book doula
editorial services
Welcome!
Support on your writing journey . . . that's what you'll find here at Book Doula. One of the authors I work with bestowed that title on me, and I claim it proudly. Writing a book is a lot of work, but it can be a gentle, nurturing process, too.
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Doula traditionally means a person who gives support - physical and emotional - on a journey of creation, providing information, reassurance, and a calm, clear presence. A partner who offers guidance with kindness. In my mind, that process definitely applies to bringing a book into the world! Authors create people, families, whole worlds, and big emotions: that journey can be difficult, but it doesn't have to be painful - or lonely. Let's do it together!
my background
I began my editing and proofreading career in New York City in the early 1980s, working for McGraw Hill and for individual author clients. I also worked as a freelance editor for Simon & Schuster on a variety of projects, for a medical publisher, and continued working with individual authors on an one to one basis, which has always been my favourite way of editing. Fiction is my preferred genre, though I occasionally take on non-fiction projects. My focus as an editor has been on literary fiction, contemporary romance, short stories, and poetry, but I'm definitely open to other genres, too.
I supported myself through four years of college as an editor, and received my degree from Barnard College in New York City, majoring in Art History. It's a major that requires almost the same amount of writing and critique as English, so it gave me a lot of experience in both. I graduated in 1997, magna cum laude.
More recently, I started my own publishing company a little over a year ago - Storeylines Press - for which I do all the editing and formatting, and most of the cover design. I released five books in my first year, and have six titles in development for 2024.
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I am also a proud member of the Editorial Freelancers Association.
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I have spent the better part of my life as an editor and proofreader, helping authors produce their best work, in their own voice and style. I would love to help you in the same way. If you have a writing project you need help with, take a look at the services I offer (see below), send me a message via the contact page, and let's get started!
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my Services
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developmental editing
Once your book is finished, I'll do an evaluation and edit of it as a whole: how does the plot hold together, are your characters fully developed, and is the world you've created consistent? Does your story have a life of its own and draw the reader in? I'll help you enrich your skills as an author - click below to find out more.
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line and copyediting
For me, line and copyediting are two halves of a whole - so I do both at the same time. The journey of creating your book is almost over - now is the time for making sure your voice flows true throughout the work, and that all technical aspects (grammar, spelling, punctuation) are perfect. Hit the button below if you're at that stage!