Jodi Hughes – Editor

Hi! I'm a professional, seasoned fiction editor with fourteen years of in-house experience in the traditional publishing industry. 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. In April 2023 I left corporate publishing 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!)

During a line edit--which is done only after a developmental/macro/substantive edit has been done--my focus is on polishing the way you tell your story--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 very open to feedback and discussion. After I edit your manuscript, you can expect to have a stronger story that is ready for a final proofread and the next step in your publishing journey.

I am also available for proofreading and copyediting.

Let me know how I can help you!