Jodi Hughes

Jodi Hughes – Editor

Seasoned, professional fiction editor with 14 years of in-house publishing experience specializing in *line editing* historical romance.

Overview

*Please note: My schedule is currently full for the remaining calendar year.*


I am a professional, seasoned fiction editor with fourteen years of in-house experience in the traditional publishing industry, plus a year and some change of freelance work. I love books and reading and words. Growing up, I was always reading or begging to go to the library or bookstore. I was the student who got in trouble for reading during math or science class, and I worked at a bookstore throughout high school.


I attended Samford University where I chose to study Classics (Roman and Greek history and art and Latin and Greek languages) with a minor in English. Studying these languages strengthened my understanding of English and cemented my love for the written word.


My first job after college was as an intern at a traditional publishing company, Thomas Nelson, starting in June 2009. After about six months, I became a full-time employee as a marketing and publicity coordinator. Within two years I had acquired my dream job as editorial assistant for the fiction team. The company was bought by HarperCollins, and I was promoted to associate editor and later editor and then senior editor. I left corporate publishing in 2023 to venture out on my own and work as a freelance editor.


I specialize in *line editing* and have worked mostly on historical and contemporary romance and women's fiction stories. I also enjoy fantasy and Young Adult novels. (Please note that a line edit is different from a copy edit. All of the books listed below in my portfolio with the tag "copy editing" are books I line edited. If you have questions about the differences, please feel free to ask!)


A line edit is usually the second step in the editing process and occurs only after a developmental/macro/substantive edit has been completed. My focus during this edit is on polishing your story while maintaining your voice. The words, the sentence structure, the flow of the paragraphs, and more. I want to help you tell your story in the best, most concise way possible. I am very detail-oriented and good at catching repetition and inconsistencies. I am open to feedback and discussion. After I edit your manuscript, you can expect to have a stronger, clearer story that is ready for a final proofread and the next step in your publishing journey.


I am also available for proofreading and copyediting, and my rates are aligned with the Editorial Freelancers Association rate chart.


Let me know how I can help you!

Services
Fiction
Contemporary Romance Historical Romance Romantic Suspense Young Adult Fantasy
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

HarperCollins

Feb, 2011 — Apr, 2023 (about 12 years)

Editorial Assistant, Feb. 2011
Associate Editor, Dec. 2012
Editor, May 2017
Senior Editor, June 2021

Thomas Nelson Publishers

Jun, 2009 — Feb, 2011 (over 1 year)

Catch-all publishing intern for trade nonfiction, June 2009
Assistant Marketing Coordinator/Intern, Sept. 2009
Marketing and Publicity Coordinator, March 2010

Portfolio

Southern by Design

Walz, Grace Helena

Harper Muse

Every Moment Since

Whalen, Marybeth Mayhew

Harper Muse

Copy Editing
Daughter of Ruins: A Novel

Corporon, Yvette Manessis

Harper Muse

Copy Editing
The Winged Tiara

Ciesielski, J'nell

Thomas Nelson

Copy Editing
Proofreading
Copy Editing
Winter's Maiden (Volume 1) (The Nordic Wars)

Busse, Morgan L.

Enclave Publishing

Proofreading
Copy Editing
The Radio Hour

Purman, Victoria

Harper Muse

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Proofreading
Made with Reedsy
The Baron's Demons (Shadows of Deringham Book 1)

Elle, Erin

Stitching Grey Publishing

Copy Editing
Lethal Kings (Volume 2) (The Fae Dynasty)

McCombs, Victoria

Enclave Escape

Proofreading
The Nightmare Virus

Brandes, Nadine

Enclave Escape

Proofreading
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Developmental Editing Copy Editing Book Coaching
Developmental Editing Copy Editing Book Coaching
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Proofreading
Developmental Editing Proofreading
Copy Editing
Editorial Assessment Proofreading
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Wishtress

Brandes, Nadine

Proofreading
Coral

Ella, Sara

Editorial Assessment Proofreading
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Where Hope Begins

West, Catherine

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
The June Boys

Stevens, Court

Copy Editing
The Ice Swan

Ciesielski, J'nell

Copy Editing Book Coaching
Copy Editing

Jodi has 2 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Erin E.

Erin E.

Aug, 2024

I had a great experience with Jodi! She was quick to respond, and kind and professional in all her communications. She really polished up my prose and grammar, but in a way that still embraced my personal writing style, and I love that she included comments to share the "why" behind her edits. She also helped keep characters and timelines consistent, and pointed out areas where I could make cha...
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Jodi H.
Thank you, Erin! I enjoyed working with you and reading your story!
Ally H.

Ally H.

Jun, 2023

Jodi took on my project in the late stages when I was unsatisfied with a different editor. She worked quickly and tirelessly while she provided well considered suggestions and exceptional attention to detail. I cannot recommend her highly enough!
Jodi H.
Thank you, Ally! I enjoyed working with you and look forward to collaborating on more projects. I love your stories!

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