Sean Dennis – Editor

Since there are many strongly credentialed editors on Reedsy, I want you to know that I appreciate your consideration of my skills and experience. When you select me as your developmental editor or coach, you'll benefit from my 25-plus years of experience as an editor and creator across multiple industries and diverse content areas.

Since March 2023, I am working full-time as a technical editor for a US government contractor, which limits my availability somewhat. I also serve as a volunteer proofreader for the Journal of Caribbean Ornithology. In prior roles, I have been a nonfiction editor for Propertius Press, the associate editor of JazzTimes and BirdWatching magazines, a copy editor for Pragmatic Press, a quality assurance copy editor for Fire Engine Red, a developmental editor for Manning Publications, a senior technical writer for Rockwell Collins' satellite communications division, and a program development specialist and e-learning developer for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

If you are thinking about writing a book but haven't started yet, now is the time to connect with me.

Here's what I will assist you with:

√ Discover and understand the audience(s): Who are you talking to? Do you know their characteristics/likes/dislikes/needs/wants?

√ Develop the content outline: What do you want your audiences to know?

√ Apply instructional design and story-development strategies: How are you going to tell your stories and convey your knowledge?

√ Review and fine-tune your content: Did you include too much information or provide unnecessary details? Did you forget something? Are you speaking in the correct voice for your audiences?

√ And ultimately, ask and answer up front all those pesky yet crucial "Why should the reader care?" questions.

The outcome is that you'll work more efficiently and with better focus, have more fun writing, and ultimately create a better final product. Your audience will be pleased by your clearly stated ideas and thesis—logically organized and presented—and the effortless flow to a strong conclusion.

If you have already written a draft manuscript, I will provide suggestions for improvement while reviewing your content as both a beta reader and a developmental editor. I will also let you know when I see awesomeness.

My focus is helping people to create a kinder, gentler, more just, and more sustainable world through their stories, analyses, ideas, and lessons learned. I will be a strong advocate, a deep thinker, an honest beta reader, and sometimes a tough critic—because I want you to create your best work.

Subject areas:

√ Pan-African studies (all areas)

√ Social justice, environmental justice

√ Musicology (especially jazz)

√ Natural history (especially birds and birding)

√ Alternative medicine (herbal medicine, Eastern modalities, etc.)

√ Computer science (only if really compelling)

Book(s) I am reading currently: A Naturalist in Costa Rica by Alexander Skutch; The Doors of Perception by Aldous Huxley.

Note: I am comfortable working in MS Word, Google Docs, Adobe Acrobat, and Markdown/XML.

Thanks for stopping by. I look forward to working with you. Please stay healthy and safe.