Hello there. Are you looking for a copy editor? You’ve come to the right place.

My specialty is turning highly technical language into clear, concise, and understandable English that conveys the message you intend it to convey. I am what The Baltimore Sun’s John E. McIntyre calls “proper” copy editor, which means I do much more than just check spelling and grammar:

“Proper copy editing includes examining the focus, dredging the main point up from the tenth paragraph to make it more prominent. Proper copy editing addresses the language: rooting out cliches, substituting an ordinary term for jargon when it would serve the reader better, altering infelicitous wording. Proper copy editing prunes, deleting the irrelevant, tightening the language. Proper copy editing raises serious questions, including the kind that can identify plagiarism, fabrication, and libel.”

In short, I work with clients but for the reader, making sure your content serves your audience.

Selected Clients & Employers

Health Care & Medical

• American Heart Association (clinical guidelines, training materials [AMA, in-house])
• American Hospital Association/Health Forum (trade magazines, websites, marketing, etc. [AP])
• Medscape Medical News (health care and medical news [AMA, in-house])
• Milbank Memorial Fund (peer-reviewed journal articles and issue briefs [AMA])
• National Association of School Nurses (training materials [AMA, in-house])

Legal

• The Federal Lawyer magazine of the Federal Bar Association (association news, legal news, and case/legal analysis and commentary [AP, Bluebook])
• Thomson Reuters/West (books, magazines, articles, and blog writing [AP, Bluebook])
• Tighe Publishing Services Inc. (case analysis and legal history books [Chicago, Bluebook])

Academic & Etc.

• Association Management Center (various trade publications [APA])
• The Center: Resources for Teaching and Learning (CCSS teacher editions [Chicago, APA])
  
• Tighe Publishing Services Inc. (CCSS teacher’s editions [Chicago, in-house])
• Trinity School (alumni magazine and annual report [Chicago, in-house])

Professional Volunteer Work

Editorial Freelancers Association

Chicagoland Chapter Co-coordinator. I am the chapter communications manager, which includes overseeing several projects:

• A monthly “Chicagoland Chapter News” e-newsletter for Chicago-area members and other editorial colleagues, as well as other email marketing campaigns;
• Chapter webpage updates and event listings;
• A public calendar of media- and publishing-related events of interest to self-employed editorial freelancers; and
• A Slack chat group (email the chapter if you’d like to join).