Available Editors

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Jul 132011
 

I’m lucky to work with several talented editors. Editorial folk aren’t someone you go shopping for often: you find a few good ones and you give them as much work as they can handle.

The trick, then, is what to do when other publishers come around and ask me who I’d recommend for editing their stuff. I know who, for sure — but they’re mine! You can’t have them! More seriously, work is a gas, and so it expands to fill the available editorial space. If I pointed you at Amanda or Ryan or Matt or Chad, there’s a decent chance their dance card’s full.

So I’m looking for editorial I could recommend to others (and maybe grab for Evil Hat work if the current roster of worthies is unavailable).

Comments here will be under special rules — all moderated. Comments shouldn’t be made unless they’re someone stepping up and saying “I’m an editor and I’m looking for work.”

I’ll approve comments of editors who address all of the following requirements:

  • Provide links/details of your prior editorial experience; references from those jobs a plus.
  • Are you a copy editor, content editor, or both? (If you don’t know the difference, you probably shouldn’t be answering.)
  • What’s your editorial philosophy?
  • How you can be contacted for more details or to offer work?
“Noob” editors are welcome to speak up, but do note that a lack of track record makes it difficult for someone to figure out what you can do for them. Examples of a text before & after you edited it can help, here — even if you’re not a “noob” — so point at such things if you’re able.

 

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 Posted by Fred Hicks at 4:56 pm  Add comments  Tagged with: ,
  • Logan Bonner

    I’ve edited dozens of books and articles for Wizards of the Coast, primarily for Dungeons & Dragons (both 3.5 and 4E). My most recent work on a published book was a combined development and editing pass on The Shadowfell: Gloomwrought and Beyond.

    I’m a copy editor, content editor, and mechanical developer. I wear many hats (none, so far, has been evil).

    My editorial philosophy, when editing game content, is to make sure everything is inspiring and useful in-game. Fiction segments should reflect on what’s important in the rules, which should also be borne out in the rules. I’m not afraid to rewrite and reorganize, especially with unclear or superfluous text.

    I can be contacted at my work e-mail address, loganbonnergames@gmail.com.

  • Lisa Padol

    I am an editor, and I’m looking for work.

    I have recently worked for Miskatonic River Press (More Adventures in Arkham Country and The Legacy of Arrius Lurco) and Rogue Games (Colonial Gothic Organizations: Vol. 1: The Templars). They may have “before” and “after” examples. If not, and if they are amenable, I can email “before” versions, and either notes for corrections or a corrected text, depending on which project it was. I was a copy editor and proofreader for The Familiar, back when it existed. I’m currently a volunteer for the New York Review of Science Fiction, where I copy edit articles.

    I do both copy editing and content editing. I am weak on systems crunch where I don’t already know the system, but I can certainly check to see if the numbers add up the way they should. I tend to write a lot of comments if something seems off.

    My editorial philosophy: It’s best to use a light hand. Bad grammar and sentence structure give me hives, and I am in favor of the serial comma. However, if you are signing my paycheck, you have the right to tell me that house style is not to use the serial comma. If you have a style manual, I will follow it. If you do not, I’m willing to try to make one. I’ve done that before (for The Familiar). I do need to know what you do and do not want me dealing with. (e.g.: Do you want me writing extensive comments, or just correcting errors? Do you want me rewriting text?)

    You can contact me via email: drcpunk AT labcats DOT org.

  • http://www.twitter.com/jadasc Jason Schneiderman

    1. I’ve been editing professionally since 1996, when I started at Wizard Entertainment’s InQuest Magazine. Since then, I’ve worked steadily inside the hobby-games industry for companies like Green Ronin, Malhavoc Press, and Dream Pod 9. (I’ve worked under the direction of Sue Cook, Rob Schwalb, Steve Kenson and Chris Pramas, among others.) Outside the industry, I’ve edited for newspapers, magazines, and online publications.

    2. I do both content and copy editing. I’m happy to learn the intricacies of your system for the purposes of playtesting, suggesting alternatives, and catching subtle errors. (New mechanics don’t scare me, and I’m a system polyglot as it is.)

