Years of experience and a passion for words . . .
Humble Beginnings
English class was always my favorite. Grammar just clicked for me. I remember helping my friend Jeff understand verb conjugation in seventh grade. I guess that was the beginning for me and a lifetime of guiding writers through the perils of the English language.
Throughout high school and college, friends brought me their five-paragraph essays and term papers to proofread, but I was rarely able to stop at simply checking for errors. I would notice structural problems, inconsistencies, overused words, poor transitions, and so on. Without even trying, I became an editor, first as a hobby, then as an interesting and fulfilling career.
And no matter what I do, that editor is always there, always working. Even if it had an off switch, I wouldn’t use it (no matter how much my friends and family might wish I did!). The fact is, being an editor is not what I do. It’s who I am, and I like it that way.
Helping writers say what they want to say the best way they can say it makes my brain happy, and my brain would be happy to help you too.
My Philosophy
How many times have you seen this scenario on TV: A dogged but fair reporter writes an honest story meant to provoke support from the masses only to have her editor change key sections, thus robbing the story of all integrity, creating controversy, and alienating the reporter from the overwrought and misunderstood protagonist.
Maybe something like that has happened in real life, but the truth is that most editors are not
bullies with red pens who are frothing at the mouth to hijack your words (mixed metaphor,
anyone?). And neither am I.
My job as an editor is to help you, not to force my ideas on you. Am I opinionated? Yes, which is
a good thing. No one needs a wishy-washy editor. But that doesn’t mean I’m in charge. It won’t be
my name in bold type under the title. I’m not the writer. I’m the helper.
A writer once apologized to me for not making all the changes I had recommended. I told her, “Hey,
it’s your story. You have to tell it your way. I’m just here to make suggestions. What you do with them
is up to you.”
And that pretty much sums it up.
Are you ready to talk?
Contact me at julie@copysitter.com – let’s do this!
Professional affiliations:
