Overview
(Please note that for picture books, I do not currently offer editorial assessments or developmental editing. I only offer copyediting and proofreading services for picture books.)
I have over a decade of in-house experience working as a production editor, copy editor, and developmental editor at major trade and educational publishing houses in New York City, including McGraw-Hill, Penguin Random House, and Disney Publishing Worldwide. As a freelancer, I’ve copyedited, proofread, fact-checked, researched, and Americanized projects for:
Penguin Random House Egmont USA
Adaptive Books
Weldon Owen Publishing
Scholastic
DK
Page Street Publishing
Abrams
Audible (Amazon)
Peachtree
With both an author’s and editor’s background, I have a deep knowledge of language, grammar, and style–and great respect for preserving an author’s voice. (In fact, I wrote my master’s thesis on the unique challenges present in the working relationship between writer and editor.) I've worked on books by New York Times best-selling and Newbery Award-winning authors, as well as many titles that have received starred reviews. Books for young readers (picture books, chapter books/early readers, middle grade, and YA) are my specialty, but my editorial experience includes adult fiction and nonfiction as well.
If you hire me as a developmental editor for your book, I will provide an in-depth edit of your entire manuscript, addressing the structure, style, plotting, and characterization. I'll look for big-picture issues (such as a character's arc) as well as sentence-level edits (such as overuse of a particular phrase). I'll look for sections where your work might benefit from cuts as well as opportunities to flesh out your story or characters by adding content. I'll also prepare a detailed edit letter to summarize my thoughts about the strengths of your work as well as areas that could be further developed or improved.
The editorial assessments I provide are insightful overviews of a work. While this does not include sentence-level comments and suggestions (as a developmental edit does), I will thoroughly read your manuscript and prepare a detailed and thoughtful edit letter that shares your work's strengths and weaknesses, as well as my suggestions for what can be improved. I'll also address changes you could make to help your work stand out in its marketplace.
If you hire me to copyedit your book, I will meticulously read the text, using Track Changes to correct any issues with grammar, style, punctuation, and spelling. I'll also suggest places where you might want to "recast" a sentence for clarity or to avoid repetition. I'll do a bit of fact-checking, as needed, and watch for continuity and sensitivity issues throughout. My goal is always to polish your work to enhance your unique voice--never to impose a style on an author.
I’ve always loved this wisdom from Ursula K. LeGuin: “A writer is a person who cares what words mean, what they say, how they say it.” The same is true of a good editor. It’s a privilege and a joy to work with words, and to help writers find the perfect ones to tell their stories. As an author myself, I know it can be daunting to share your writing and face revisions. I hope our collaboration will give you guidance and creative inspiration for your work, and that I can help make your story shine.
If you'd like to discuss the editorial services I offer, please reach out! I look forward to hearing about your work.
Services
Non-Fiction
Children’s Non-Fiction
Education & Reference
Fiction
Middle Grade
Picture Books
Women's Fiction
Young Adult
Languages
English (US)
Work experience
Self-employed
Jul, 2014 —
Present
Disney Publishing Worldwide
Aug, 2016 —
Apr, 2017
(8 months)
McGraw-Hill Education
Aug, 2014 —
Jul, 2016
(almost 2 years)
Penguin Random House
Jan, 2013 —
Jul, 2014
(over 1 year)
Macmillan/McGraw-Hill Education
Aug, 2008 —
Dec, 2012
(over 4 years)
Portfolio
Heart-wrenchingly honest, fans of Brandy Colbert and Nicola Yoon will anticiapte this poignant reflection on what it means to choose yourself.On the day Torrey officially becomes a college freshman, he gets a call that might force him to drop out before he’s e... read more
In this middle grade Audible Original that's full of both humor and heart, a madcap gang of bold kid crusaders set off on an unforgettable adventure to thwart wrongdoers in their neighborhood. What do you get when you add up one middle school bully, two bank r... read more
In the final book of this bestselling easy-to-read series, Hank begins a new chapter!When a well-known author of a beloved book series visits Hank's school, he and his two best friends get the chance to be her guide for the day and introduce her at an assembly... read more
Joey Pigza is a boy with big ideas and a heart bigger than his best friend in the whole world-Pablo, his loving chihuahua. Joey returns in a second Audible Original, this time to help rescue all the local dogs that need good homes and to help the animal shelte... read more
An original novella and prequel to Ally Carter's New York Times best-selling Gallagher Girls series, exclusively on Audible. The first day at a new school is tough for any kid, but it's especially scary when you're going to a school for spies. Cammie Morgan ha... read more
You've probably seen her on t-shirts, mugs, and even tattoos, well, now that famous face graces the cover of our latest Who Is? title.Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is famous for her stylish collars (called jabots) and her commanding dissents. This opera-loving N... read more
In response to an awful camp orientation video created by the god Apollo, Percy Jackson and other residents of Camp Half-Blood answer such questions as "What is this place?" and "Do I get to keep the T-shirt?" Newbies can check out the section on the Divine Ca... read more
This land is your land . . . check it out!It's a big country—with all kinds of wonderful, weird, and wild facts, faces, and places to discover in each and every state. U.S.A.! U.S.A.! This fun, funky fact book is as packed full of stuff as the Smithsonian. It'... read more
Danger lurks within the roots of Forest of Souls, an epic, unrelenting tale of destiny and sisterhood, perfect for fans of Naomi Novik and Susan Dennard.Sirscha Ashwyn comes from nothing, but she’s intent on becoming something. After years of training to becom... read more
"A superb story, told in an original and masterly way. Smedley navigates the novel's refreshing ideas about sexuality and religion with grace and intelligence." ―The New York Times "A heartbreaking and important read." ―Caleb Roehrig, author of Last Seen Leavi... read more
Read the story of the Founding Father who inspired the smash Broadway musical.Born in the British West Indies and orphaned as a child, Alexander Hamilton made his way to the American Colonies and studied to become a lawyer. He joined a local militia during the... read more
Learn more about what climate change means and how it's affecting our planet.The earth is definitely getting warmer. There's no argument about that, but who or what is the cause? And why has climate change become a political issue? Are humans at fault? Is this... read more
Action, adventure, and romance are heating up in this sequel to the futuristic science fiction thriller Burn Out. Perfect for fans of Across the Universe and The Memory of After. Caelia is the new Earth. That's what the Consulate told everyone and, against all... read more
When Mona the Mouse stumbles across the wondrous world of the Heartwood Hotel in the middle of a storm, she desperately hopes they'll let her stay. As it turns out, Mona is precisely the maid they need at the grandest hotel in Fernwood Forest, where animals co... read more
"Coming-of-age never looked so beautiful." - Kirkus (Starred Review)"[A] powerful story of growth and change, brimming with honesty and hope." - Publishers Weekly"Students who might not yet be ready for Angie Thomas’s The Hate U Give will find an equally compe... read more
Kat didn’t believe in ghosts—until she became a teenage ghostbuster. . .After a couple months at home dealing with her mother's upcoming wedding and trying on itchy bridesmaid dresses, Kat is more than happy to head off on another ghost-hunting and ghostbustin... read more
Perfect for fans of The Babysitters Club and anyone interested in computer science, this series is published in partnership with the organization Girls Who Code!Maya and her friends from coding club have an exciting new project: they're coding lights and music... read more
Rebecca has 6 reviews
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Quality
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Garrett G.
Mar, 2024
Michael H.
Nov, 2022
Jen J.
Oct, 2021
Claire G.
May, 2021
W. T. K.
Jul, 2020
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