Overview
I'm an enthusiastic and detail-oriented professional editor and writer with an MFA degree in creative writing and a concentration/certification in literary publishing. I started my career at Front Porch Journal as a Copyeditor before moving to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. From there, I worked as an Associate Editor and Copyeditor at The Fourth River editing print and online editions of nature and place-based writing. I soon became a Fact Checker at
I've sharpened many pencils in my decade of professional editorial experience—every scratch, proofreader's mark, and careful critique increasing the range of knowledge and expertise that I am able to bring to each project—with the aim of now helping you make your mark as a writer. I've helped writers with a range of work across multiple genres from start to finish and enjoy working on poetry, short stories and flash fiction, literary fiction, memoirs, and experimental/cross-genre especially.
I've worked closely with writers to carefully consider themes including LGBTQ+, coming of age, loss/grief, addiction, incarceration, personal/familial crisis, parenthood, marriage/intimate relationships, personal/cultural identity, nature and place (as near as Midwestern cornfields and as far-flung as the imperial roots of China). I'm here for the struggles and defeats, the transformations and triumphs that you have labored over and are ready to share.
Whether it's a short story in need of some developmental editing or a memoir that needs a final proofread, I'd love to take a look. I'm here for every step of the process, from the nuts and bolts of copyediting to substantive developmental editing. Let's get started!
Services
Non-Fiction
Fiction
Languages
Certifications
- Certificate in Literary Publishing, Chatham University
- Master of Fine Arts, Chatham University
Work experience
Autumn House Press
Over the years, I've continued to work with Autumn House Press as an independent consultant. I copyedit full-length manuscripts for publication and read and evaluate submissions for the press's full-length contests in all genres.
Self-employed
For several years, I've worked collaboratively with indie authors and publishers on a variety of editorial projects. I enjoy every aspect of this work, from editorial assessment to developmental editing, from copy/line edits to proofreading. I take pride in providing thoughtful and exceptional thorough work that aligns with the author's project goals and vision.
Autumn House Press
Autumn House Press is an independent publisher of literary fiction, nonfiction, and poetry founded in 1998. The mission is to publish authors who will become the important voices of their generation as well as the prominent writers of our age. In this role, I instructed staff and board members, authors, designers, and printers to publish and promote a seasonal catalog of 12-16 book titles per year, independently managing the production of 4-6 full-length manuscripts.
Creative Nonfiction Foundation
The Creative Nonfiction Foundation inspires and supports writers of true stories through publication and education opportunities.
The Fourth River Literary Journal
The Fourth River is a literary journal of nature and place-based writing that was founded in 2015 by the Chatham University MFA program.
Front Porch Literary Magazine
In this role, I advised genre editors and writers on content and corrected punctuation, grammar, and text formatting issues for publication.
Portfolio
Shelby has 61 reviews
Professionalism
Quality
Value
Responsiveness
Gillian M.
May, 2022
Pinned
Jay C.
Apr, 2022
Pinned
Barbara H.
Sep, 2020
Pinned
John F.
Oct, 2024
Richard E.
Jul, 2023
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