Overview
“Wow! Cat is a genius! Many, many thanks.”
Ross Pennie, award-winning author of (among many others) Tampered and Tainted
“[Senior Editor] Michael said he and the authors are over the moon with your copyedit; just an awesome, awesome job. So thank you!”
Crissy Boylan, managing editor, ECW Press
“Cat is a consummate professional and her work is top-notch. She has a remarkable eye for hard-to-spot details, and has snatched me from the jaws of embarrassment more times than I’d care to admit. She even sent little notes of encouragement as she worked her way through my books. I hope to work with her again.”
Randal Graham, author of Beforelife and Afterlife Crisis
In my decade and a half working with publishers and authors, I have honed my ability to provide thoughtful, thorough, and timely edits and to build strong and supportive relationships with authors. My goal is to amplify and polish an author's voice. to serve the reader, and to help create the best book possible. It is an honour to work with authors to shape their stories, find their voice, and make every word part of the spell they cast over their readers.
My passion for language, communication, and story runs deep, and I am proud to work with authors and publishers on each project to make the writing sing and to eliminate any errors. Publishers I have worked with include ECW Press, TouchWood Editions, and Biblioasis, and I worked in-house for Scholastic Canada, where my work included copyediting as well as evaluating unsolicited manuscripts. Books I have edited have won or been shortlisted for awards including the Crime Writers of Canada Award of Excellence for Best Crime Novel, the Independent Publisher Book Award for Fiction, and the Hilary Weston Writers' Trust Prize for Nonfiction.
In terms of formal qualifications and training, I am a graduate of Centennial College’s Book and Magazine Publishing program, a certified copyeditor through Editors Canada, and an Advanced Professional Member of the UK’s Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading. I also have an honours bachelor of arts in English Language and Literature and Classics from Queen's University and have taught editing at various levels through Queen’s Professional Studies.
I am always excited to open a new book to start work. I look forward to opening yours.
Services
Non-Fiction
Fiction
Languages
Certifications
- Book and Magazine Publishing (Centennial College)
- Copyediting (Editors Canada)
- Advanced Professional Membership (Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading)
Work experience
Self-employed
I provide copyediting, proofreading, and substantive editing services to publishing companies and authors to ensure books are at their best and ready to be launched out to their readers.
Scholastic Canada
I worked with both the art and editorial departments on books ranging from children's picture books to young adult fiction and nonfiction. My work included proofreading, copyediting, working on cover designs, fact checking, writing back cover and catalogue copy, photo research, and evaluating unsolicited manuscripts for the editorial department.
Self-employed
I founded a successful independent essay and assignment editing business for Queen’s University students while completing my degree. I edited a wide range of projects, including documents for the Queen’s University Classics Department and doctoral English theses, and also coached students in writing skills.
Portfolio
