Cloudburst Copy Editing

Introduction: Developmental editing, copy editing, copy writing, and proofreading. I am a Seattle-based writer and long-time word nerd; fifteen years of work in independent bookstores (I now work in a public library) has kept me in constant contact with many kinds of writing both good and bad. In 2005 I completed the University of Washington Extension's "Program in Editing" (the only accredited copy editing course in the country that I am aware of) for which I received a certificate, and I earned a B.A. in English literature from The Evergreen State College in 1999. I have done freelance copy editing work for two local non-profit organizations (brochures, newsletters, press releases), and have helped numerous individuals with websites, resumes, graduate school applications, PowerPoint presentations, speeches, essays, proposals, articles, term papers, cover letters and correspondence. I am a fan of the Gregg Reference Manual and of course, use the current edition of The Chicago Manual of Style. I also have ready access to a wide variety of grammar books, dictionaries (preferring the current Merriam-Webster's Collegiate), and thesauri. I am also capable of utilizing the Associated Press style book and have a passing acquaintance with The New York Times Manual of Style and Turabian. References available upon request. I enjoy helping insecure essayists sharpen and polish their prose just as much as I do the more advanced writers. Copy editing is both an art and a science. I have to see the words before I can decide if I am the best person for the job- and I will tell you if I think you should take your work elsewhere. So let me see what you are trying to improve and we can take it from there. Note: I have a regular job so I am slightly selective with the jobs I take on.