    3. Editorial philosophy? I spin straw into gold. It’s my pleasure to refine your work, making it as amazing as the book in your head or the vision laid out in the designer’s notes.

    4. I’m often found on Twitter or other social media as jadasc. You can reach me via email at jason DOT schneiderman AT gmail.

    Credited Works: Earth Companion (Dream Pod 9, 2003); Egyptian Adventures: Hamunaptra (Green Ronin, 2004); The Secret of Looking Glass Deep (Malhavoc, 2005); Green Griffon Inn (Malhavoc, 2005); Shadowspawn’s Guide to Sanctuary (Green Ronin, 2005); Bleeding Edge #2: Beyond the Towers (Green
    Ronin, 2006); Bleeding Edge #4: A Dreadful Dawn (Green Ronin, 2006); Iron Age (Green Ronin, 2007)

  • http://www.linkedin.com/in/tomcadorette Tom Cadorette

    Until recently, I’ve been doing professional copyediting for the past three years at a major online financial news and investment website, editing and web-publishing approximately 3,500 articles (500 to 700 words on average) per year. I’ve been freelance editing in the tabletop RPG industry since 2007.

    I am both a copy editor and content editor, comfortable with light-touch proofreading and editing on short-form work to substantive editing on book-length projects. I’ve done it all, and passionately love doing whatever editorial work I can get, regardless of content area or subject matter.

    The best way for me to describe my editorial philosophy is that you, the writer, are a parent, and the work you produce is your child. I, the editor, am a caretaker or even teacher of your child, helping it to grow and shine as best I can — the work (child) is all yours, and it’s my responsibility to help you help your child engage the world. Your work is just as important to you as your own child might be, and it’s my responsibility to remember that in my goal of making sure your child gets all available help when it comes to being fully appreciated by the world.

    Or something like that — long story short: I take very seriously how important a writer’s work is to them, and how important it is to help a writer have the world fully appreciate what they’ve created.

    Professional credits: 2008-2011, way too many articles on [online investment website to count], probably well over 10K in a heavy production/intensive deadline environment.

    2007, Exile Games Studio, “Secrets of the Surface World,” writing credit for rules/mechanics, playtesting, post-production proof editing/review.

    2009, Exile Games Studio, “Mysteries of the Hollow Earth,” writing credit for rules/mechanics and sample characters, editing, playtesting, layout review & post-production proof editing/review.

    2009, Radioactive Ape Designs, “Atomic Highway” and “Irradiated Freaks,” Lead Editor, contributing writer, playtesting, layout review & post-production proof editing/review.

    2010, Radioactive Ape Designs, “ION Guard for ICONS,” Lead Editor, contributing writer, playtesting, layout review & post-production proof editing/review.

    2010, Triple Ace Games, “All for One: Régime Diabolique,” primary editor on entire manuscript, layout review & post-production proof editing/review, playtesting.

    2010, Exile Games Studio, “Free RPG Day Adventure: A Nightmare at the Museum!”, author.

    2010 to present, Triple Ace Games, Lead Editor, “Richelieu’s Guide”, PDF supplement series for “All for One: Régime Diabolique,” and Lead Editor & contributing writer, “League of Adventurers” free
    adventure/preview (just released at UKGE 2011) and upcoming “League of Adventurers” corebook.

    2011 to present, Reality Blurs, Editor on various adventures & supplements for Iron Dynasty, Realms of Cthulhu, and the Old School Fantasy series of adventures, and two as-yet-unannounced book length projects.

    You can reach me at tom dot cadorette at gmail dot com, or the LinkedIn profile in the URL field above, the latter which also contains several professional references as well.

  • Jennifer Smith

    Token n00b here.

    Editing is something I think I’d like to break into one of these days. My professional experience to date has been largely focused on technical and customer support via the written medium: FAQs, websites, discussion forums, email. I did have occasion to “technical edit” a software manual on contract, which turned into more than just an editing job as I had to take the existing manual version and basically rewrite the entire manual to fit with the next major version of the software. That involved a good deal more of content generation and content editing, as you can imagine, rather than just general copy editing.

