Overview
You don’t want your readers to get distracted by errors in your book. So don’t let your readers find any errors—let me find them instead.
You want an editor who understands the conventions of your genre. I specialize in fantasy, dystopian, paranormal, and speculative fiction.
You want an editor who doesn’t try to rewrite the book in her own voice. My goal is always to retain the author’s voice—just to make it a cleaner version of that voice.
I have a solid background in grammar. I know the rules. I understand the rules. I also know how and when to break them. I’m not going to be pedantic and insist on a change just for the sake of correctness if it is going to cause a problem with readability. Fiction is flexible—sometimes sentence fragments are useful, for example.
What copy editing is
As a copy editor, I am focused on the details of the story—the sentence-level concerns. Although I do check for consistency (making sure Sally doesn’t suddenly change eye color, for example), I don’t make global comments about your book. I’m not going to give you a list of plot problems or places where characters/scenes should be more developed. That’s the job of a developmental editor (and something that should be done before sending the manuscript to me). If there’s something that really jumps out at me, I sometimes make a comment about it, but I’m not reading your book at that level. If that’s the kind of feedback you are looking for, please work with a developmental editor first. Then come back and let me clean things up at the sentence level.
Note on developmental editing and editorial assessment
Note: I provide line editing, copy editing, and proofreading. If you are looking for a developmental edit or editorial assessment, that comes before the copy editing stage and is not a service I provide. Check out Reedsy's description of the different types of editors: https://blog.reedsy.com/types-of-editing/.
Services
Fiction
Languages
Certifications
- UC San Diego Extension Copyediting Certificate
Work experience
Self-employed
Although I have done freelancing here and there since 1997, I started working full-time at freelancing in August 2012. I have copy edited everything from websites to cookbooks but my preferred focus is fantasy and speculative fiction.
UC San Diego Extension
Instructor teaching online class on Copyediting Fiction through the UC San Diego Extension program
PLY Magazine
Managing editor and copy editor for PLY Magazine, a quarterly magazine for spinning fiber.
INDIE Books Gone Wild
Part of the editing team at INDIE Books Gone Wild.
Ivy Tech Community College, Lafayette, Indiana
Taught freshman composition and literature courses.
Arthuriana (academic journal)
Copy edited and proofread articles; laid out articles for journal
AgIT Department, Purdue University
Wrote documentation supporting in-house computer programs and other programs and revised existing documentation.
Purdue University
Taught courses in composition, literature, and Latin. Was a graduate student during this time and earned a PhD in English.
Texas A&M University
Taught courses in composition, literature, and technical writing.
Blinn College
Tutored students in one-on-one writing sessions
Blinn College
Worked with students in computer lab during developmental reading and writing courses as a teacher's aide.
Cancer Information Group
Edited and proofread articles for four oncology journals
Arthur Andersen
Edited financial documents
Texas A&M University Press
Proofread manuscripts
Portfolio
Karen has 36 reviews
Professionalism
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Rachael R.
Jan, 2024
Katherine M.
Nov, 2023
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Oct, 2023
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Sep, 2023
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Jun, 2023
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