The Basics
I grew up with my nose in a book at every single opportunity, and I absorbed the English language like a sponge. I have the educational chops, but beyond that, I have an instinct for editing. (Hey, if you can’t brag on your own website, where can you?)
In 2018 I graduated cum laude from Smith College, with a major in English, a minor in History, and a concentration in Archival Studies. I also have a Professional Copyediting Certificate from Emerson College (2020).
In my day job, I am currently an Associate Editor for International Law at De Gruyter Brill, an international academic publisher. I have previously worked as an Editorial Assistant for the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, and interned with Ladderbird Literary Agency and the Massachusetts Review. My writing has been published on the Massachusetts Review and Off the Beaten Path Food Tours blogs.
My Editing Philosophy
Don’t be scared of the big bad editor; my goal is to keep your writing feeling like, well, you. I believe that everyone has their own unique voice and style. AI can (sometimes) correct your spelling and grammar, but it can’t help you nurture that style. But I can.
If the characters in your story speak in AAVE (African American Vernacular English), you won’t catch me changing “he be running all the time” to “he runs all of the time”. If sentence fragments serve the narrative, I won’t lengthen them. But errant typos and comma misuse better hide, because I’m coming for them!
I use Microsoft Word to make edits and comments using Track Changes. I can also work in Google Docs if you have a strong preference, but I find that Track Changes is better for editing and collaborating.
For freelance editing and copy-editing inquiries, please email jbethderr@gmail.com.
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