    That said, I think I have a good eye for detail and would find that sort of work enjoyable, but alas have no real examples of former work I could toss out for review.

  • pookie

    I have editorial experience with both fantasy and historical titles. The former have all been for British publisher, Triple Ace Games using the Savage Worlds system, and include the Sundered Skies Companion, as well as individual scenarios for the Daring Tales of Chivalry, Daring Tales of the Space Lanes, and Sundered Skies. I also provided editorial input for the setting supplement, Wonderland No More. Working on the Sundered Skies line involved working closely with the line author and developer and working with authors whose native language was not English.

    The historical titles have all been for the Call of Cthulhu system. I am co-editor for the forthcoming Masks of Nyarlathotep Companion from Chaosium, Inc., and provided additional editorial input for Age of Cthulhu Vol. III: Shadows of Leningrad and Age of Cthulhu Vol. IV: Horrors from Yuggoth, both from Goodman Games. More recently, I was the editor for Age of Cthulhu Vol. V: The Long Reach of Evil. I am currently editing a book for Miskatonic River Press and providing editorial input for a forthcoming title from SixtyStone Press. The historical element of these titles often calls for some research upon the part of the editor, whether that is dates or facts, such as the history of the “Jerry Can” and the “Molotov Cocktail,” and when the NKVD was founded. My historical knowledge is not necessarily extensive, but it is adequate enough for me to check the facts, and also to add detail. For example, in the latest title for Goodman Games, I suggested naming the NPCs’ weaponry so as to add a further degree of verisimilitude.

    As both a copy and a content editor, my philosophy is one of “Clarity Above All,” that the task of the editor is always to ensure that the meaning and intent of the author should be clear. I want the reader to understand what the author wants to say. This will often mean that I will question an author as to his intent and make suggestions as how his text can be improved. I take the time to ask if a publisher has a house style and adhere to those guidelines when given them. It should be noted that whilst I am British, I have experience writing, proofing, and editing in American English, including five years’ experience in a commercial environment. Lastly, as a reviewer of RPGs, card games, and board games with over ten years’ experience, I have had a wide exposure to hobby games of all types.

    I can be contacted via pookie dot uk @ gmail dot com.

  • Mitch Williams

    I do a lot of editing as playtesting. I do have a couple of actual editing credits: Blood & Honor and Strands of Fate.

    As a playtester I have credits on many other items:
    The One Ring: Adventures in Wilderland
    Battlestar Galactica
    Supernatural
    Starblazer Adventures
    Gaslight (OGL and Savage Worlds)
    Wellstone City Encounter Deck
    and others.

    I am more of a content editor but I do pick up on a lot of copy edit issues as I read. (I hate to see sentences start with “And” for example.)

    My “editorial philosophy” is to use what I call a “stream of consciousness” approach. I read the content from beginning to end making comments as I go along. I put down all of the questions or comments that come to mind as I read. Even if I find the answer to my questions later in the text, I still note the question to show that some things may need to me moved around. I also seem to pick up on small inconsistencies so if a rule on page 11 conflicts with an example on page 55 I usually spot it.

    I edit (and playtest) for fun, not as a profession so I can’t guarantee that I can always meet a specific deadline. But, if an item catches my attention, I usually get through it pretty quickly. I don’t really like WoD type stuff but just about anything else is fair game.

    When I do read/edit something I always provide detailed written feedback.

    You can reach me at maw_mail@yahoo.com or on RPG.net as mitchw.

    My credits are usually listed as Mitch Williams or Mitch A. Williams.

  • http://www.allenvarney.com Allen Varney

    I’ve been a professional content and copy editor since 1984, when I worked at Steve Jackson Games editing Space Gamer magazine under Warren Spector. In the late ’80s I worked freelance for TSR, editing over a dozen AD&D modules including FA2 Nightmare Keep, The Complete Barbarian’s Handbook, and the first Planescape Monstrous Compendium. In 1994, working freelance with Wizards of the Coast, I assisted editor Kathryn Haines on several early issues of The Duelist magazine.

