Overview

I have eight years of experience in the book publishing industry, and I am currently a freelance editor for the Amon Carter Museum of Art and other various respected businesses and authors. I was previously the assistant editor at TCU Press, a university press that publishes in Texas/regional history, literary and historical fiction, children's books, art and architecture, and memoir and biography.

My favorite subjects to read and edit are fantasy, romance, and creative nonfiction. When I'm not editing or reading, you can find me outdoors hiking and camping, doing yoga, walking my dog, or just diving into another epic fantasy book by Sarah J. Maas or Kevin Hearne or addictive romance by Jasmine Guillory or Christina Lauren. I am a perfectionist, and I hope that is evident in my work on authors' manuscripts. Because I'm so detail-oriented I've earned the nickname "Eagle Eye" from my peers. And, perhaps most importantly, I am a staunch supporter of the controversial Oxford comma.

One author, whose book "Ethical Dilemmas in Schools" was published by Cambridge University Press, wrote about my work on the project: "Molly is a master editor and a major reason we completed the work" (Douglas Simpson). I believe everyone has a story to share, and I want to be the one to help authors tell that story.

Services

Developmental Editing

Copy Editing

Editorial Assessment

Proofreading

Non-Fiction

Art Biographies & Memoirs History Music

Fiction

Fantasy Historical Fiction Literary Fiction Romance

Languages

English (US)

Certifications

Certificate of Publishing, Denver Publishing Institute, University of Denver

Work experience

Assistant Editor

TCU Press

Oct, 2015 — Mar, 2023 (over 7 years)

Copy edit manuscripts to adhere to Chicago Manual of Style and make suggestions for clarity, style, and organization
Edit diverse genres, including historical fiction, memoir, trade nonfiction, children’s, art, architecture, poetry, and biography
Proofread page proofs and write cover copy
Coordinate the internship program and supervise interns
Manage the acquisitions database, write reader reports for acquisition submissions, and oversee the peer review process for acquisition prospects
Schedule and organize all office meetings and events, including weekly staff meetings, book launch meetings, and Advisory Board meetings
Maintain and update invoice and royalty information in the office database
Contribute content and blog posts for all social media platforms
Assist with the planning and execution of marketing events and sales

Freelance Proofreader

Amon Carter Museum of American Art

Apr, 2019 — Present

Freelance Editor

Self-employed

Jan, 2015 — Present

Edit and proofread fiction, nonfiction, and scholarly manuscripts, marketing materials, and articles. I've worked with a variety of authors to develop their manuscripts, including a world-renowned music conductor, a television personality, and a philosophy scholar. In addition, I have edited materials for companies such as ExxonMobil and Fusion29.

Portfolio

Hannah and Ariela

Bernhard, J.

What? And Give Up Show Business?

Hampton, J.

Moonlight Massacres

Zumwalt, M.

With One Hand Tied behind My Brain: A Memoir of Life after Stroke

Seale, A.

Ethical Dilemmas in Schools

Simpson, D.

Sins of the Younger Sons

Jan R.

Luke Burgoa is an ex-Marine on a solitary covert mission to infiltrate the Basque separatist organization ETA in Spain and help bring down its military commander, Peru Madariaga. Luke hails from a Basque ancestry that came with the Spanish empire to Cuba, Arge... read more

The Silent Shore of Memory

John C.

The Silent Shore of Memory chronicles the life of James Barnhill from his days as a young Confederate soldier through the trials of Reconstruction in his native Texas and his later career as a lawyer and judge. After being critically wounded at Gettysburg and ... read more

Amado Muro and Me: A Tale of Honesty and Deception

Robert S.

In Amado Muro and Me, ten-year-old Robert Seltzer discovers that his father, Chester, actually leads two lives—one as a newspaperman and father who somehow always knows what his son is thinking; the other as Amado Muro, a passionate and gifted writer whose pse... read more

Odd Birds

Severo P.

The year is 1961. Seventy-year-old Cosimo Infante Cano, a Cuban-born artist in need of inspiration, follows his lover to Texas in what was to be a temporary sabbatical from their life in France. Unexpectedly, he finds himself stranded in San Antonio, nearly pe... read more

Outcry Witness

Thomas Z.

It’s the 1980s. A priest is found murdered in his New Orleans rectory. When compromising videotapes are discovered in his bedroom, the Bishop and his staff withhold this damaging evidence from the police. The district attorney, a faithful Catholic and good fri... read more

Plum Creek

W. W.

Plum Creek is a historical novel set in nineteenth-century Texas. It is a coming-of-age story involving Billy McCulloch, a fifteen-year-old boy who accompanies a former Texas Ranger, a black man, and two of his uncles on a quest to rescue a fourteen-year-old g... read more

Sports Makes You Type Faster: The Entire World of Sports by One of America's Most Famous Sportswriters

Dan J.

Sports Makes You Type Faster presents a remarkable new collection of essays by one of America’s best-known and best-loved sportswriters. Served up with the acerbic wit that is Dan Jenkins’s hallmark, the essays range over the whole world of sports, taking aim ... read more

The Art of Texas: 250 Years

Critic Michael Ennis stated twenty-five years ago that there has never been more than a cursory overview of Texas art from the nineteenth century to the present. The Art of Texas: 250 Years now tells a deeper story, beginning with Spanish colonial paintings an... read more

Talking to the Stars: Bobbie Wygant's Seventy Years in Television

Bobbie W.

In her memoir Talking to the Stars: Bobbie Wygant’s Seventy Years in Television, Bobbie Wygant recalls her trailblazing career as an arts and entertainment reporter for Dallas-Fort Worth’s Channel 5. Started in 1948 by Amon G. Carter, WBAP (now KXAS) was the f... read more

The Iron Orchard

Tom P.

Originally published in 1966 under the pen name Tom Pendleton, The Iron Orchard garnered a cult following for its authentic representation of the people and business of the Texas and American Southwest oil fields. Now available again in a new edition, The Iron... read more

The Rebirth of Hope: My Journey from Vietnam War Child to American Citizen

Sau L.

Born in a demilitarized zone during the Vietnam War to a Vietnamese mother and American soldier, Sau Le arrived in the United States as a young woman with only twenty dollars in her pocket. Though bullied and abused since childhood, she nevertheless came to he... read more

Molly has 4 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Deon N.

Oct, 2022

I am very pleased with Molly work. She quickly responded to my questions and concerns. I would defiantly recommend her to someone else.

Chris G.

May, 2022

My second time working with Molly was as good as the first!

Sharon P.

Apr, 2022

I was very impressed with Molly’s edits from the beginning. It seemed like she slid right into my voice, my cadence and my humor without disrupting the message or the rhythm. She hit every deadline and her suggestions were smart and instructive. I look forward to working with her again in the future!

Jim Y.

Oct, 2020

I am a self-publishing writer working on his first effort. Entrusting my years-in-the-making manuscript to a professional was scary because I rather doubt many people will purchase my unusual local history and therefore money I spend for help would unlikely be recouped. But I'm thrilled and lucky I hired Molly! She successfully tackled my micro-historiography/anatomy with its 1100-plus endnotes...

Molly Spain – Editor