I’ve been copyediting on a freelance basis for 20 years; editing is truly the foundation of my career. My education certainly helped me sharpen my skills. Through an undergraduate degree (University of Winnipeg) and master’s degree (Media Studies, Concordia University), along with courses in copyediting (Toronto Metropolitan University), I’ve learned the ‘rules’ of grammar and editing. But it’s in my experience of doing the actual work of editing that I’ve come to hone my craft.

To me, editing is less about correcting errors (although that’s most definitely a part of it) and more about helping a writer tell their story or construct their message in a way that’s tailored to their reader.

I work with all kinds of non-fiction writers, from academics to memoirists, creative entrepreneurs, and artists. In addition to working as a developmental editor, copyeditor, and proofreader, I teach a university course on the topic (Advanced Editing) and facilitate workshops on copyediting.

In my world, writing and editing go hand-in-hand. Being an editor has made me a better writer and vice versa. I use the same eye for detail in crafting website copy as I do in correcting manuscripts. I’m a big fan of words.

I write digital copy, articles, blog posts, newsletters, and case studies for organizations, agencies, and news outlets. I help craft marketing strategies and grant applications.

I taught Academic Writing at the University of Winnipeg for 14 years, and I facilitate workshops on writing digital copy and working as a copywriter.

My master’s degree (Media Studies, Concordia University), and the courses I’ve taken in creative writing (University of Toronto) and travel writing (Toronto Metropolitan University) have helped me continue to develop my skills. And, of course, I continue to practice, writing for myself and publishing my work on Medium.

I spent 10 years in the academic book publishing industry as an acquisitions and managing editor, where I evaluated book proposals and worked alongside authors to develop their manuscripts for print.

Early in my career I completed Simon Fraser University’s Book Publishing Immersion, along with their workshops on book editing and the business of book publishing, which gave me a bird’s-eye view of the entire industry.

In that time I also worked as a sales rep for a Canadian book sales and distribution company, which gave me the invaluable experience of speaking directly with bookstore buyers and university faculty about the kinds of books they want on their shelves or adopted for their courses.

More recently, I’ve also been on the other side of the desk, having published my master’s degree research as a chapter in two editions of a social problems textbook. I served as lead editor for the most recent edition of that textbook, where I helped to structure the book’s focus, seeking out authors to write chapters, evaluating and providing feedback on those chapters, and seeing the book through the publishing process.

I love working with other authors on developing their manuscripts, and work both 1:1 with PhD candidates and faculty in transforming their dissertations into publishable book manuscripts and offer an online coaching program called Dissertation Transformation.

I’ve been facilitating and developing communication skills workshops since 2018, both in person and online, to staff, leadership, creative entrepreneurs, and the general public. Needless to say, I love talking to people!

My focus is on building relationships and developing effective listening skills in order to better understand others’ perspectives, which leads us to be able to better communicate with one another.

I have a certificate in Inclusive Leadership from the University of Colorado and nearly 15 years’ experience as a university instructor, which have helped me when it comes to engaging with groups of people, both large and small, who are often very different types of learners.