    In the last decade I’ve combined editing with document design and page layout. In 2000 I edited and laid out (in PageMaker) the Pelgrane Press Dying Earth rulebook and the first supplement, Cugel’s Compendium. In 2004 I designed and laid out the Mongoose Publishing edition of PARANOIA, and I edited and packaged the first dozen supplements for the support line. Currently I’m packaging an extensive ebook project.

    My bibliography as of 2009 (100+ entries)

    allenvarney (at) gmail (dot) com

  • Ezinne Amaonwu

    Hello,

    Nicholas Marshall forwarded this to me….

    I am a technical proposal writer/editor, with a greater emphasis on the editor part of my title. I work mostly on IT proposals that vary in length from 10 to over 300 pages. I also worked with college students as a writing tutor.

    I am a copy and content editor. The type of writing I typically deal with usually requires both kinds of editing, so I have to suppress my overwhelming urge to focus solely on the grammar and spelling and look at the whole picture.

    If I had an editorial philosophy, it would be cohesion, clarity and conciseness. Cohesion because I often have to make multiple voices sound like one, Clarity because I have to make the content more accessible to a larger audience, and Conciseness because….aaahh, let me not waste any words explaining that part.

    I’ve been editing for nearly 5 years and I’m pretty good at learning how to use new technologies and style guides.

    My email address is eamaonwu at gmail dot com

  • Tara Broadway

    I have a bachelor’s degree in English and Fine Arts. I was an editorial assistant at a regional banking magazine for almost eight years, where I did copy and content editing, as well as some writing and a lot of page design. I’m currently freelancing as a graphic designer, but I continue to copy edit the magazines and newsletters I produce. I kind of miss content editing and I’d love to take on a project or two.

    Samples of my design work, including some magazine articles I edited (if I laid it out, I copy edited it) can be found at Flickr under the username tara.broadway. Writing samples can be found at http://bit.ly/ohmsBn and http://bit.ly/kCxqDr.

    One of my current clients is Gary Whiting, who can be contacted at alma2 at aol dot com. A former client from my banking magazine job is Nancy Jennings, who can be reached at nancyj at wib dot com.

    I can do both copy and content editing. At the banking magazine, one part of my job was to condense one- to five-page press releases into 100 words each. I did about twelve of them a month, so now I’m really good at condensing. I also edited articles written by lawyers, bankers and salesmen to conform to AP style and, occasionally, to make sense. I laid out and copy edited one monthly magazine, one bi-monthly and a weekly newsletter. My experience is primarily with the AP style manual, but I can work with anything. I believe internal consistency is more important than following any particular style.

    My editorial philosophy is that it’s my client’s job to get good ideas out there; it’s my job to make them look and sound good.

    You can contact me at tarabroadway at gmail dot com.

  • Zack Walters

    I’m also a newbie as far as formal editing positions go, but I do have a chunk of writing and game experience under my belt. I spent a couple years working as a Marketing Assistant for White Wolf, where I wrote web content, banner ads and adventure modules for World of Darkness titles like Promethean, Changeling and Hunter. Eddy Webb was the last developer I worked under over there; he can be reached at eddy at white-wolf dot com.

    My day shift moved from the gaming industry to search engine marketing a few years ago, but my duties still revolve around writing and editing marketing content. My career shift also brought me into contact with more technical writing, and I am regularly tapped by my boss to craft how-to’s for our processes.

    Finally, I have continued to pick up freelancing work in the game industry. My most notable credits include writing web copy for Lord of the Rings Online and contributing game material to an upcoming update to League of Legends (where I was asked to revise the work of two other contributors). Matt Forbeck (matt at forbeck dot com) oversaw my work on the former and Matt Grau (mgrau at riotgames dot com) was my boss on the latter.

