hOW IT STARTED

I began editing as a side gig while pursuing my BA in Philosophy back in 2009. During my studies and after graduation, I worked on every sort of text you can imagine! From novels to short stories, screenplays, theatre scripts, academic articles, undergraduate and graduate written assignments (term papers, dissertations), university application materials (personal essays, CVs, resumés, research proposals), art exhibition blurbs, petitions, and legal paperwork. You name it, I probably reviewed it!

HOW IT WENT

Eventually, I was offered the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to be mentored by the world-renowned Art Historian and celebrated contributing editor to Vanity Fair, Sir John Richardson. Under his supervision, I learned to apply meticulous line and copy edits, received structural training, and gained valuable insight into the publishing industry. After the (one-year) internship, I went on to earn my MA in Philosophy, and used these skills to spearhead a team of writers at the WIPJ, an academic journal dedicated to promoting the work of women and gender minorities in philosophy.

HOW IT’S GOING

Over time, I’ve discovered two things about myself: first, that I prefer substantive editing (developmental and line editing) to mechanical editing (copyediting and proofreading), and second, that I enjoy working with fiction more than with nonfiction. So I’ve decided to take the plunge, move my services online, and specialise—retiring my nonfiction and mechanical service offerings in favour of exclusively providing substantive edits for works of fiction.

What’s next

To ensure my edits are of the highest quality, I’ve completed:

• The Editorial Freelancers Association’s (EFA) Developmental Editing of Fiction I (Beginner) certificate.

• The Editorial Freelancers Association’s (EFA) Developmental Editing of Fiction II (Intermediate) certificate.

• The Editorial Freelancers Association’s (EFA) Developmental Editing of Fiction III (Advanced) certificate.

• The Editorial Freelancers Association’s (EFA) Editing Romance certificate.

• The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading’s (CIEP) Art of Querying certificate.

• Louise Harnby’s (Chair of The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, CIEP) Start Crime Fiction Editing certificate.

• Liminal Pages’ Tea and Commas: The Foundations of Line and Copy-Editing Fiction certificate. (This course is officially recognised by The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, CIEP.)

• New York University (NYU) Tisch School of the Arts’ Modern Screenwriting certificate.

I’m also currently enrolled in:

• (Upcoming Course) The Editorial Freelancers Association’s (EFA) Editing Science Fiction and Fantasy certificate, May 6–June 30.

• Liminal Pages’ Coffee and Clauses: The Art of Line and Copy-Editing Fiction certificate. (This course is officially recognised by The Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading, CIEP.)

Moving forward, I intend to continue updating my skills with certificate courses from the EFA, the CIEP and various universities. My dream is to work with hundreds of talented authors from all over the world!

Let’s work together

If you’re a writer or a publisher, I’d love to hear from you. Contact me at noumenonedits@gmail.com or via the form on this website!