, 2008 (almost 3 years)

Perform final stage of proofreading before publication.

Jennie has 56 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Emily G.

Emily G.

Jan, 2024

Pinned
I hired Jennie as a copyeditor for a collection of short stories, and she was outstanding. I could not have asked for a better copyeditor. She responded quickly, professionally, and enthusiastically to all my messages, caught over 1400 mistakes in my manuscript, and finished the project significantly before the deadline. My manuscript was relatively tricky, with complicated syntax, special form...
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Kimberly B.

Kimberly B.

Jul, 2023

Pinned
Jennie was absolutely FABULOUS to work with! She was so thorough, so spot on with everything, and picked up things I and others had missed despite reviewing the manuscript many, many times. I feel she went above and way beyond, researching various elements within my plot (such as formal names, dates, etc) as well as keeping a running tab on plot points, timelines and character traits. It was wa...
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Susan D.

Susan D.

Jul, 2023

Pinned
Jennie did a great job proofreading my novel. She was thorough, professional and mindful of my style preferences and idiosyncrasies. She produced a masterful style sheet for what will be the final proofing before the manuscript goes to press, and her comments in the doc were consistently helpful. Jennie also went beyond my expectations by identifying some timeline issues that I needed to addre...
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Ken G.

Ken G.

Sep, 2024

Jennie is a super proofreader! She goes way, way above and beyond, calling attention to little plot slip-ups and character inconsistencies that sneak past copy editors. That’s all on top of her proofreading duties (which she can probably perform in her sleep). She’s helped me a ton with my last three novels, and I owe a big chunk of their success to her. The best!
Naomi G.

Naomi G.

Aug, 2024

Jennie did a fabulous job copyediting and proofreading my manuscript. I couldn't be happier with how meticulous, professional, insightful and timely she was. I could tell that she went through my novel with a fine-tooth comb calling attention to any inconsistencies in the narrative and pointing out issues with style and grammar with utmost care and respect for the work. Her accompanying style ...
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