I grew up in my mom's bookstore, so reading was never just a hobby for me—it was a part of my natural environment. I learned how to walk by leaning on bookshelves; I learned to socialize by talking the ear off of every customer that would let me. (...I also got my first scar by crashing into a book rack. To a two-year-old in a walker, rows of bookcases make excellent racing aisles.)
The publishing industry grabbed me young and never let go. The authors that came in for signings were both friends and heroes. The fact that reading and writing could be a part of your *job* was a revelation.
I wrote my first novel at about age seven. It can't have been more than a few pages, but my mom dutifully helped me type it up and illustrate it (with only the finest clip-art). A romance author who'd visited our store a few weeks earlier had very kindly gifted me an autographed copy of her first young adult book, and I wanted to return the gesture. I printed my story, signed it, and sent it off with pride.
She responded with grace and a hand-written thank-you note, proving she was not just kind, but an actual saint.
I still love to write, but I found as time went on that my favorite part of writing was actually revision—the part at the end of a project when everything is coming together and all you have to do is make it sound pretty. I love words and rhythm and seeing how all the pieces fit together. I also really enjoy collaboration, one of my favorite parts of college writing workshops. There's something so incredibly satisfying about helping someone polish their work until it shines—and there's a lot of joy in it, too.
Work Terms
I graduated magna cum laude with a degree in English and Creative Writing. I'm best-versed in fiction, where I'm comfortable in most genres, but my specialties are urban fantasy and young adult. As far as nonfiction goes, I've edited everything from a hundred-page thesis on car-sharing to a pamphlet about Muslim prayers and burial rites.
I offer three levels of editing, customized to what you need:
• Proofreading
• Copyediting (light/medium/heavy) or line-editing
• Content editing
My current job allows me 2-4 full days to work from home each week, along with most evenings.
I prefer to work at an hourly rate, adjusted depending on the type of editing you'd like done. If you like my work and would like to keep me on for multiple stages of a project (i.e. one pass-through for general content editing and suggestions on a rough draft, then another for copyediting/proofreading a final), I'd be happy to offer a discount for bundled services.
Email is my preferred method of contact—I check it several times a day, so I can promise to always respond within twenty-four hours, and often a lot sooner. Please feel free to contact me,if you have any questions about per-page rates, sample edits, or anything else.