Kim Beauchamp – Editor

My first experience with a good editor was at the age of 7, when I was newly discovering the joys of written words. Every morning, I hurried to my desk to get stated on “Today’s Story,” a fun or silly writing prompt chalked on the blackboard (What did Sammy the Spider’s web look like? What might you find at the end of the rainbow?). My second grade teacher, Mrs. Campbell, would give us a lined sheet of paper, and we would have 20 minutes to practice our printing and get our creative young minds working.

I didn’t talk much in school, but I sure had a lot to say on paper. My imagination was always soaring, and I was constantly making up stories in my head that I was happy to write down. I couldn't stop smiling the day I got a “check plus” for writing about a magical kite that could fly with “nobey” holding it! (I was so excited to fill up the page that I wasn’t always patient enough to focus on my spelling.) Luckily, Mrs. Campbell was a gracious and encouraging editor. She corrected spelling and punctuation with gentle red-pen reminders and wrote questions and further prompts to help me think up new ideas, sharing in a 7-year-old's enthusiasm for storytelling.

Mrs. Campbell was the person that made writing an early fixture in my life, recommending that I attend the Young Writer’s Workshop at Towson University, a summer getaway for budding young authors. I fondly remember those July afternoons, when I’d get to sit in college classrooms or on a sunny campus patio, filling up my notebook with stories and poems. My second grade teacher demonstrated qualities that every editor should have, when working with writers of any age--supportive guidance, expertise with language, and a genuine interest in the words and ideas of others.

Today, editing is my professional calling, my way of connecting with other people and sharing my love of writing. As an editor, I appreciate that writing is an intimate act and respect the time, energy, effort, and emotion that goes into each author's book or project. Many of the authors I work with are dedicated professionals or educators looking to share their knowledge, expertise, and personal and professional experiences with others in their field. I am always respectful of their voice, message, and intent while helping to ensure that their writing is the best that it can be.

I am a developmental editor, copy editor, and proofreader who has worked with several big-name academic publishers, including Pearson, Elsevier, McGraw-Hill Education, and Cengage Learning. I have also worked for two smaller independent publishers, both in house and as a freelancer. During my career in publishing, I have seen books and products progress from initial idea to polished publication, and I have extensive insider knowledge of how the industry works. I can offer you advice on anything from query letters and book proposals to copyright permissions, marketing your book, and the book production process.

In addition to working on numerous nonfiction books, I have developed and edited a variety of learning materials, including online courses, assessment questions, and curricula. Though my industry experience is in nonfiction and scholarly publishing, I also have a passion for and command of fiction, as I enjoy writing creative fiction myself and specialized in creative writing in my Master’s program at Towson University. As a critical, curious reader, I am open to working in any discipline or genre--I'd love to hear from you and help you on your way to becoming a published author!