After more than 25 years as a newspaper journalist (reporter, designer, copy editor, photographer, you-name-it-I-did-it), The Naughty Editor – that's me – was, like many newspaper professionals, laid off in 2010 from my job as a copy editor. So I decided it was time to strike out on my own. Today, my blood pressure is lower, my bank account is emptier, but my optimism is still intact. I'm happily pursuing writing and editing on my own terms. It's a pleasure to help others achieve their goals of producing better marketing copy, more succinct feature stories, or, The Naughty Editor's specialty, romantic fiction.

 

Although I copy edit and proofread everything from scholarly papers to suburban magazines, my first choice is fiction, romance novels in particular. I love to "meet" new characters on the written page as well as their creators – you, my clients – in person, online or on the phone. I will copy edit or proofread your work with a keen eye, but I am also available to provide feedback through a consultation or developmental edit.

 

I work either from my home office in St. Paul, Minn., with my cat, Emma, or in one of my “satellite offices” – neighborhood coffee shops with convenient electrical outlets, a good WiFi connection, and the proper mix of chatter and music.

 

The deep background

I grew up on a dairy farm in southern Minnesota. During summers when I helped my dad with the grain harvest, I usually kept a book tucked in the tractor toolbox for any down time I might have. The book I most remember was "Rebecca," the classic by Daphne du Maurier, but others were authored by Georgette Heyer, Norah Lofts, or my favorite, Victoria Holt, whom I still consider one of the all-time great romance writers.

 

Education and work experience

I have a bachelor's degree in History from Carleton College in Northfield, Minn., and a master's degree from Columbia University’s School of Journalism in New York City. My work has taken me from freelance writing assignments in northern Minnesota to five years as a reporter and editor for the Virgin Islands Daily News. I also was an assistant professor at the Missouri School of Journalism where I taught reporting and writing, advanced copy editing and beginning newspaper design.