Lana Barnes

Lana Barnes – Editor

Proofreader for middle grade and YA books. Words are my passion and I love helping authors become strong writers and clear communicators.

Overview

Don't know what a dangling participle is? Always mixing up to, too, and two? Confused about when to use who versus whom? Don't worry! I understand grammar so you don't have to!

Words are my passion and I love getting down to the nitty-gritty of a piece of work to help authors become the best writers and clearest communicators they can be.

If you're looking for someone to polish your work while maintaining your voice and unique point of view, I'm your person!

I studied English as an undergrad and received my Master's in Writing, Literature, and Publishing from Emerson College, so I am well versed in the English language and written communication. I have been a proofreader/copy editor for HarperCollins Children's Books, Candlewick Press, Adams Media (Simon & Schuster), and Penguin Young Readers (Penguin Random House), and I am always looking for new clients.

I look forward to assisting you with all your verbal needs!
Services
Non-Fiction
Children’s Non-Fiction
Fiction
Christian Fiction Coming of Age Contemporary Romance Middle Grade Middle Grade Fantasy Picture Books Young Adult
Languages
English (US)

Work experience

Self-employed

Jun, 2015 — Dec, 2022 (over 7 years)

Efficiently and painstakingly completes a variety of projects including editorial and catalog layouts, print advertising, direct mail, and digital projects including tablet publications. Builds layouts using existing brand elements. Finalizes concept layouts to print-ready files. Researches stock and proprietary photographs. Color correction and light retouching.

Self-employed

Nov, 2014 — Present

In addition to proofreading and cold reading middle grade and YA novels for HarperCollin's Children's Books and Candlewick Press, I also proofread digital magazines, sales and marketing materials, websites, blogs and newsletters for a variety of clients.

Penguin Random House

Aug, 2012 — Mar, 2015 (over 2 years)

Working with the Pre-media and Print and Digital Application teams, I provided creative technical support to all design and production groups and assisted in efforts relating to an electronic workflow.

I provided expert-level support and training (both classroom and one-on-one) in all the Adobe Creative Cloud programs and advised designers on best practices and press standards. I preflighted press-ready PDFs, ensuring files met industry-standard and vendor-specific technical requirements; assisted designers in building files that would reproduce accurately on press; liaised with vendors to resolve potential errors; managed the reprint process for both digital and offset presses and prepped final files for archive.

I also maintained vendor-supplied, large-format printers, including troubleshooting issues with GMG RIP software and updating and maintaining vendors’ press and finish simulations.

Candlewick Press

Sep, 2009 — Aug, 2012 (almost 3 years)

As a part of the Candlewick Press Art Department, and working with the Graphic Production team, I was responsible for providing pre-media, Photoshop, and any and all technical support to the book and promo designers.

Following Candlewick aesthetic styles and standards, I managed the high-volume reprint workload, preflighted and post-flighted final files for print, prepared files for digital conversion (e-book, e-PDF), prepared and submitted files for sales and marketing materials, and assisted with high-res Photoshop projects.

I also trained and managed the workload of the Graphic Production intern, held an essential role in reorganizing and centralizing Candlewick’s digital asset archive, and assisted with creating and updating training and workflow documentation.

Portfolio

12-year-old Stacey discovers the secret to communicating with animals. Animals rejoice, thinking she is their long awaited savior who can return them to ZoaBrio (pronounced Zo-ah-BREE-oh), a land where animals and humans once lived as equals. But not everyone ... read more
How to Disappear

Sharon Huss Roat

From the author of Between the Notes comes a story that shines a light on our love of social media and how sometimes being the person you think you want to be isn’t as great as being the person you truly are. Perfect for fans of Vivi Greene’s Sing and Susane C... read more
Dare Mighty Things

Heather Kaczynski

The Selection meets The 5th Wave in this heart-racing debut duology about a girl competing for a spot on a mysterious mission to the outer reaches of space.THE RULES ARE SIMPLE: You must be gifted. You must be younger than twenty-five. You must be willing to a... read more
Ratscalibur

