Bethany D
Loveland, United States
“"Outside of a dog, a book is a man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read." – Attributed to Groucho Marx”
Specialist subjects:
Editing formats:
Education:
BA in English
St. Mary's College of Maryland
2010–2014
Favorite referencing style
I'll always have a soft spot for Chicago style, my old reliable. But I also think that APA is a lot of fun! Never fear, though—whatever your preferred referencing style is, I'm comfortable using it!
Why I became an editor
I've always been that word nerd with her nose in a book and a red pen in her hand. To me, editing is like the best kind of puzzle, and there's nothing like helping all the pieces come together in just the right way. Since entering the professional world, I've spent 10 years solving those beautiful puzzles. And now, I'm delighted to say that the books I get to bury my nose in are sometimes books that I edited myself.
Background and experience
I've done a little of everything in the world of words, dancing from traditional publishing to magazine editing to book coaching and even dabbling briefly in teaching English as a foreign language to French middle school students. I got my start as an assistant acquisitions editor at Lexington Books, and then transferred to the company's general interest arm, Rowman & Littlefield. From there, I moved on to The Author Incubator as a managing editor, and later as the editor-in-chief.
Why I love proofreading and editing
I've had a lifelong love affair with the English language, and if I could spend all day, every day immersed in words, I would be the happiest woman alive. Editing gets me as close to that reality as humanly possible.
Favorite book:
In the world of fiction, I love Sarah Gailey, Neil Gaiman, and Seanan McGuire. In the world of nonfiction, some of my favorites include Regena Thomashauer, Adrienne Maree Brown, and Brené Brown.
Hobbies:
When I'm not proofreading, I can most often be found trying out new board games, losing a round of bar trivia, or serving as a personal bum warmer to my menagerie of cats and chickens.
Editing tips:
While having a second set of eyes on your manuscript is invaluable, if you are self-editing, MS Word's Read Aloud feature can give you a great new perspective on your work!
