Lara Kennedy

Lara Kennedy – Editor

Highly skilled copy editor specializing in fantasy. Experience with bestsellers, celebrity authors, and popular series.

Overview

I am a fantasy enthusiast and technical expert in English grammar and style, having both studied and taught copyediting as well as earned a certificate in publishing from Denver University's Publishing Institute. My prior work experience includes publishing houses Wiley & Sons and Scholastic in New York City and copyediting for a US federal government agency in Washington, DC. I have been freelancing successfully now for several years, working with a variety of customers, ranging from individuals to large publishing houses, on various copyediting and proofreading projects. My experience includes copyediting and proofreading bestselling series such as Witchlings, House of Marionne, and Arcana Academy; movie tie-ins such as Dungeons & Dragons and Marvel; and celebrities such as George R.R. Martin, Colin Kaepernick, and Ruby Bridges, as well as award-winning independent authors like you!


I provide high quality with over 10 years of experience and a passion for children's and young adult publishing to bring customers the best value for services provided. I believe in creating and celebrating diverse books and have been honored to work on many titles featuring BIPOC and LGBTQ characters and authors. I am meticulous in meeting deadlines and work closely with clients to ensure expectations are met or exceeded.

Services
Fiction
Fantasy Middle Grade Fantasy Romantic Fantasy Young Adult Fantasy
Languages
English (US)
Certifications
  • Certificate in Publishing

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 2019 — Present

Contract regular copyediting and proofreading work from 4–6 publishing companies/services, including Scholastic, Penguin Young Readers, Bloomsbury, and Random House.
Work with individual authors on copyediting and proofreading projects.
Copyedit or proofread 4–6 manuscripts per month from sources listed above.
Perform various production tasks in support of Scholastic 4-color production group, supporting 6 production editors on 3–5 small projects per week.

US Federal Government

Jun, 2015 — Jul, 2018 (about 3 years)

Copyedited 1–2 page papers and coordinated with authors, 5–10 papers per day
Managed production of transition briefing materials for President-elect during election in 2016
Created appendix for UN General Assembly briefing book once per year

Scholastic Inc.

Jun, 2014 — May, 2015 (11 months)

Oversaw production of cross channel licensing on 1/c titles
Handled production packets, reviewed proofs/blues, and set budgets for 50-80 titles per month
Reviewed and accepted/rejected edits made by freelance copyeditors
Proofread select full manuscripts within production department, 4-7 titles per month

Wiley & Sons

Oct, 2013 — Jun, 2014 (8 months)

Supported 8 production editors in 3 offices
Proofread 6–10 scholarly journal newsletters per week using Chicago, APA, and AP style
Quality checked ebooks
Managed production schedules for academic journals

Portfolio

Arcana Academy

Kova, Elise

Del Rey

Of Jade and Dragons

Amber Chen

Listening Library

Witchlings

Ortega, Claribel A.

Proofreading
Made with Reedsy
The Safekeeper

Archer Lakhani, Esther

Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
Vandella

M. Ch. Landa

Proofreading
Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
Hunted (The Dhampyr Series Book 1)

Nelson, V. M.

Copy Editing
Proofreading
Proofreading
Damsel

Skye, Evelyn

Copy Editing
A Dark and Drowning Tide: A Novel

Allison Saft

Random House Audio

Lara has 98 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Sarah S.

Sarah S.

Dec, 2022

Pinned
As a first time published writer to be I was nervous to use Reedsy. Lara was excellent and eased my worries with her professionality and hard work. She was able to walk me through the editing process and help my writing be the best it can be. Deadlines were always clear, and she was happy to work with extensions when needed. I plan to work with her in the future. I am thrilled with her work. If...
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PJ A.

PJ A.

Oct, 2022

Pinned
Lara is fantastic. She doesn't miss a thing, whether it's grammar or word echoes or ambiguity. She did full copy edits on my novel, and her attention to detail was amazing. She's easy to work with and communicates clearly. She's always been prompt and has never missed a deadline. I highly recommend her for any editing work. I can't wait to work with her again.
Nicole E.

Nicole E.

Aug, 2022

Pinned
This is my second time working with Lara and I REALLY appreciate her attention to detail. There were a handful of inconsistencies between my last book and this one that she caught (that was missed not only by me, but my developmental editor and three beta readers). I appreciate her copyediting work, but I'm particularly grateful for her excellent proofreading skills. I will definitely continue ...
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PJ A.

PJ A.

Feb, 2025

Lara is the best. Professional, punctual, and great to work with. You won't find a higher quality editor.
Deyanira G.

Deyanira G.

Nov, 2024

Lara was fantastic to work with! She responded to my query with a detailed reply that clearly outlined what to expect from her services. Her response time was excellent, and I am very pleased with the editorial assessment she provided. It was thorough and included helpful links for further learning on the topics she highlighted. I highly recommend working with Lara!

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