Josh Lieb

From the New York Times bestselling author of I Am A Genius of Unspeakable Evil and I Want to Be Your Class President“A witty mash-up of favorite fantasy motifs.”—New York Times Book Review“Ratscalibur is funny, it’s scary, and it’s sweet, like life. But it ha... read more
Returned

Kimberley Griffiths Little

Perfect for fans of Cleopatra’s Moon and the adult bestseller The Red Tent, this is the final book in the epic trilogy that began with Forbidden and Banished. Jayden and Kadesh’s love will be put to the ultimate test as they fight a war to save their kingdom. ... read more
This charming and bittersweet coming-of-age story featuring two girls of color falling in love is part To All the Boys I've Loved Before and part Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.Sixteen-year-old Sana Kiyohara has too many secrets. Some are small, like how it... read more
Unfolding through letters, texts, and chats, Lauren Strasnick’s smart, sexy, page-turning new novel is the ultimate he said/she said breakdown of a relationship gone wrong.Natalie and Dan were electric from the moment they met. Witty banter and sizzling chemis... read more
Joplin, Wishing

Diane Stanley

A heartfelt and magical middle grade novel in the tradition of Tuck Everlasting and Bridge to Terabithia, about family, wishes, and the power of true friends to work magic. While cleaning out her reclusive grandfather’s house, Joplin discovers pieces of a brok... read more
An in-depth look into the extraordinary life of the world’s most important entrepreneur, Elon MuskThis fascinating and easily accessible young readers’ adaptation of Ashlee Vance’s New York Times bestselling Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantas... read more
Spindle Fire

Lexa Hillyer

Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Leigh Bardugo, Spindle Fire is an enthralling, wholly original reimagining of a classic faerie story.Half sisters Isabelle and Aurora are polar opposites: Isabelle is the king’s headstrong illegitimate daughter, whose sigh... read more
WHO WILL FINALLY RULE THE EIGHTH CONTINENT, ONCE AND FOR ALL? In the final action-packed adventure of this series perfect for fans of the Seven Wonders and the Candy Shop War series, Rick and Evie Lane are in an epic battle to take back the eighth continent! T... read more
“A modern day Outlander filled with adventure and danger…a breathless tale that only Morgan Rhodes could tell.”—Hypable New York Times bestselling author Morgan Rhodes takes readers into exhilarating new high-fantasy territory with A BOOK OF SPIRITS AND THIEVE... read more

Lana has 50 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

David S.

David S.

Feb, 2024

Lana is a pro. I have used her for proofreading twice and she has done an incredible job each time. Would definitely recommend.
Naomi S.

Naomi S.

Sep, 2023

I was very happy with the editing suggestions Lana gave me. She identified when I was using grammar and punctuation wrong and corrected those mistakes. She pointed out when a reader might be confused by how a character might be introduced (using a nickname without explanation). And she followed the plot and made sure that it all made sense. Overall, I feel a lot more confidant in my novel!
M. M.

M. M.

Sep, 2023

Lana proofread my manuscript and did a terrific job. She was kind, patient, and responsive throughout our collaboration. I felt like she genuinely worked hard to make the manuscript the best version of itself. That’s all I can ask from a professional. I’d recommend her to anyone in need of editing and wouldn’t hesitate to seek her services in the future.
David S.

David S.

Dec, 2022

Lana is a pro. Her first-round proofread uncovered a lot of misplaced commas and other common grammatical errors. That was expected. What was unexpected was her attention to story, Her comments on sentence and paragraph structure, and formatting, inspired me to do a further revision, which Lana also proofed for me. I will definitely call on her again in the future!
David S.

David S.

Nov, 2022

Working with Lana has been a pleasure, and, as a new writer, educational. She has the three p's covered: prompt, pleasant and punctual, but most importantly, she is very good at her job. During my proofread, she pointed out timeline and logic errors that I had overlooked. As far as proofing my manuscript, Lana inserted or deleted (or just plain fixed) lots of misplaced commas and other punctuat...
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