Lara Kennedy

Lara Kennedy – Editor

Highly skilled copy editor specializing in middle grade and YA. 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, Dragon Masters, Unicorn Diaries, and Geronimo Stilton; 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 Middle Grade Fantasy Young Adult Fantasy
Non-Fiction
Religion & Spirituality
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 developmental, copyediting, and proofreading projects.
Copyedit or proofread 1–3 manuscripts per week 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

Of Jade and Dragons

Amber Chen

Listening Library

Proofreading
Witchlings

Ortega, Claribel A.

Proofreading
Made with Reedsy
Apollo Salvatoir: Shā-Shǔ The Dragon

Bertoch, Hiram

Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
The Safekeeper

Archer Lakhani, Esther

Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
Vandella

M. Ch. Landa

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

Nelson, V. M.

Copy Editing
Made with Reedsy
Dark Innocence

Alexander, PJ

Copy Editing
Proofreading
Proofreading
Copy Editing
Proofreading
Proofreading
Damsel

Skye, Evelyn

Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Proofreading
The Glass Witch

Puckett, Lindsay

Proofreading
I Color Myself Different

Kaepernick, Colin

Proofreading
Copy Editing
Proofreading
A dark threat faces the world of Erdas in this riveting new saga from the New York Times bestselling series.A heart-pounding new adventure from the New York Times bestselling series.In the wor... read more
Proofreading
Copy Editing
The School for Wicked Witches #2

Will Taylor

Scholastic Audio Books

All the Hidden Monsters

Amie Jordan

Chicken House Ltd

The Raven Throne: The Raven Crown, Book 2

Stephanie Burgis

Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

A Dark and Drowning Tide: A Novel

Allison Saft

Random House Audio

The Matchmaker: A Novel

Saeed, Aisha

Bantam

These twelve popular Bible stories are perfect for bedtime!FIVE-MINUTE BEDTIME BIBLE STORIES presents twelve fully-illustrated Bible stories. This book is perfect for read-aloud time: each story can be read aloud in one sitting! And it is a great way to introd... read more
I Know Your Secret

Benedis-Grab, Daphne

Wild Ride

Calabrese, Keith

Pick a book. Grow a Reader!This series is part of Scholastic's early chapter book line Branches, aimed at newly independent readers. With easy-to-read text, high-interest content, fast-paced plots, and illustrations on every page, these books will boost readin... read more
Best Frenemies Forever

McCafferty, Megan

The infamous, Most Wanted Goosebumps characters are out on the loose and they're coming after you! Catch them all, undead or alive!Ray Gordon really likes the circus. His uncle, Theo, is a performer in Koko's Klown Academy and he invites Ray to come join him f... read more
Out of the Fire

Contos, Andrea

Help children learn to live out the Ten Commandments through the power of story. The fifty fables and parables in this short story collection for kids will inspire young people to grow closer to God through a deeper understanding and appreciation for the comma... read more
Best Seller in African American Children's BooksThese emotionally charged short bios have touching and powerful life lessons that go into a child’s soul as they search for their place in the world. With the same commitment to continue inspiring our kids, we ar... read more
Instant Best Seller in STEM EducationBeyond a Black History book, this book will spark curiosity and motivate children, as well as adults to learn more about STEM related topics while making them proud of their heritage. Black Women in Science, Technology, Eng... read more
Help children understand the meaning of each of the Beatitudes through the power of story. The eighty fables and parables in this short story collection for kids will give young people a greater appreciation for the ways they can live out the teachings of Jesu... read more

Lara has 96 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

PJ A.

PJ A.

Nov, 2024

Lara is fantastic. I've worked with her multiple times for copy edits, and I'm always impressed. She is prompt, incredibly thorough, and a pleasure to work with. I look forward to working with her again. Five stars all the way!
PJ A.

PJ A.

Apr, 2024

Lara is fantastic. She has done copy edits for three of my books, and I will continue to use her services in the future. She is always thorough and professional. Definitely a pleasure to work with!
Heather T.

Heather T.

Jan, 2024

Very helpful and professional. Completed and returned my manuscript within the time programmed.
Timothy A.

Timothy A.

Dec, 2023

Lara was fantastic, as always!
Abby P.

Abby P.

Nov, 2023

Lara did our first book as well. She was super fast and thorough! She also took out budget into mind and worked with us on what we could afford. Amazing work, definitely recommend!

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