    I can fit comfortably into either a copy or content editing role. My English background and writing experience have familiarized me with a variety of styles, so following a style guide is no problem. Likewise, my marketing experience makes me a good judge of readability and clarity from the intended audience’s point of view.

    I haven’t formulated much of a formal editorial philosophy, but I tend to pare my own writing down to clear, straightforward narratives that stick to a roughly conversational flow. I find it essential to trust an audience’s intelligence, but not its prior knowledge.

    I can be reached by tying a message to a sparrow and releasing it into a thunderstorm. Or you can just email me at zdwalters at gmail dot com.

  • Matthew Logan

    Hi there. My name’s Matthew and I am also a novice editor/editor-in-training.

    I am currently in the early stages of developing a small publishing business here in the UK, which will focus on proofreading, copy-editing and content-editing.
    I am a graduate with a bachelor’s degree in English & Social Ethics and I’m completing courses in proofreading and copy-editing, with the aim of becoming accredited within the Society for Freelance Editors and Proofreaders.

    I have proofread for several small local publications, but am untried and untested in the field of tabletop entertainment.
    I am actively engaged in seeking out any opportunities for work and experience that I can find while networking, educating myself and researching ideas my business.

    As an enthusiastic reader and a long-time roleplayer and gamer I am familiar with a wide variety of systems. As a novice editor I see every project and interaction as a valuable learning opportunity.
    I will work to the house style as directed by a publisher and am familiar with the conventions used in the American publishing industry.

    I believe the most important qualities of an editor are sensitivity, an eye for detail and excellent communication skills. It is, quite often, the little things that make the most difference.
    I consider my job to bring out the magic inherent in words using as light a touch as necessary, so that a publication can succeed and be enjoyed by as many people as possible. I see my job as being no less than someone who helps bring worlds and ideas to life.

    I take great joy in contributing to any creative endeavor and the thought of one day being able to apply my knowledge and learning in this field and take the next step forward as a professional in this career excites me greatly!

    Thank you for reading.

    I can be contacted at: pendragonproofs [at] gmail [dot] com

  • http://www.theeditrix.com Genevieve Podleski

    I’ve been editing for White Wolf for about three and a half years, and I did newspaper/PR editing professionally for five-ish years before that. (A list of game publications I’ve worked on is available at http://www.theeditrix.com/p/bibliography.html.) A recommendation for my editing work can be found on my LinkedIn page at http://www.linkedin.com/in/genevievepodleski, or I can provide references on request.

    I’m a copy editor with content-editor leanings. I believe that my duty as an editor is to clean up your text so your ideas shine through. If that means I’m only fixing commas and spelling, great. If it means I’m heavily annotating the text to point out style or bias issues so that you can choose to make changes, that’s fine too. I’m not a writer by preference, and I do not believe that my job includes significantly rewriting your text unless we’ve agreed on that beforehand.

    I’m enough of a gamer to say “this seems overpowered” or “this effect makes no sense,” but I’m not much of a number-cruncher.

    I’m also a budding indexer. I just completed the index for the massive Vampire: the Masquerade 20th Anniversary Edition, and enjoyed the process immensely. I’m a librarian by training and conversant with professional standards for indexing.

    I can be reached for questions or comments at genevieve@theEditrix.com.

  • http://www.linkedin.com/pub/renee-ritchie/12/419/610 Renee Ritchie

    Hi there! I’m Renee Ritchie, and I’m an editor looking for work.

    I am still a bit of a n00b, with only a couple of credits under my belt: the Amaranthine core book and the City of Sores setting guide. I have also edited an as-yet unpublished (as far as I know) system called Good and Evil from the good folks at Blue Banzai Publications. I have some writing experience as well, with a play in the 2005 edition of UC Riverside’s Mosaic journal and catalog copy for the now-defunct company store for Sun Microsystems. I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Creative Writing from UC Riverside in 2006.

