Skye Loyd

Skye Loyd – Editor

Copy editor for 20 years with SAGE and Wiley. I have a background in science, literature, art, and music. Nothing gets by me!

Overview

I am cursed with noticing everything! The details won't leave me alone! I will find your errors wherever they hide, your overrepeated ideas, your bits of flotsam that get in the way of lucid thought. I will leave only clear prose, easily read and understood, in your unique voice, to be embraced by millions of grateful readers.

I have copyedited books and academic articles for 20 years. I'm proficient in Chicago and APA styles. I have a wide background in art, music, and wildlife biology, which helps me to comprehend and improve on a wide range of subjects. I enjoy bringing out clarity from confusing or muddled sentences.

My clients have included Wiley, Rowman & Littlefield, and SAGE. I edited nonfiction books and academic journal articles for these publishers. I also freelanced as a book project manager for Wiley, which gave me insight into how a multiauthored book comes together.

Now I do developmental editing and copyediting of novels, and I love it! I've found that my eye for details honed on academic books helps me catch those troublesome little turns of phrase that make writing less than elegant.

When I work with you, I always remember that you are the author. It's your voice that must come through, no matter how much is changed. I use Tracked Changes so that you can accept my changes or not. I leave lots of comments to help you understand certain changes or to make suggestions. I am very flexible, and I will help new authors through the process of getting a book ready for publishing. I truly enjoy learning from each author.

Member of the Editorial Freelancers Association.

Testimonials:

"Skye is an incredible editor to work with. Her edits and suggestions were spot-on, crystal clear, and highly insightful. She improved my manuscript immensely. I also appreciated her excellent and prompt communication with me. In addition, she is a compassionate and empathetic person. A truly gifted editor, writer, and thinker!"

DJ Lee, author of essay collection


"Posting this review feels counterintuitive as I would love to keep Skye’s expertise all to myself (tongue in cheek). But the truth of the matter is that Skye is both gifted and a gift to the literary world. It’s difficult to fathom that an individual—a stranger no less—can be so attentive a listener and so intuitive a mind as to instantly understand my intended meaning, even when what I wrote was not exactly what I meant. Her editorial genius is awe-inspiring, and working with Skye was as easy as breathing.

"She will embellish your words, not by attempting to enhance them with her own, but by removing distractions and allowing your words to take the spotlight—and your characters center-stage. She is immensely talented and a consummate professional. Ultimately, your choice is in your own hands; but mine will always be Skye."

Ibrahim A., novel author

Services
Fiction
Action & Adventure Historical Fiction Young Adult
Non-Fiction
Art Earth, Space, & Environmental Sciences History Life Sciences Music
Languages
English (US)
Certifications
  • B.S., Conservation Biology, Brigham Young University
  • English minor, Brigham Young University

Work experience

Wiley (freelance)

Sep, 2008 — Dec, 2021 (about 13 years)

I performed freelance copyediting for Wiley for 13 years. I copyedited life and earth science books for them using Chicago style.

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers (freelance)

Jan, 2008 — Dec, 2009 (almost 2 years)

I copyedited nonfiction books on history and entertainment for this publisher.

SAGE Publications (freelance)

Jul, 2000 — Mar, 2008 (over 7 years)

SAGE is a publisher of more than 500 academic journals. I copyedited social science journal articles for them, using mostly APA style. I started in-house full-time as a proofreader.

Portfolio

Developmental Editing Copy Editing Proofreading
Proofreading
Proofreading
The House of Spark

LaFlash, Luminita

Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Developmental Editing Copy Editing
Copy Editing
Copy Editing Proofreading
Developmental Editing Copy Editing Proofreading
Class of 1967

Bateman, Randy

Copy Editing Proofreading
Copy Editing
This book explores the concepts and practicalities that lead to sustainable construction. It breaks new ground by providing the reader with the underlying principles of how to build sustainabl... read more
Copy Editing
Science is built on trust. The assumption is that scientists will conduct their work with integrity, honesty, and a strict adherence to scientific protocols. Written by geoscientists for geosc... read more
Copy Editing
Combating Hatred

Terrance L. Furin

Hatred and violence in our nation's schools have made headlines in recent years. Violence often grows from student alienation, intolerance, and prejudice, and it is not limited to schools maki... read more
Copy Editing
Read an interview with the author: "Working Toward Gender Parity in the Geosciences"The geoscience workforce has a lower proportion of women compared to the general population of the United St... read more
Copy Editing
Blackwell's Five-Minute Veterinary Consult: Small Mammalbrings together a wide range of information on diseases commonlyseen in small exotic mammals into a single, accessible resource.With con... read more
Copy Editing
Brian Dolan's social and cultural history of the music business in relation to the history of the player piano is a critical chapter in the story of contemporary life. The player piano made th... read more
Copy Editing
The Historical Dictionary of Modern China (1800-1949) offers a concise but comprehensive examination of the political, military, economic, social, and cultural development of modern China. Ins... read more
Copy Editing

Skye has 59 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Brent K.

Brent K.

May, 2024

Pinned
Skye is FANTASTIC! I gave her a manuscript I thought was really clean, and she returned a version with like a hudred corrections and improvements and suggestions. I am so thankful I ran my manuscript by her first. She saved me a lot of embarrassment and rejection. Plus she was fast and professional and cordial. And she was charming to boot. I will definitely work with Skye again, and can'...
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Bonny G.

Bonny G.

May, 2023

Pinned
When Skye says she notices everything, she is absolutely right! No detail gets by her. She did an excellent job copy editing my 99,000-word historical novel and I could not be more pleased. Not only did she address all the technical details but, where warranted, she made helpful suggestions pertaining to phrasing, words or word order, and arrangement of words or phrases to improve flow or under...
Read more
DJ L.

DJ L.

Mar, 2022

Pinned
Skye is an incredible editor to work with. Her edits and suggestions were spot-on, crystal clear, and highly insightful. She improved my manuscript immensely. I also appreciated her excellent and prompt communication with me. In addition, she is a compassionate and empathetic person. A truly gifted editor, writer, and thinker!
Barbara D.

Barbara D.

Jul, 2024

Working with Skye is a wonderful experience. I am an editor and I understand how difficult a job it is to competently review work. Her performance was flawless, not only with the text of my work, but also with footnotes. I had over 300 footnotes in my nonfiction book. She checked out all the references and even caught my misinterpretation of another author's idea. You could not find a better ed...
Read more
Dave O.

Dave O.

May, 2024

professional, timely, very helpful

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