Renée Camus, Editor in Los Angeles, CA, USA

Overview

I’m a writer, editor, and proofreader in Los Angeles, California. I have a strong background in dance and musical theatre, and I’m obsessive about pop culture, especially movies and television. In my position as acquisitions editor for the scholarly publisher Scarecrow Press, a division of Rowman & Littlefield, I worked with authors and oversaw publication of more than 200 music, dance, and popular culture titles. In 2012, I moved from politics-centered Washington D.C. to entertainment-focused Los Angeles and received a journalism certificate from UCLA-Extension. I’ve published articles and essays in the Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles magazine, LA Weekly, Entertainment Weekly, New York Observer, and The Toast, among others. I recently published a chapter on “Joss Whedon and the Geek Musical” in the Routledge Companion to the Contemporary Stage Musical.

I love encouraging writers and building supportive communities, as is evident in the women and gender nonbinary writers group I founded, the San Gabriel Valley Women Writers. I love working with authors to find solutions to their problems, using the tools in my arsenal: good grammar and concise word choice, organizing a flowing narrative and hitting important plot points (yes, even in nonfiction), understanding language and breaking down complex ideas, and a strong attention to detail. I am kind and honest, and I create a good rapport with my authors.

Services

Developmental Editing

Copy Editing

Proofreading

Query Letter Review

Non-Fiction

Entertainment Music

Languages

English (US)

Works with

WordPress

Certifications

Journalism Certificate, UCLA Extension

Work experience

Content Strategist

Alive and Kicking documentary

Apr, 2012 — Apr, 2017 (about 5 years)

I served as Content Strategist for Alive and Kicking, a documentary on swing dancing directed by Susan Glatzer, former VP at Paramount.

- Created, scheduled, and posted social media announcements
- Wrote blog posts and maintained website
- Brainstormed outreach and fundraising ideas
- Researched licensing information
- Filled in where needed, including booth attending and assisting film shoots

Editor (self-employed)

Self-employed

May, 2010 — Present

I'm a freelance writer, editor, proofreader, and fact-checker in Los Angeles. I've served as:

- Fact-checker for Entertainment Weekly, Los Angeles Magazine, and Gayot Publications
- Copyeditor for National Foreign Language Center (University of Maryland) and TakePart
- Writer and journalist publishing articles in Los Angeles Magazine, Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Hello Giggles, The Toast, The Billfold, The New York Observer, and others.

I authored a book chapter on "Joss Whedon and the Geek Musical" for the Routledge Companion to the Contemporary Musical, and present a paper at the international Song, Stage and Screen conference in 2019.

I founded a group for women and gender nonbinary writers called the San Gabriel Valley Women Writers, where we meet monthly to network and learn from expert speakers in different subjects related to writing and publishing.

Associate Editor

Scarecrow Press, Inc.

Mar, 2005 — May, 2010 (about 5 years)

Served as Associate Acquisitions Editor at scholarly publisher Scarecrow Press, Inc., a division of Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group.

- Oversaw publication of nearly 200 books
- Evaluated arts and pop culture proposals and manuscripts
- Researched comparable titles and created budgeting spreadsheets
- Wrote and edited pitch and promotional materials
- Researched photos and permissions
- Developed relationships with authors/scholars
- Assisted authors with manuscript submissions