    I do both copy-editing and content-editing, though I try to avoid the “write this, not that” style of content-editing. It is the editor’s job to refine the text. It is not the editor’s job to do the writer’s job for them. I like learning new game systems, but don’t expect super-crunchy power-gaming from me. I can, however, ensure that mechanics fit the setting well.

    My editing philosophy is that editing should be writing’s best friend. Both the writing and the editing are better when the other is around, both should be honest with one another when something just isn’t working, and both should work together to get it right.

    Clarity is key, especially when writing RPG material. I will ask a lot of questions when the meaning is not clear. This is not intended to poke holes in the content, but to make the content the absolute best it can be.

    Contact me at renee dot ritchie at gmail dot com for questions or comments. You can also click on my name at the top of this post for my LinkedIn profile, which includes recommendations.

  • http://www.grenadineink.com Jocelyn Koehler

    I’m Jocelyn Koehler, a freelance editor and writer who has garnered a fair amount of gaming experience in my life. While I’ve been editing for several years as a part of my other jobs, it’s only the last two years that I have moved toward making it my sole profession. I work primarily with academic and business clients, but would welcome the chance to branch out into game editing. I wouldn’t be able to assess the accuracy of hardcore game mechanics or crunch numbers (why do you think I became an English major?), but I have an eye for language, tone, and style. As a player, I’ve played D&D, White Wolf, Shadowrun, Fiasco, and other RPGs. I’m also a fan of board/card games, particularly those of FF and Rio Grande…and Avalon Hill…and Z-Man…ok, I’ll stop there.

    I usually do copyediting, but can offer content notes as appropriate. One client likes me to punch up his copy; some prefer just proofreading. I’ll work with each client to find out exactly what you need — you’re paying for it, after all. I am always happy to provide references and examples, or do a sample edit for you.

    My professional site is grenadineink dot com. Please check it out, and feel free to contact me with questions: jk at grenadineink dot com.

  • Tracy Barnett

    I am Tracy Barnett, and I am looking for my first job as a freelance editor. I have written and edited a number of documents for my own use, primarily for school. I have a BA in English, and am working on a Master’s of Education so I can teach Language Arts to grades 7-12.

    I have familiarity with a number of game systems, and have gained much of that knowledge as a contributor for Troll in the Corner. I have a small amount of experience with Technical Writing, as well. I can and will edit both copy and content, as needed.

    My editorial philosophy is one of a polisher. Whatever a writer has written is precious to them, and it is my job as an editor to take their words and make them shine. Sometimes, all that is needed is some light proofreading. Other times, large chunks of text need to be reworked. If the text needs extensive reworking, it is my job to open up a dialogue with the author and work with them to help their words deliver the message that the author wishes delivered. Above all, I will work to make a piece of text the best that it can be.

    I can be reached at tbarnett72@gmail.com.

  • Carol Darnell

    I’m new to the business of editing, but I have been involved in the gaming world for years. My first work on published game material was for Blackwyrm Publishing. I edited 3rd World, Lux Aeternum (Hero version only), Posthegemony: Terra Nomenklatura, Terracide, The Widening Gyre, and The Wreck of Alpha Central. I have also edited Fires of Heaven, another setting book for StarHERO that is as-yet unpublished. The links to the published books are here . I am not familiar enough yet with HERO, so I did not edit the mechanics in the books, save for checking consistency. You can contact Dave Mattingly or Jason Walters (dave at blackwyrm.com or jason at blackwyrm.com) for references.

    I focus on copy editing and content editing. I do have experience in several game systems, including

    Fate, d20, World of Darkness, Savage Worlds, and am willing to learn other systems to be a better
    editor. I have a Masters in Library and Information Science, so I am also willing to do research to help flesh out an idea, or to fact check, or index.

    The first thing I do is listen to you to understand what it is you want out of your writing, and to help you get there. I don’t believe that an editor should ever walk over the author’s voice or tone, but should rather smooth things out, and polish them up. I tend to comment as I go and I will run through a book at least twice, one to copy edit and one for content.

    Please direct all inquiries to carolatagc at gmail.com, and thank you for reading this.

   
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