WORD NERD

Perfectionism and a zest for detail characterize my work as both editor and classical violinist.

Education: Yale University
Bachelor of Arts, summa cum laude and Phi Beta Kappa
Master of Music

FICTION

literary novel

For this client I have reviewed three novels for integrity of mechanics (i.e., grammar and punctuation) and for style and plot consistencies; the author also solicited substantive edits. After six years writing and revising one of her novels, the author promptly secured representation by an agent upon incorporating my edits.

medieval comic novel

I engaged in detailed substantive editing, copyediting, and proofreading for a 600-page medieval comic romance. The author consulted me as well on chapter titles and divisions, character names, Italian spellings, and plot revisions during our three-month collaboration.

mystery novel

I performed line edits to enhance the clarity of a mystery novel’s fast-moving plot. I advised on spelling, grammar, punctuation, word choice, parallelism, and active voice; I also identified several inconsistent plot elements. The author, a self-publisher, subsequently sought my edits for his promotional materials.

International Suspense Novel

In addition to applying typical copyediting edits to this 500-page suspense novel, I used my knowledge of Spanish to edit relevant dialogue. To achieve utter correctness, I researched accurate spellings of every proper name, from obscure folk singers and tiny foreign towns to rare birds and rare whiskies.

Young Adult Novel

I guided this first-time novelist toward clearer and cleaner writing, helping her eliminate clichés and streamline her prose.

NONFICTION

memoir: stories & essays

I edited this memoir of neighborhood “stories and adventures,” tightening sentences and ensuring idiomatic readability in a work originally written in French.

global law firm guidebook

Under a tight deadline, I proofread and copyedited the firm’s new Lawyers’ Playbook, imposing adherence to style guidelines, ensuring consistency between charts and prose, and checking for accuracy and clarity.

legal testimony, expert report, textbook

Over several years I have worked on multiple projects for this client: I scrutinized a 120-page draft of expert testimony for a utility merger case, checking for clarity and precision in both text and numerical equations; I edited expert reports for a utility rate case, reducing prose to a specified page limit while retaining the essentials of the arguments; and I performed a thorough copyedit of a legal textbook on utility regulation.

classical radio station brochure

I edited a marketing brochure offering concert broadcasts for national distribution. Using my expertise in the fields of music and editing, I ensured accurate and consistent listings of the music and musicians, corrected photo captions, and edited program descriptions.

ACAdemic theses

I have performed quick-turnaround proofreading , using university style guidelines, for academic theses in the fields of communications and political philosophy.